What Is The Best Way To Motivate Team Members?
Its time for a reader suggestion thread and todays question is:
What is the best way to motivate project team members?
I have talked enough for a moment. Now it's you who can have a go at this topic. Please place a comment with your tip to motivate team members; how do you excite your team?
EDIT: The following offer is not valid anymore, but feel free to add your two cents.
As a little incentive (bribe :)) I will give an ebook version of my book "Surprise! Now You're A Software Project Manager" to the most original entry (so make sure you include your email address in the comment box)…
Photography by BZO.
57 Comments so far
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If you are leading the team through though times, aim for a better future: more pay, more fun, better working conditions.
Money and working conditions only go so far. During my team meetings we have a bake off. Every week two poeple go head to head in a cake making contest. This has a double benefit…gets lots of laughs and we all get cake as a result. Now my meetings normally include all levels of management so we always try to put a junior person against a senior person.
Another way to motivate people is to take them to a lunch and have out weekly meeting over lunch. This was I know that they MUST have a break for lunch and they get a free lunch. It is amazing how much information is obtained when people have had a good lunch.
Cheers
Michael
Dedicate every Friday afternoon as "playtime". People can do whatever they want as long as it has something to do with the project. It is amazing how productivity is increased if you let go of the predefined plan.
- Avi
Great stuff Guys! Keep it coming… some good original stuff. Remember, most original gets the free ebook.
Rewards and appreciation is the thump rule for motivation
Listen to your team members, what they are saying?. Give attention to details on the reponses for the team members. Watch your words while talking/discussing with the team members, that will make a lot of difference. Share all the details you have related to the projects with the team members, that will help the team members to involve themselves more.
One way is to general chit chat with team members whenever you got a chance.Sharing your experiences other than your regular work. As Michael suggests, take them for lunch or dinner. You will get lot of info and concerns about team members and others too.
Ever do macromanagement.
Transparency and walking the talk is number one motivator.
The challenge is to find what are things which can motivate the team members. For a member more challenging work will be a motivation. For another member money will be a motivation. For the third person the position or the recognition will be a motivation. There are some academic oriented persons who would like to publish and getting academic recognition as a motivation. The challenge here is to find what can motivate a team member. If one has a team with a homogeneous group with the same kind of expectation, then it is very easy to have one policy to handle it.
Let them be creative! People have their own ideas of new stuff to do, new ways to develop things, etc. They just don't have the opportunity to bring their ideas to life.
So my advices are:
(1) Give them some time to work on their own ideas.
In software development business people are usually overloaded with tasks that are boring and not interesting. You need to arrange some time for your team to think of the things they like. This is the way to keep them creative and to build their trust in you.
(2) Listen to their ideas - sometimes thay might be very useful for your business.
#1 Understand the composition of the team, the nature of the team members, their likes and dislikes (thru offline / regular feedback sessions / regular tracking process)
#2 Understand the nature of the milestones which need to be collectively achieved by the whole project team, and break them down to individual achievable tasks
#3 Assign the right task to the right people (apply the information from the database, we have obtained thru #1)
#4 Give visibility to the team member on what all are expected from the team for the next 10 working days. This will trigger their in-born nature of planning the execution style for each of those taks within this 10 working days. This will definitely ascertain the fact that the leader is entrusting them a set of tasks with the freedom to apply in the execution plannng and style, as long as it is within the project milestone windows.
#5 Right Feedback at the right time and continue the proper feedback sessions regularly. Encourage the team to face the risks and having said that be prepared with the mitigation strategies upfront, as a prompt manager
#6 Make sure that the company remuneration system is applied genuinely to the team members based on the information concluded during #5 sessions
#7 Build the faith in you as a leader, in your day to day response and work style. Remember you are the role model for them.
I follow the simple, lean ways to motivate people. "Everyone wants to get noticed, and everyone wants to grow". If the lead "assists" them in achieving their goals, it makes a great positive impact on their 'motivation'.
