As an employer, there are lots of things you can do to incentivise your team and improve their performance. Whether its hitting sales targets or improving productivity, you need to unlock the secret to keeping your team motivated, positive and high achieving.

You may be surprised to learn that not every tactic for incentivising staff involves money or some other kind of financial reward. Here are 5 of the most effective ways to motivate your team:

1. Provide greater freedom and autonomy:

A happier member of staff is a more productive one, so it may be worth thinking about what you can do to boost workplace morale. One option is to give your employees greater freedom, perhaps in the form of flexible or home-based working, and to let them choose the best methods of working and the goals they want to aim for.

2. Implement corporate rewards:

Rather than sporadic bonuses or one-off rewards, why not implement a company-wide culture of reward, motivation, and incentivisation? This is what corporate rewards schemes are all about, and they can be tailored to offer rewards that your employees want the most. It’s not just about money – these schemes can boost staff happiness, incentivise sales teams and bring the whole company closer to achieving its goals.

3. Set individual goals that offer a personal challenge:

Some individuals feel more motivated as part of a team, but being a good employer and team manager also means understanding the individual talents of each person. If you can take the time to understand the skills and talents of each team member, you can set them personal goals as well as team ones. This level of personal challenge is highly motivating, and the knowledge that their talents are appreciated and valued by management can be very rewarding.

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4. Team-based gamification:

Want to boost your sales targets without alienating team members who are lagging behind? The way to do it is with team-based gamification. This basically means introducing a little healthy competition into workplace targets, turning goals into games. If competing alone, the poorer performers may become demotivated and give up. However, when working in a team in the competition with another, these same employees will keep on striving for fear of letting their teammates down. At the same time, stronger members of the team can mentor, support and share skills with poorer performers, helping to make the team more consistent overall.

5. Ask questions, listen and say thank you:

One of the best ways to motivate employees is to sit down and actually ask them what you as a company can do to help them meet their goals. Find out their challenges, pain points and areas of concern, and listen to their individual needs. After all, everyone wants to be listened to. Crucially, make sure to say thank you for the work well done. A compliment from the boss after a particularly challenging project can make more difference to morale and motivation than you can possibly imagine.

Read Also:

• Terrific Teams – 5 Foolproof Tips for Motivating Your Employees
• How business can promote a positive team working environment
• Want to Get More From Your Team? Be a Better Leader by Honing These Traits
• John Gizowski, La Grange Project Manager and Engineer, Lists 10 Tips for Building a Better Team