Jeff Skipper, Contributor
“Hey, everyone! I’ve just received a special request, and with a bit of extra effort and your willingness to work some extra hours, I know we can get it done this week!!”
Cue the synchronized team eye roll.
Once again, team members are asked to jam extra work into an already overwhelming to-do list. But for what? In the age of quiet quitting, work-to-rule, and employee engagement at just 23% globally, as measured by Gallup’s annual survey, staff are decreasingly likely to go the extra mile.
The demands never seem to let up. Leaders need more from their people. How do you get it? Is there more capacity on the team, or are you leading them to mass burnout?
The short answer to this question is that we don’t know how much we can get from people until we push.
Roger Bannister was the first runner to break the four-minute mile. How did he do it? Interestingly, while his training was important, he didn’t change his running technique. He simply thought that the possibility “was not out of reach.” The only change was mental, and, in 1954, his body followed.
The same applies at work. Employees’ ability to do more is based on their physical and mental capacities. While physical preparation (sleep, nutrition, and physical fitness) is critical to job performance, mental preparation is even more powerful, able to re-energize weary bones.
So, how do leaders inspire higher levels of performance?
Leaders who inspire change in their employees’ mindsets inspire top performance. To do this, leaders have to give them the destination, infuse work with purpose, help them see the benefits, give them space, boost their confidence, lead by example, make it fun, listen to feedback, and reward achievements.
This article will explore these nine strategies.
1. Give Them the Destination
Don’t mince words. Tell them exactly what needs to be done. Give them all of the basic information: who, what, where, and when.
Make sure to be direct and clear in your communication. Provide a comprehensive set of instructions, including the specific tasks that need to be completed, the individuals responsible for carrying them out, the location where they should be done, and the deadline for completion.
Clarity and Precision: When leaders articulate the destination, they should do so with clarity and precision. Ambiguity can lead to confusion and misalignment, which can hurt rather than help performance. By being explicit about the goals and expectations, leaders ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands their role in achieving goals.
Context and Purpose: Don’t just give employees commands—explain why tasks are to be done. Providing context and the bigger picture helps employees understand the importance of their tasks and how they contribute to the organization’s overall objectives. Later in this article, I’ll explain why this is such a powerful motivator.
Actionable Steps: Break down the destination into actionable steps. This involves outlining the specific tasks that need to be accomplished, the resources required, and any potential challenges that could present themselves. By providing a roadmap, leaders can help employees navigate their way to the destination more effectively.
Open Communication: Encourage open communication and feedback. Leaders should be approachable and willing to answer questions or provide further clarification if needed. This fosters a culture of transparency and trust, where employees feel supported and confident in their ability to achieve the set goals.
Regular Check-ins: Establish regular check-ins to monitor progress and provide ongoing support. This helps ensure that employees stay on track and allows leaders to address any issues or obstacles that may arise promptly.
When you give your employees a clear destination and the necessary guidance to reach it, it inspires change and drives performance. This approach not only sets clear expectations but also empowers employees to take ownership of their tasks and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s success.
2. Infuse It with Purpose
From the basics, move immediately to the why.
It’s easy to explain why the business needs it, but if you want to inspire, you will connect the dots from the required tasks to the impact it will have on the lives of others. That’s what a sense of purpose entails—a sense that we are doing good for someone else.
In the best case, create a connection between the work and a customer’s life. If that’s tenuous, then illustrate how it makes life easier for other employees or ensures the security and longevity of the company and all of its employees.
It’s hard to inspire the team with a 30-minute speech. You’ll lose the audience quickly. But there’s one type of speech that keeps people’s attention: A good story. Think about someone you know who tells awesome stories that everyone listens to. What makes their style attractive?
Take those lessons learned and instead of describing the facts about how the required work will make someone’s life better, tell a story—even if you need to make it up—about how the work ends up helping a customer or employee. Add a bit of detail and color to bring it to life. Name your characters. Use some emotion.
