11-10-15Engaging leaders create an environment that helps their team experience greater personal motivation, in other words the engaging leader creates a culture where people look forward to engaging in their work. Team members naturally find themselves solving problems, serving internal and external customers at high levels, and performing in self-reliant, dependable ways. When others watch them they say “they’re motivated!” The following 10 guidelines will remind you of the things you must do to create a team that brings their discretionary effort to the job every day and creates results that exceed your highest expectations.

This is how we spell motivation…

Meaning. To motivate people, help them find meaning and purpose in their work. By helping them see the bigger picture of which they are a part, they can see how their work relates to the total situation and thus see the end results of their efforts.

Operate within a goal-oriented framework so that all will be results-oriented. It follows, then, all will be working toward something so there will be direction and purpose in people’s work.

Trust.   Maintain a climate of mutual trust, respect, and confidence so that people feel they are working in a fair, just, mutually beneficial enterprise.

Involve people in an open, creative climate where they feel they are involved in important work, where their ideas are sought and appreciated.

Visualize the personal motivations of people, their personal “make-up” so you can relate their work and routines to their dominant motives and aspirations.

Attention to human dignity, seeing people as human beings, as individualities, separate and apart from their work, and not merely equating their dignity with their work performance, will cause them to feel their human dignity is respected.

Take into consideration the characteristic attitudes, viewpoints, and feelings you bring to your people-relationships. Make certain they do not clash with the attitudes, viewpoints, and feelings of your people.

Insight into the anxieties, vexations, frustrations, and insecurities of people will enable you to help people rise above their fears so they “want to” do the important things that need to be done.

Onward. People will move onward and your enterprise will move onward when you broaden the scope of their work and their responsibilities as results are achieved. This will ensure growth and prevent stagnation.

Never depart from integrity. Leading from high ideals and high standards of conduct will win the loyalty and the best efforts of people.

And thus you will galvanize your efforts and the efforts of your people to produce meaningful results which, in turn, will move people to produce ever more important results that will be beneficial to all concerned. You will fulfill your responsibility of maximizing the value of all resources and ensure growth progress and continuity of your enterprises.