Methods of extrinsic motivation seek to inspire individuals using extrinsic means, which include, for the most part, the formulation of objectives that, if achieved, would result in the recipient receiving a reward. This may be money in the form of a bonus or commission, or it might be a gift such as an iPad. It is possible that this information may come as a surprise to you, but at least according to Pink, techniques of extrinsic motivation do not work in the great majority of situations. But why is that the case? The vast majority of us believe that a monetary incentive would drive someone to work harder, encouraging them to go the “extra mile” in exchange for a well-deserved vacation or a brand new garment.

Instead, placing a prize on the table serves as a distraction that prevents productive work from being done! It distracts them from the task at hand; the person is so intent on achieving the reward that they lose sight of the wider picture very quickly as a result of this. They are now just concerned with ensuring that their particular step in the procedure is finished, as opposed to the whole process or result of the assignment as a whole. Is this going to result in a group that is effective and productive? In no way, shape, or form. Instead, it may produce conflict, and members of the team may feel motivated to accomplish just what is in their own personal interests. The best way to encourage your team is not to behave in this manner.

Instead, Pink encourages the use of the team to drive themselves via the use of their own intrinsic motivations.

Individuals are said to exhibit intrinsic motivation when they are inspired to pursue activities that contribute to their own sense of fulfillment. It is essential for them to get the work done, but they do not carry it out just because they are under the impression that they should. Instead, they get the impression that they are members of a cohesive team that is working toward a more extensive common objective. This method of boosting morale may be implemented with relative ease by providing members of your team with more autonomy over their professional life and by being flexible with regard to the hours that they are required to put in. You can image how they will react if you need them to do a bit extra work over the weekend in the hectic run-up to Christmas if you give them permission to leave early for the birthday of their wife. This will reassure them that you care about them and their family. It may be used in any direction, and those people will respect that fact. You have faith in them to carry out the work to the high degree that you want, but you should still consider giving them some leeway in how they approach the project and in how they choose to manage their time on it (within reason). The number of hours that they put in each day really doesn’t matter as long as they meet all of the major benchmarks and meet the deadlines that have been agreed upon by both parties.

This is a really powerful experience. You are teaching kids to take responsibility for their own actions while at the same time allowing them the autonomy to do their task in the manner in which they want. We all go about our jobs in unique ways, juggle a variety of obligations, and prioritize various aspects of our lives in accordance with our own individual priorities. Your staff will be able to work to the best of their abilities thanks to this more flexible method. Instead of working to a fixed beat with no room for discussion just because that is “how everyone operates their company,” try adopting this technique instead. Your team is going to benefit enormously from this in the long run. They no longer have the impression that you are just “buying” them in exchange for the time they spend working on tasks that you allocate to them. On the contrary, customers will have the impression that they are of critical importance to your company. They will start to take an interest in their job, and they will (once again) start to care about the task at hand, the business, and your impression of them.

Why not give it a shot? What’s the worst that might happen?

Because of this, we were motivated to build a list of intrinsic strategies that you may use to assist in motivating your team, regardless of whether or not they are virtual. The top ten on our list are as follows:

1. Take a moment to engage

It is essential for you to interact with your team and make an attempt to learn more about the members of your group. It is imperative that you never lose sight of the fact that the people you have chosen to collaborate with in the development of your company are the most important factor in determining its ultimate level of success. If you don’t show any interest in the goings-on of your team members, they won’t feel driven to be loyal to you, and they won’t feel like you care about them, and that’s just plain common sense. Why would they want to? A straightforward chat is all it takes to make your team members feel at ease in their surroundings, and it also provides you with the chance to adjust your own leadership style to be more suitable for the needs of your team.

2. Involve your team in decision-making

You will be elevating their standing inside the organization as well as providing them with vital additional possibilities for their own personal growth if you include them in the decision-making process. They will be inspired as a result to achieve their goals. When it comes to working towards objectives that they have helped create, your team will become more excited about doing so, as opposed to working towards choices that they do not understand or agree with. Involving staff members in selections that will have an impact on a complete team is really advantageous for your company since they will be able to provide you with a unique viewpoint on the circumstance and, as a result, assist you in coming to conclusions that are more trustworthy and well-informed.

