Four Rewards to Motivate Your Team
Founder + Partner + CEO
Published Thursday, July 23, 2020
Do you know what motivates you? You should, because most people assume the rewards that motivate them are the same as what motivate others. Their assumptions are false and are the reason their team members aren’t performing nor fulfilled in their jobs. I’ve studied motivation extensively and have learned a lot over the years. People do respond to rewards. Rewards offer a sense of personal accomplishment and acceptance from others they care about, but not everyone responds the same.
When I played football in high school, before we took the field, our coach would always give a pump-up speech. I questioned if it was the speech or the “job-well-done” accolades I received from coaches, families, and friends that fired me up to play well. I worked and played hard to be the best I could, but ultimately, I liked winning and the sense that people appreciated what I was doing for the team.
Now that I’m somewhat grown-up, the same performance rewards I experienced in high school are just as relevant in business. As professionals, we want to win in our market, but we also want to be recognized for our talents. I’ve been intrigued by motivation and what a leader can offer or say to team members to perform at their very best and feel satisfied with their efforts. There is a lot of research available, and I have tested several suggestions. I have found most people are motivated to receive four intrinsic or extrinsic rewards. Of the rewards, team members will always find motivation and ultimately appreciation in two or more of the following:
A meaningful gift or monetary reward
Positive words of support or the gratification of a job well done/recognition of victory
Doing something that betters someone or something else
Spend quality time with someone they admire and appreciate
To determine the rewards people will respond, you just need to observe them. The way they interact with and reward others around them is their way of unknowingly showing you the rewards that are also motivating to them. For example, I’ve noticed a team member who frequently offers to get lunch, take out the trash, and randomly organize our swag closet. I know she is motivated by doing something that betters someone else. I witnessed a different employee unexpectedly sending out thank you cards and gifts to customers. I know he appreciates how those gifts and kind words make others feel. I assume he will respond the same as I did in high school to positive affirmations and an occasional “hey, great game tonight!”
Regardless of how you motivate your team – and there are several ways to create and give rewards, keep ScreenBroidery in mind. Not only are we a source for motivating branded products and ideas, but we can also help develop sales tools to close a deal and get recognized for a job well done.