No matter where you are in Australia, some level of lockdown or restriction is probably impacting your team. It’s all starting to feel like 2020 all over again, isn’t it?

And the truth is, it can be hard to motivate our teams in these circumstances. But motivation is not something you can do to people. Your job as a leader is to create an environment where people can be motivated. The choice is theirs.

So does that mean motivation is out of our hands?

Yes and no.

There are always things that you can do as a leader to create a fertile environment for motivation to thrive.

There’s plenty of research to suggest what motivates people, and that’s often feeling part of something bigger, feeling connected to a higher purpose. 

A work environment that fosters motivation might look a little something like this:

• Your team feels part of something bigger 
• Everyone on your team understands their role
• Their contributions, efforts, ideas, are recognised
• They get opportunities for growth and development
• They feel part of the decision making process and they feel some level of autonomy.
  

The decision making process can be a bit tricky in virtual teams, because let’s face it, sometimes it feels easier to just make a decision without consulting everybody. But you might be missing out on opportunities to listen and make people feel heard.

And have you noticed how virtual and hybrid teams need a lot more communication? That means as a leader you have the opportunity to bring other people up, to encourage them to step up as leaders.

What have you tried and worked for you in motivating your team? I’d love to know.