How to Reward Individual Employees and Teams to Boost Motivation Dramatically

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Leadership & Motivation Theories & Models (237-slide PowerPoint presentation). This presentation is a compilation of PowerPoint descriptions and diagrams used to convey 30+ different leadership and motivation theories and models. These materials can be used for: 1. Self-development - understanding and improving personal leadership knowledge and capability; 2. [read more]

* * * *

Everyone wants to feel like they’re making a difference and are being rewarded for their efforts. But how can you ensure your employees know they’re being heard and their contributions are valued?

Reward systems aren’t as complicated as they may seem. They can be really simple—and effective—once you know the right way to go about it. 

Regarding boosting motivation among your team members, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind. 

The process of rewarding individuals and teams should be done in a way that won’t just support them but will also leave them feeling inspired and optimistic about the future. Here are some ways you can do so:

Praise

Praise can be verbal or written. It’s best to be clear about what it means before giving it. You don’t have to praise everyone in your company—only those who impact results. Praising these individuals will show you appreciate your work and help them feel ebullient. 

Even though you don’t have to give long, drawn-out speeches, it’s important to praise individuals when you see the opportunity. One simple way to praise employees is to give them recognition.

You can give quick, visual praise by emailing or sharing a Google Doc. If your company maintains a forum, post the praise there as well. Something as simple as a quick note on their performance or a quick “thumbs up” on their work can go a long way in boosting motivation.

Showcasing Your Company

If you work for a small business, it’s easy to forget that your employees are people, too. This means that your company culture can greatly impact how they feel while they’re on your team. To show your employees that you’re on the right track regarding employee motivation, point out any problems or issues that are bubbling up in the workplace. 

Take these moments to shine, and you’ll find that your team members are more likely to take notice and start paying attention again. This can be done in several ways.

One great way is to schedule regular meetings to discuss any issues your team members have. You can also create a “performance review” at the start of each month that highlights everything your team members did well and any areas of improvement.

Responsibility

If you want to boost motivation among your team members, you need to find a way to shift the focus away from you and your company. This requires you to take ownership of the entire system.

If you’re the only one who knows how the system works, it’s easy to feel stuck and overwhelmed. This can lead to feelings of resentment and frustration among your team members. 

It’s important to take some ownership of these feelings and shift the conversation to what your team members can do to further the positive growth of your business. This can help your employees feel less overwhelmed and stuck in their roles.

Gamification

Gamification is a concept that encourages playing a game, but the most effective way is probably through competitive advantages.

One way to gamify your company is to have employees put together their teams and compete against other teams from other companies. This could be as simple as putting together a presentation on your competitive advantage.

Small Events

Small events are often overlooked when it comes to boosting motivation but can be a significant boost for teams and individuals. For instance, one way to boost motivation on a smaller scale is to give employees glass plates and trophies as awards when they achieve a feat. This can be a significant boost for the individual member and their colleagues and your entire company.

As you can see, there are many different ways to thank your employees for their hard work. The most important thing is to ensure that you’re able to provide them with the right kind of motivation to get the best work out of themselves.

Do You Want to Implement Business Best Practices?

You can download in-depth presentations on Motivation and 100s of management topics from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives.

For even more best practices available on Flevy, have a look at our top 100 lists:

• Top 100 in Strategy & Transformation
• Top 100 in Digital Transformation
• Top 100 in Operational Excellence
• Top 100 in Organization & Change
• Top 100 Management Consulting Frameworks

These best practices are of the same as those leveraged by top-tier management consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and Accenture. Improve the growth and efficiency of your organization by utilizing these best practice frameworks, templates, and tools. Most were developed by seasoned executives and consultants with over 20+ years of experience.