Effective Business Leadership; 7 Team Work and Motivation Tips

By Lyndsay Swinton

We all know team work and motivation are closely linked - then why are so many managers failing their people? The UK Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found almost half of UK employees are dissatisfied with their relationship with their line manager. If your glass is half full you could say that over half are satisfied, but that's not good enough for me!


Here are 7 team work and motivation tips to get your people genuinely raring to go at work;

    1. Have decent biscuits
Think about it - poor management feedback could be due to lack of chocolate on your office biscuits! Okay, this might not be scientifically true, but cheap biscuits, cheap company, that's what I always think.
    2. Organise activities outside work
Even Homer Simpson took his family on a company picnic! How about organizing a social activity for your people, and consider inviting their significant other too? Hint - drinks down the pub after work doesn't count.
    3. Fit Body, Fit Mind
Subsidizing or arranging corporate discounts for local gym membership always goes down well. Offer whatever your people value such as prizes for healthy competitions such as a day's holiday or cinema tickets.
    4. LOVE learning
When I worked at the Body Shop, they offered £100 each year towards the cost of a learning activity, as they recognised that Learning Is of Value to Everyone...LOVE.. get it? (Now you've even got a catchy name for the scheme, no excuses, set one up now!)

Many adults are petrified of learning due to bad experiences at school, so encouraging them to learn more about gardening, interior design or tennis might give them the confidence to go on the scary presentation skills course they've successfully avoided.
    5. Volunteering
Instead of shelling out heaps of money on a fancy team building event, why not get in touch with a local charity and do some good in the community instead? You could paint a local school, tidy a garden in a retirement home, or provide business mentoring for young entrepreneurs.. With a little creative thought and effort, you can make a lot of people's lives better.
    6. Go Google-y
Fortune magazine reported Google California as the top place to work in the US. You can eat, work out, get your car fixed and have a new haircut, all on Google soil. This hardcore employee centred approach maybe beyond most companies reach - but you could still paint your walls a brighter colour, get some comfy chairs and clean the windows!
    7. Have a flexible rewards package
As long as you meet your legal requirements (and you cost it correctly!), there are no barriers to implementing flexible rewards packages, that can change as your people's needs change.

Obviously you need a basic salary for people to live on, but older people may value an enhanced pension package, whereas some may prefer to buy holiday. In the UK, employers can use a "salary sacrifice" scheme to buy child-care vouchers, reducing both the individual's and company's tax and NI bills. Flexible hours and working from home are other do-able options. Just get HR and accounts talking, and your people will never want to leave.

Be part of the group that ARE satisfied with their manager by taking inspiration from these team work and motivation tips. Small changes can lead to bigger changes, so even if it's just upgrading the coffee and biscuits, you'll be on the road to better morale at work.

Further Team Work Motivation Resources;
  • Motivation Game
  • Motivational Activities
  • Motivational Theories
  • Employee Motivational Icebreakers

    • Team Work Motivation pdf Download 'Team Work Motivation' in pdf format

    Citation Information: Swinton, Lyndsay. " Effective Business Leadership; 7 Team Work and Motivation Tips." Mftrou.com. 13 March 2007. < http://www.mftrou.com/team-work-motivation.html >.

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