For example: When I started my weekly meetings, I asked them to take up some responsibilities voluntarily. The identified 'projects' wereto manage : Birthday celebrations, weekly outings, picnics, trainings etc. The vivid nature of these tasks helped people pick up the one of their interest. The common aspect of all these is to 'make everyone capable' of 'managing'. The experience they gain while takling these helps them 'grow' in a way. The confidence that gets generated in themselves urge them to take up the responsibilities that are 'accountable'. And when they take up such 'accountable responsibilities', it indicates that they have really grown. Recognition (i.e. their desire to get noticed) follows automatically. As ancillary benefits, the quality of their day-to-day chores also improves significantly.
I also went a baby-step ahead and declared that, 'with responsibilities, you also get the releavant authorities'. This indeed had a magical effect.
After observing for a couple of weeks, I threw a surprise pizza party. The occassion was declared that 'this goes to all of you for taking responsibilities and working delegently on those'.
As is common, the shy people lag behind the bold/pompous ones in coming forward. So, the last thing I had to address was to make these shy people 'grow'. This too, was pretty simple. In the next weekly meeting, I declared that now onwards, the ones who haven't assumed any responsibilities during the given month would be the ones to (jointly) sponsor the next party (ine th appreciation of those who have assumed responsibilities). And if, in a given month, every single person has some kind of a responsibility, then I'm the one to sponsor the party.
This is working great so far, for me. I'm enjoying the outcome.
Listening them and reply with humble, give time to get their ideas, get them involve fully in the project by providing information in both direction, they need feed back.
[...] de Baar asked this question in his blog Project Shrink and asked his readers to suggest their opinions. I have always thought [...]
As I work in a testing project, motivation in testign grounds could be done by awarding the best bug of the week/month, topper in bug logging, quality bug for the month, high priority bug for the month, tester of the month…etc.. Also fixing of targets(no.of bugs) at each level of testing and achieving the target with the toughness at the quality level would motivate to a great extent..these were some of the activities taken up in our team by my Manager…
Different people are motivated differently.
For some it is money, for others it is recognition, for some others it is very exciting work.
Try to learn what each of your people want and cater to each of their needs separately.
Of course, group appreciation events go a long way as well. Team lunches are a great motivation. Ensure that you pick up the tab and expense it if you can. I've spent out of pocket several times when morale budget was low.
Knowing how to motivate each person on your team will also prove to your employees that you listen and care about each of them. This is critical in gaining their loyalty in the long run.
#Wish them a very Good morning when you see them to create a feeling 'Oh what a wonderful day today is'.
#Give some time dedicated to every individual team memeber, if possible every day otherwise once in 2/3 days. It could be just 5 or 10 mins and listem to the person with all your attention.
- Let everyone be heard, so give each teammember the opportunity to speech to the whole group on whatever subject they want. And the shy ones can do it together, if they are too shy to speech on their own.
- have regural lunches together where someone from the team gives a presentation on a workrelated subject.
- have some drinks together to celebrate a milestone and to evaluate the work that's been done. Nice occasion to write down the evaluationforms in draft.
- and finally: simple ask the team individually what motivates them and act accordingly. You don't have to invent motivationfactors if you simply know what it is they like.
We used to Team activity like outing , team lunch. We used to pick one member within the team to talk on good thing happened to his/her life in the last week for 2 minute . This greatly combines the members as an unit to share feelings across the team.
Give your team members a chance to work on their own ideas. make them look like they are in charge and that they determine the progress of the project. Finally, appreciate them for their every input.
I have already expressed my views on motivation on this site.
http://advice.cio.com/a-formula-to-measure-business-agility?source=nlt_cioinsider
Having stated that then I deprive myself of the originality to be eligible for the E-Book. But wait a minute, please.
There is complexity in motivation and this complexity warrants greater attention. The motivation to give incentives will work up to a certain range (optimal range). Say, somebody welcomes monetary incentives. But this is correct up to a limit, when the same person might seek different incentives such as more work responsibility. We have to watch for this switch-over in preferences. A second point is that within the optimal range there is a feedback mechanism that might lead to non-linear results. For example, giving more money the person will be motivated. This motivation increases his productivity and desirability to do more work, which in turn enhances his eligibility for more financial incentives. These positive feedback interactions lead to surprising results that re not linear.
