Solutions for Engaging and Motivating Team Members: Part 3 (PDF)

When team members are engaged and actively participate in the workplace, they demonstrate greater satisfaction in their work, and therefore, increased morale. Organizations benefit because they implement improvements suggested by team members closest to the customers/clients. Being able to participate and contribute improvements results in increased cooperation among team members and departments which improves teamwork and efficiencies and reduces turnover and operating costs. Siloed operations are minimized if not eliminated.

Engaging and motivating team members provide opportunities for skill development when they are entrusted to develop and implement projects/initiatives they recommend. This talent development increases their value and assists in succession planning.

This document features 12 pages of actions supervisors/managers may take to engage and motivate team members regarding the following:

•  Foster Positive Employee Attitudes: Supervisors/managers can impact employees' attitudes. Twenty solutions are provided to effectively make a difference in ensuring a productive workplace culture.

•  Avoid Having "Favorites:" Demonstrating "favoritism," intentional or not, may cause those on the "outside" to disengage and even sabotage. Numerous solutions are provided for making sure that supervisors/managers avoid even the appearance of favoritism.

•  Limit Personal Involvement: There is a fine line in demonstrating an interest in employees and becoming too personally involved. Consistently ensuring accountability for performance is important. Over 20 solutions are provided for keeping work relationships professional.

•  Offer Encouragement Instead of Focusing on Mistakes: We all make mistakes. Solutions are provided for recognizing others' humanity and all of its associated frailties. Humility and compassion go a long way in helping everyone "learn from their lessons." Numerous solutions are provided for profoundly and positively impacting team members when mistakes are made.

•  Promote Staff Retention: Numerous actions and strategies are provided for retaining high-performing team members.