What do you do to motivate others?

One of the key roles of anyone who is managing is to get results through others.  To get others to deliver results for you, it is vital that you motivate them.  Managers often believe that pay and rewards are the key things that motivate people.  Without doubt pay and rewards play a part of motivating people you manage but contrary to common belief, they are not the primary motivators of the majority of staff. 

The truth is that is often things that cost little or nothing which motivate.  For example:

  • Saying thank you when people have put in extra effort
  • Praising people when they have done a good job
  • Offering opportunities to acquire new skills or experience

What do you find is most powerful when it comes to motivating others?

About the Author Duncan Brodie

Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.

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3 comments
Janice Robertson says 1 December 2008

Praise when things are going well and support (rather than blame) when things are not going so well. I also think that including people in the decision making process and encouraging ideas on how to achieve targets helps team members to own their own objectives.

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Duncan Brodie says 5 September 2011

Great points Janice. You are spot on when you say involving people makes such a difference.

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