As a leadership coach, I’ve witnessed the incredible impact self-motivated employees can have on an organization’s success. Helping your team develop a strong sense of self-motivation is one of the most valuable investments you can make as a leader.
Here are ten empowering strategies to cultivate self-motivation in your workplace:
Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity: Encourage your employees to view failures as valuable lessons. I work with a startup founder who celebrated “Failure Fridays.” Employees shared learning experiences, fostering continuous improvement and self-motivation.
Foster a Culture of Curiosity: Promote curiosity. Encourage questions and new ideas. I coached an organization to implement monthly “curiosity sessions.” This led to a more engaged and self-motivated workforce.
Encourage Mindfulness Practices: Introduce mindfulness, like meditation or deep breathing. These help manage stress and maintain a positive mindset. Short mindfulness breaks result in a more resilient and self-motivated team.
Create a “Personal Why” Connection: Help employees connect their goals to the organization’s mission. An HR manager and I implemented a “personal why” workshop. Employees linked their work to personal aspirations, leading to a more purpose-driven workforce.
Promote a Growth Mindset: Foster a growth mindset. Emphasize that skills can be developed. I coached a sales leader who replaced “failure” with “learning opportunity.” This encouraged his team to embrace challenges and improve.
6. Encourage “Self-Leadership” Practices: Promote self-leadership, like goal-setting and problem-solving. A leader and I implemented a “self-leadership challenge.” Employees set goals and developed action plans, resulting in a more accountable team.
7. Foster a Culture of Gratitude: Encourage gratitude for colleagues’ contributions. This creates a positive environment. I witnessed this when I had a CEO implement a weekly “recognition circle.” Team members shared appreciation, leading to a more cohesive workforce.
8. Promote “Passion Projects: Encourage employees to dedicate time to personal projects. I work with a company that allows 10% of work hours for self-directed projects. This increased innovation and engagement.
9. Foster a Culture of “Psychological Safety”: Create an environment where employees feel safe to take risks and voice opinions. A leader I coach actively listened to concerns and encouraged open dialogue. This led to a more collaborative workforce.
10. Encourage “Self-Care” Practices: Promote self-care. Encourage prioritizing physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Leaders who model self-care practices, like taking breaks, result in a more resilient team.
By implementing these strategies, you can nurture self-motivation and empower employees to reach their potential.
Lead From Within: Invest in your employees’ self-motivation to unlock their full potential and build an unstoppable organization.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 6 Reasons Your Best Employees Can Lose Their Motivation
- The Best Way to Boost Employee Motivation
- 11 Things Employees Complain Most About Their Leaders
- 6 Important Tips on How to Prevent Your Employees from Burnout
- 7 Quick Ways to Make Your Employees Happy at Work
- How to Get Your Employees to Respect You
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.