3 Motivation Hacks Every Great Leaders Use to Build a Strong Workplace Culture

Some leaders believe that increasing pay improves employee motivation. While money is a factor, long-term team motivation comes from much more than pay.

Over the last 25 years, we've helped thousands of families and hundreds of businesses improve their work culture. The healthiest companies and families share many similarities.

When a leader intentionally focuses on improving the workplace culture, employees engage at a higher level, retention improves, and ultimately, profit increases.  

3 Motivation Hacks

1. Make Conflict Safe

Healthy conflict builds & creates intimacy. Avoiding conflict increases anxiety. Addressing core issues consistently will motivate your team.

Companies Lack Emotional Safety When ........

• Performance expectations are not clear.
• People are not held accountable for meeting work expectations.
• Bad behavior is tolerated (e.g., gossip, dishonesty, etc.).
• Leaders don't do what they say they are going to do.
• Leadership lacks a unified message about the direction of the company.
• Diversity is lacking in its various forms (age, gender, cultural, ect).

Make Your Team Safe By ..........

• Own it when you drop the ball as a leader.
• Teaching the team how communicate effectively.
• Be rigorously honest.
• Having clear expectations for everyone.
• Addressing poor behavior swiftly (sometimes through termination).
• Following through on commitments.
• Considering different viewpoints.
• Removing toxic people swiftly.
• Have 7 times more encouragement than constructive feedback.

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2. Foster Healthy Connection

They consistently create opportunities for relationships to form and go deeper. Members spend quality time together. Activities are intentionally planned, and employees look forward to these times together. Having FUN together as a team increases motivation!

Encourage Connection at Work By .....

• Planning regular social gatherings (e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)
• Using icebreakers and conversation starters consistently at meetings
• Learning together (e.g., reading books, attending training & conferences, etc.)
• Engaging in fun activities (e.g., games, meals, escape rooms, axe throwing, etc.)
• Utilizing a personality tool like the DISC to better understand one another.
• Learning how to listen by paraphrasing what the other person said to prove you understood.
• Curiously asking great questions to get people thinking and will motivate your team.

We created a FREE DISC Personality Assessment to take and share with co-workers and friends. Understanding each other better increases employee connection and motivation. Once completed, your results will be emailed to you automatically.