3. Keep them in the know

It is of the utmost importance for you to make certain that your staff is fully informed on the current development objectives of your firm, as well as the (perhaps contrasting) commercial realities of managing a business. This might be accomplished via the distribution of weekly bulletins or through weekly meetings. Your employees will be motivated to put in more effort if you make them feel more engaged in the operation of the firm.

4.Give credit where credit is due.

The morale of your team will significantly increase, and as a result, they will be more motivated to achieve their objectives and surpass your expectations if you praise them for their accomplishments and acknowledge the contribution they have made to the success of your company. It may be anything as simple as stating that Charlie came up with the concept in the first place. A little acknowledgement may go a very long way. It demonstrates that you appreciate their perspective, and it will make them feel happy that they made a contribution that was noticed.

5. Socialise with your staff – it isn’t all about work!

Make it very apparent to your employees that there is more to life than just meeting demanding deadlines and working long hours. Amp up the fun factor to boost the morale of your crew. It is a good idea to organize frequent social activities with your team, such as a Christmas party or drinks after work. They will benefit from being able to let their guard down around you, which will ultimately lead to improved working relationships. They could even feel more at ease approaching you with helpful criticism in a setting that is more casual. This might be an advantage for you.

6. Offer them training opportunities

You should provide the members of your team with opportunities for personal and professional growth while they are on the job, and you should also give them enough free time outside of typical work hours so that they may concentrate on their own personal development. This might be a day spent attending an industry conference or a training session hosted by an outside organization. Your willingness to invest both your time and money in your team demonstrates that you believe in them and their ability to carry out the job, and that you are making long-term plans that involve them being a part of your team. Additionally, it demonstrates that you are planning for the possibility that they may leave your team in the future.

7. Give regular appraisals to motivate your team

Regularly providing feedback that is both fair and balanced is highly recommended. If it is done in the appropriate manner, any expert will recognize and appreciate the effort. Give them feedback on what you like about their performance as well as suggestions for how they may improve it. It is an effective way to push your staff to the best of their capabilities, and doing this on a regular basis allows them to create their own personal work goals, which are more likely to be aligned with those of their current role in your company. Doing this on a regular basis is an effective way to push your staff to the best of their capabilities.

8. Promote a clear sense of direction

Make it a point to make sure everyone on your team is aware of the end goal at all times, and if at all feasible, let them know they have a say in whatever projects they participate in. It could be to your advantage to have your team compete against each other in order to “win” more high-profile or fascinating projects; the better they perform, the more likely it is that they will be chosen for a new project. This aspect of fun and friendly competition should generate a feeling of lighthearted rivalry amongst your staff and drive them to surpass both yours and their own expectations without producing unnecessary tension.

9. Stay positive

The strategy that your team uses will also be a significant factor in determining how successful they are. Do they regard difficulties as obstacles or as challenges that need to be conquered and that they can accomplish? These two conflicting ways of thinking are entirely mental and will be significantly impacted by the attitudes of individuals who are in your immediate environment. In the event that your staff is feeling overwhelmed, you should encourage them to shift their attention to the wider picture and remind them that a regular working week is not typically that difficult. They should make a shift to a more optimistic way of thinking on their part. All of this is possible with the encouragement and assistance that comes from you.

10. Celebrate success

It is a good way to improve people’s spirits as well as express some appreciation and thanks for the hard work that they have put in if each member of the team publicly celebrates their successes and accomplishments as a team. When providing feedback to the whole team, make an effort to draw attention to the achievements of individual team members while also promoting the “larger” triumphs achieved by the organization. A section inside a staff bulletin or an electronic newsletter, or even just a few scribbles on a whiteboard in the workplace, is a simple technique to accomplish this goal that is also quite powerful. The members of the underperforming team will hopefully feel more motivated to make the additional effort and realize that it will soon be obvious to the entire company that they are not pushing themselves as hard as others around them. This will hopefully result in the underperforming team members realizing that it will soon be obvious to the entire company that they are not pushing themselves as hard as they should.