To cut the story short, incentives produce complex behaviors. Humans are the same: in the stock market it is keeping the balance between greed and fear that generate the complexity of the stock market. Likewise, positive incentives lead to greater greed and threatening incentives lead to fear. It is the balance between these factors that generate complex behaviors and the nearer we are to the edge of chaos the further we are from being able to predict outcomes. Incentives need to be observed to watch for their effect. Observation leads to orientation, decisions and actions. Assumptions of what incentives may do are a faulty approach
I think personal one on one interaction is the best motivation. Spend with your team members on a one to one basis and listen to what they have to say. Keep the discussions open ended so that they are encouraged to speak out. Spend more one on one time with the best performers to keep them motivated. If you have a few motivated individuals, motivation spreads to the rest of the team by osmosis.
I love your books.Please can i have more copies? Thank you very much.
Always acknowledge their efforts, say thank you for every work done no matter how little. Such show of appreciation encourage members to seek to please their leader with the expectation of appreciation.
Learn not to cast blame if mistakes are made. Carry out correction positively without making anyone to feel bad.
I have office parties (during a lunch break). I try to have a theme and get everyone to bring some food along. That way everyone contributes to it. If it co-incides with halloween/xmas we have fancy dress.
We also bring along a board game, usually family fortunes. Everyone gets a break from their work, and doesn't require arranging time after work, which can be difficult depending on everyones commitments.
It is a very simple thing but by setting a date in advance it gives the team something to look forward to.
Every team members have different motivation criteria. It is required to know their desire by regular communication. Better to motivate them by their desires and nature. If It is applicable to entire team then it should be majority based.
1) Lighten Up - projects need to be completed on time and some herculean efforts may be required but keeping a positive atmosphere works best
2) Celebrate the small successes as well as the big ones
3) Provide feedback in a positive manner — here's what was done with excellence, here's suggestions for improvement, close with overall positive message
4) Food/snacks — makes them realize that you are thinking of their success and well-being
It's all about relationship building and drive to get the job done
First of all, as a PM you need to stay motivated yourself, secondly, I agree to the previously mentioned factor, let your team be creative (on your side - be ready to accept this creativity), and thirdly, empower the team members for their own decissions. I'd also emphasize encouraging ideas and knowledge sharing - it builds the team spirit. If the team is in the same geographic location - it's definitely great to go out together once in a while (free lunches, drinks and what not where mentioned previously too), if, as it very often happens with sw projects, the team is dispersed - think on introducing the team and giving them an opportunity to communicate on the project issues..and not only.
How to motivate team members? Easy, listen to them.
Listen to them and understand and work together with them, show them that we sa project manager do concern about them.
Hi
By taking the team members to a nice place after completion of the project may lead the team members to love their work and company. Employee satisfaction is the major field in which industry hav to concentrate. And also a funny solution is there but some time it works ie if the team has more number of boys then by adding some good prety gals in the team we can make the boys to concentrate on the work. They will work hard to impress them if thoes boys are young. By giving dinner/lunch for the member and their family can increase the job satisfaction of the senior/married members… These looks bit funny. But it works in industry..
In my projects, I found that the best way to motivate my team was to make the work environment as informal as possible. For example, the technical jargon wasn't used often, more of friendly talks, sometimes deviating from the project altogether. This kind of approach kept the atmosphere friendly and work flowed smoothly enough. Something I found really useful about the people side of projects is to look at a project as a garden. Impatience, breathing-down-their-necks, insisting on deadlines won't achieve much, just as doing so on a bed of roses won't. The roses need to be watered and lighted just right.
Recognition is the key motivation factor in any project. The basic task in any project management is to make the expectations crystal clear and once we are at it to a reasonable perfection, the next important step is to recognize the team member for his achievement. Recognition is a broad team from simple words of appreciation to incentives involving financial outlay.
