9 Ways to Motivate Underperforming Teams

Motivating your team might seem complex, but understanding the science behind it makes it surprisingly simple.

Today we're going to explore nine actionable strategies that you can use to immediately boost motivation and transform your team's performance.

Hey everybody, I'm Doug Howard. I'm a leadership coach and consultant for engineering companies and engineering leaders, but I use this YouTube channel to teach leaders in any industry how to unlock the full potential of your teams.

Each episode focuses on the human side of management by exploring topics like emotional intelligence, influence, and motivation. So don't forget to hit that subscribe button.

The Science Behind Motivating Employees in the Workplace

If you're a leader struggling with a disengaged team, you're not alone. But the good news is that motivation isn't magic. It's science.

In my last episode, we explored the science of motivation by taking a close look at each of the three core motivational triggers that are hardwired into our DNA, which are autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

We also reviewed how most managers today are unintentionally demotivating their teams without even realizing it. It's because they're unaware of these motivational triggers and they're unaware of how they work. If you haven't seen that episode yet, I encourage you to check it out because it provides a lot of context and background information behind everything we're going to cover today.

That episode is called The Science Behind Motivating employees In The Workplace, and I included a link to that episode in the description.

Today's video builds right on top of that by giving you nine specific strategies that you can apply right now to motivate underperforming employees so that you can unlock your team's full potential.

Delegation and Ownership

Strategy one is delegation and ownership. Shift your mindset from micromanagement to delegation. This doesn't mean throwing your team into the deep end. It's not about that. Instead, it's about empowering your team to take ownership of their work. Micromanagement crushes autonomy. If you remember from the first episode, autonomy is one of the key three motivational triggers.

On the other hand, delegation taps into that motivational trigger because it empowers your team to make decisions, solve problems, and feel a sense of control over their tasks. This ownership fosters a sense of pride and responsibility, which is going to lead to increased engagement and motivation.

So take a step back and identify tasks that are well suited for delegation. Discuss project goals with your team and allow them to choose their approach within defined parameters. Provide support, guidance, and resources, but make sure you avoid the urge to dictate every step.

For example, if you're a software engineering manager, instead of dictating specific coding methods, you should empower your engineers to choose their preferred frameworks as long as they meet the project requirements. Giving them this type of autonomy allows them to utilize their strengths and showcase their expertise to you.

Now, if you're a manager who's drowning in work and delegation is not a strength for you, you should watch my free masterclass on how to multiply your time through delegation. You'll learn powerful mindset shifts that will help you become more comfortable with letting go and trusting your team to get things done the right way. You'll also learn a powerful framework for figuring out what tasks on your current workload are delegatable, along with a step by step strategy for transferring that work from you to them. This 60 minute training is 100 percent free, and it's called How to Multiply Your Time Through Delegation. I included a link to this free masterclass in the description.

Growth Mindset and Learning Opportunities

Strategy two is growth mindset and learning opportunities. Cultivate a culture of continuous learning and development throughout your team. People crave mastery. This is one of the core motivational triggers. Feeling stagnant is a surefire way to kill motivation.

By providing opportunities for growth and skill development, you're going to offer a path to mastery for them. This keeps your team engaged, motivated, and excited about tackling new challenges.

Invest in your team's growth by offering training programs, sponsoring relevant industry conferences, and encouraging knowledge sharing within your team. Provide stretch assignments that challenge their existing skill sets and that allow them to learn new things.

For example, you could offer online courses on emerging technologies that are relevant to your projects. This investment demonstrates your commitment to their growth and it keeps them at the forefront of their field.

Meaningful Work and Purpose Connection

Strategy three is meaningful work and purpose connection. Feeling like a cog in a machine is going to demotivate even the most talented people on your team. So help your team see the bigger picture and how their individual contributions connect to the larger goal at hand.

Purpose is a powerful motivator and by connecting individual work and tasks to the company's mission and to real world impact, you're going to foster intrinsic motivation and a sense of value in each person.

Regularly discuss company goals and how each team member's role directly contributes to the success of the project and the company's overall mission. Share positive customer testimonials or stories that showcase the real world impact of their work.

For example, if your team is developing software for medical devices, share stories of how their work improves patient care. This connection to a greater purpose is going to fuel their motivation and their sense of accomplishment.

Regular Feedback and Recognition

Strategy four, regular feedback and recognition. Don't let great work go unnoticed. Make sure you're providing specific and timely feedback and recognition for your team's achievements. Regular feedback is going to reinforce positive behaviors, and it's also going to validate your team's contribution. Recognition actually fuels a desire for continued mastery, which is only going to motivate your team to excel.

