As a manager you have a choice too. You can choose to motivate others through the carrot or the stick approach. The stick is all about fear. You have the power to apply a negative consequence to missed deadlines or poor work. You can choose to lead with fear, and you will get the work done.
Or you can choose to reward achievements and the right behaviours. The latter approach is far more successful, although it takes a little more work. Think about training a dog. You can hit it, shout at it, or punish it or choose to reward good behaviour with treats, cuddles, and body language. The two dogs will have completely different attitudes and behaviours as a result.
Humans are exactly the same in many ways. An employee who operates in a fear bubble will do what is required - eventually, but they won't do it with gusto and energy. The engaged, happy, and fulfilled employee is willing to go that extra mile, take ownership, eager to please and encourages and supports others. It's contagious, and the culture of the team or organisation is positively impacted.
01
Make it playful
Work can be hard, but it doesn't need to feel like hard work. When you have a task or goal to achieve, find ways to inject fun, play and laughter. Brainstorm collaboratively, role play, change your environment, add scenarios, turn it into a game, add some competition or set a timer to add some urgency.
02
Reward success
Think carrot. Reward yourself with a break, a cup of coffee or an extended lunch break once you have succeeded. For big projects, reward yourself with a prize, perhaps it's an object you have been wanting to buy, a holiday, a new car or simply a night with friends. If the task itself isn't motivating, make the reward the prize.
03
Set challenges
Can you find a way to improve the task, do it quicker, better, or more interesting? Can you add some competition or add some gamification to the activity. Being stuck is very demotivating, so try to find ways to stretch, grow or improve to make the task more interesting and enjoyable.
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