With right level of recognition for the work in the right direction, we can motivate the team members to deliver their best.
GREAT STUFF EVERYONE!!
will be a hard choice to make. While i read your comments, one question popped into mind: people say that in eastern countries the boss is really THE BOSS… do you think there is a difference in motivating people if hierarchy is a big thing?
(yes I know i am stereotyping… bare with me will yah :))
Bas,
I read few of your articles and I like it.
From my perspective, motivation depends on the situation. Everytime if you try to motivate in same fashion, it may or may not work.
Easiest way to motivate team members is to recognize and reward them.
It also depends on project manager's skill to continously encourage team and create an environment conducive to teamwork.
PM needs to present the results achieved by team with names to senior management and let team know about it.
Ask critical team players on the project, what motivates them most?
- Kondal K.
For motivating TEAM its important to give each member equal importance. Making them realize that they are the most important person for this project so ahead and achieve, if something wrong happens worry not I am with you to face so leave on me and just get it.
Even a small achievement has to be celebrated.
Be freindly with the team. Let them feel comfortable talking to you. Try to accept the things from team member. Appriciate even a small achievement. Always appriciate within a meeting or in a group. And correct them in personal meetings.
Also, it is important to find each ones personal interest areas to motivate in a right direction.
This is what I normally do with my team.
Treat all team members equally without any biasing.
1) Listen to them about their suggestions, complaints, etc and then comeback with positive and definite solution.
2) Discuss with them the milestone achieved and yet to achieve (just to give them the feel of ownership) and delegate them few authoritative responsibility.
3) Take them out for lunch often and once a month picnic.
4) Based on performance, award them (say - employee of the month) with some gift.
5) Don't sit on their nerve, give them some space
6) Take one to one meeting for their performance issue, personal issue time to time or as and when required.
7) Send them to training, seminars etc.
9) Send appreciation mail for their good job.
10) In case of some escalation, support them as a team.
11) Discuss your problems (work related) with them and seek for suggestions from them. This will give them a feeling that you are one of them.
12) Praise your team member in front of senior management and always tell your team that they are best team.
Hi Everybody and Bas ,
Wow ! I guess all the people have responded very well and I don't think I have much to say (I mean) write here .
I guess the question was very generic , thanks to Bas for this .
As you all know Resources(team members),duration,budget and scope are 4 important parameters for any project.And a change in any of these attributes will most likely to impact the others.And positive motivation to the resources is very likely to affect the other 3 parameters.
And as Bas has been saying resources (team members) are important and critical to project.
having said all the above let me come to teh meat , motivation is different for different people and different scenarios.
With whatever experience I have got in dealing with people this is what I have perceived –
1. team members will have to be motivated mainly by their goals and nothing else
2. a very good friendly with in the team ( I include PM/PL with in the team )
3. Transparency
4. timely feedback
5. prioritize the team member's career development plan
6. Last but not the least I guess there is kid in everyone , so make sure that work is fun
thanks guys for bearing with me
(errata)
2. a very good friendly atmosphere with in the team ( I include PM/PL with in the team )
Some of the ways that you work with this blog will really work like…
- Giving a chance to all to contribute
- Adressing Personally
- Giving a reward for what do they do( an acknowledgement)
- Never forget to appriciate
and give feedback
- Above every thing a true love towards your team member ( Because true motivation comes from true LOVE. People will cross to any extend for the sake of one they really love)
I would like to follow the following approach:
1. Understand them and make them comfortable being in your team. Respect their ideas, give them room to express themselves. They should consider you as a team member/friend rather than a lead or a manager.
2. Make them understand things in a manner where you respect their ego and dont hurt it in any means.
3. Dont pressurize them on anything which they cant do, instead help them in debugging it and ask them to chill telling that you are there to support them
4. They should feel like you are a big brother for them, in all respects
thanks
Respect the Individual; The team members expect that you (as the PM) respect them as individuals and deal with them as human beings than as just resources.