So schedule regular one on one meetings for feedback and open discussions with your team. Focus on both strengths and areas for development, and make sure you're offering actionable steps for their improvement and their professional development. Publicly acknowledge accomplishments in team meetings or company newsletters. Consider implementing a personalized rewards or recognition program to celebrate achievements.

For example, if someone on your team develops a particularly innovative solution, publicly acknowledge their accomplishment in a team meeting and highlight the positive impact it had on the project. This recognition validates their contributions while also reinforcing the type of performance you want from your team, which will inspire others to do the same.

Delivering effective feedback can feel like you're walking a tightrope. You want to be direct, but you don't want to hurt their feelings. If this is something you struggle with, watch my episode called How to Give Constructive Feedback Without the Stress.

Psychological Safety and Open Communication

Strategy five is psychological safety and open communication. You want to create an environment where team members feel safe taking risks and sharing ideas and admitting their mistakes. Psychological safety is crucial for fostering innovation and motivation. Feeling safe to speak up and feeling safe to experiment is going to empower autonomy and it's going to foster trust within your team.

This open communication environment allows for better collaboration, problem solving, and a sense of belonging. It starts with you as the leader, leading by example. So be open about your own mistakes and encourage your team to do the same.

Focus on solutions rather than blame whenever you're addressing errors. Actively listen to their ideas and their concerns so that you're fostering an environment of open communication and psychological safety.

If an employee makes a mistake, again, don't focus on the blame. Instead, work together to identify the root cause so that you can troubleshoot solutions together and prevent future occurrences. This collaborative approach fosters trust and empowers your team to learn from their mistakes.

Invest in Relationships and Team Building

Strategy six, invest in relationships and team building. You want to foster a strong sense of community and camaraderie within your team. Strong relationships and a sense of belonging are going to contribute significantly to motivation. A team that feels supported and a team that feels connected is way more likely to be motivated to achieve common goals together.

Organize team building activities and social events outside of work hours. Encourage team members to collaborate and to get to know each other on a personal level. Recognize and celebrate team successes as a collective effort.

For example, you could plan a team outing for bowling, go kart racing, or a hike. Informal interactions like this are going to help build rapport and create a sense of community within the team. If you want to learn how you can take this further, go watch my episode called How To Quickly Build Relationships With Anyone.

Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

Strategy seven, focus on progress, not perfection. Shift the focus from achieving flawlessness to celebrating progress and learning from mistakes. The fear of making mistakes can be a significant demotivator, but by fostering a culture that embraces learning and iteration, you can create a safe space for growth and experimentation. This means you need to normalize mistakes as part of the learning process.

Focus on postmortem analysis to identify solutions and prevent future occurrences without assigning blame. Encourage calculated risks and celebrate the lessons learned, even if the initial outcome wasn't perfect.

For example, when a team encounters an unexpected hurdle, instead of dwelling on the setback, focus on the troubleshooting process and the knowledge gained to overcome it in the future.

Offer Choices and Flexibility

Strategy eight offer choices and flexibility. Empower your team by giving them more choices in their work schedule, their approaches and their tools. People are often more motivated when they have some control over how they work. By offering flexibility, you're going to foster autonomy and you're going to allow your team to leverage their preferred work styles so that they can lean into their strengths.

When assigning tasks, discuss different approaches or methodologies that can be used to achieve the desired outcome. Allow your team to choose their preferred schedule or their preferred work environment whenever possible. Offer training on various tools and technologies and allow them to choose the ones that best suit their skill sets on the project.

For example, if your team consists of both early birds and night owls, consider offering flexible start and end times within a core working hours period. Giving them this amount of flexibility empowers them to work when they're most productive.

Promote Work-Life Balance and Well-being

Strategy nine is promote work life balance and well being. Burnout is a major demotivator. As a leader, you need to recognize the importance of work life balance and actively support your team's well being. By promoting healthy work habits and encouraging breaks, you're going to create a sustainable work environment that fosters long term motivation.

Lead by example and take breaks yourself. Encourage your team to utilize all their vacation days and all their time off. Offer resources on stress management and work life balance. Consider flexible work arrangements that support a healthy separation between work and personal life.

For example, if your team struggles with taking breaks, you could implement a company wide or a department wide quiet hour where everyone disconnects from work emails and they strictly focus on focused work or personal rejuvenation.

By implementing these nine strategies, you can transform your team from disengaged to driven. Remember, motivation is a journey, not a destination. So be patient. Celebrate small wins and keep fostering a culture of growth, learning, and open communication.

A motivated team is a powerful asset, leading to increased productivity, innovation, and success for your entire team, as well as throughout your entire organization. But engagement goes beyond motivation. In fact, there's a specific reason why employees become disengaged. It's related to human psychology. It's literally hardwired into our DNA. If you want to learn what this factor is and how you can leverage it to boost your team's performance, check out my episode called Five Strategies For Managers To Improve Team Engagement.

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