Organizations should make it as the policy to "Respect the Individuals".
I have just come accross this aricle, which I find quite interesting. It says:
A first step in developing motivated teams is helping people overcome a lack of motivation to do anything–which, if intense enough, becomes depression. The best model we have of this phenomenon is learned helplessness. People often get the idea that nothing we do matters. But, we can escape from this depression or pessimism into learned optimism.
The link is
http://www.deltanetwork.org/skills/sm.htm
Hi evrybody,
I've seen a lot of interesting things in your comments; most of them are related more or less to the feedback and attention you give to the team. My field is quality and these are the 2 main points I try to apply: give the team the possibility to have its own objective and some beers once or twice a month
Cheers,
Fred
I believe every manager has answer for this question. He might not be implementing those thoughts.
As a manager myself , People Management & thereby Motivation forms an important aspect of Project Management.
Team Motivation "Equals To" motivating every individual in the team, 1.By making everyone in the team feel important & responsible for his roles
2.Also by learning his expectation from the team/Organization.
3. By rewarding him for his achievements
These could be better achieved by analysis of individual capacities & limitations, by letting that individual grow better to enhance already achieved capacities, by routing & promoting him in that track.
WOW… this is really more than I had expected! Thanks ya'll.
I will pick the winner this Sunday (13th of April). Will be difficult
Tada… And The Winners Are… YES I PICKED TWO … so many good stuff, it was almost impossible to pick … but:
Satish and Sandeep Satavlekar, keep an eye on your mailbox, as my ebook is coming towards you! Congrats.
And to everyone who contributed: many thanks.
I want to congratulate the two winners. In fact every body is a winner as I am sure every participant added at least an idea or two to his knowledge. All are indeed winners.
Thanks a bunch, Bas. I have been visiting this blog since quite a long. (Even before I became a Project Manager). And now mostly read via your RSS feeds. It indeed is a great place to exchange thoughts and to constantly learn.
Keep it up!
-Sandeep
[...] de Baar ??????? ???? ?????? ? ???? ???? Project Shrink ? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?? [...]
Hi all ,
I just received ebook and it indeed has numerous practical lessons in the layman language which we better know before we experience them, as you all agree that experience is not as good as theory , and Bas's practical lessons have some interesting points as per my initial glimpse of the book.
I guess all the entries are winner entries and my name came up in the lucky draw.
cheers
satish
I want to share with you a misunderstanding that might have lead to a ripple of motivational effects.
In an e-mail exchange with Bas de Baar I understood the world mean as unkind when he meant it as denoting or implying. I have been asking myself over the last two days had I not been corrected quickly by Bas what this misunderstading could have resulted in. How a small misundertanding could branch out into different relationships. A small misunderstanding could motivate a person to take a totally different course than if this small misundertanding did not occur.
We talk about motivation in a linear fashion: give more incentives and you shall end up in having more productivity. But beware of the Butterfly Effect that could send people into completely different directions.
What prompted me to write this comment is what Satin wrote in the previous comment that he was a lucky winner of a draw. Modesty that triggered rippling feelings of respect for a person that I have never met before.
I was one of the silent spectator (constantly learning) till I saw Bas's Perception of "Boss being THE BOSS…"
'My' answer for this is YES / NO… there are matured ppl who act according to the situations and the rest of them go with the conventional Bossing…
My definition to motivate the team would blend all the above submitted articles… Team activities (Games), Brainstorming, Giving Importance to every member of the team (1-on-1 if possible), Giving them responsibilities after understanding their interests (Some introverts might not choose it voluntarily)… Bottom-Line: Team-Building activities is a must…
-MOhan
Hi Guys, many thanks for the kind words, and great replies.
I have always believed that people participate in the project to achieve personal goals first before eventually achieving project goals. The project manager is suppossed to identify these personal goals and aim at making the team members achieve these personal goals. It is only after team members start seeing the realisation of personal goals that the team members shall produce the project goals effectively and efficiently.