3. Highlight the WIIFM
If there are benefits for the people performing the work, make that clear as well. Will it save time later, eliminate other tasks, or generate rewards?
The challenge of explaining WIIFM (what’s in it for me) is that many extra tasks do not provide an obvious return for the individual. It’s just more work, and it must be done. That’s why purpose is so important—it’s the highest reward, surpassing self-interest.
Of course, everyone places a different value on various rewards. To inspire, leaders need to understand what attracts and motivates employees and demonstrate how that connects with the tasks at hand.
Long-Term Gains: Emphasize the long-term benefits of completing the tasks. For instance, if the work will save time in the future, reduce repetitive tasks, or streamline processes, make sure to highlight these advantages. Employees are more likely to be motivated if they see how their efforts will lead to greater efficiency and less stress down the line.
Intrinsic Motivation: Beyond tangible rewards, tap into intrinsic motivation by connecting the tasks to a larger purpose. Explain how the work contributes to the organization’s mission, values, or goals. When employees understand the significance of their contributions, they are more likely to feel a sense of pride and fulfillment, which can be a powerful motivator.
Overcoming Challenges: Address the challenge of explaining “what’s in it for me” when the tasks do not provide an obvious return for the individual. Acknowledge that some tasks may seem like additional work without immediate benefits. In such cases, reinforcing the purpose behind the tasks becomes crucial. Purpose-driven work can surpass self-interest, as employees find meaning and satisfaction in knowing they are part of something bigger.
By effectively communicating the benefits and purpose of the work, leaders can inspire employees to take ownership of their tasks and strive for excellence, ultimately leading to improved performance and organizational success.
4. Give Them Space
Gartner’s research on seller motivation reveals that half of salespeople feel they are constantly being monitored. This sense of surveillance can be demoralizing, especially for those who feel like a replaceable cog in the machine. In fact, 44% of these individuals are more likely to be actively seeking another job.
No one likes to feel that they have no control over what they do. It’s depressing and can lead to disengagement. To combat this, it’s crucial to clearly state the parameters of what’s needed, then let them get to work. Encourage them to share ways to do the job better or faster. Creativity should be welcomed and nurtured.
This step requires psychological safety. People are not inspired by leaders who regularly crush suggestions. Instead, challenge them to do it better than you can. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and motivation, leading to a more engaged and productive team.
5. Boost Their Confidence
Research in psychology indicates that high self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed—correlates strongly with effort and success, especially when facing failure. This belief can significantly impact an individual’s motivation and perseverance.
While individuals must choose to believe in themselves, leaders play a crucial role in fostering self-efficacy. By consistently reminding employees of their strengths and past achievements, leaders can help build their confidence.
Highlighting how they have overcome challenges before can inspire them to tackle future obstacles with determination. This supportive environment encourages employees to believe in their capabilities and strive for success.
6. Lead by Example
I bet you can predict what happened after Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile; others did, too. His achievement was a powerful example of inspiration by demonstration.
Are you willing to get your hands dirty? To dig in and help achieve the goal? True influencers don’t just tell people what to do; they lead by example.
By actively participating and showing commitment, leaders can motivate their teams to follow suit. This hands-on approach not only builds trust and respect but also demonstrates that you are invested in the collective success.
Leading by example is a powerful way to inspire and drive your team toward achieving their goals.
7. Make It Fun!
Do you remember the old telethon fundraisers? Celebrities would ask people to call in and pledge their support for a cause. On the screen, there was often a thermometer or gauge showing progress toward the goal. This visual representation added excitement and motivation.
How can you add a bit of fun to the pursuit in your workplace? Consider incorporating similar elements.
Can employees come up with a contest or challenge? Perhaps a friendly competition with rewards for reaching milestones?
Involvement and a sense of play can inspire more effort and enthusiasm. There’s nothing like a bit of friendly competition to boost engagement and productivity.
8. Listen to Feedback
Because no one knows exactly where their limit is, it’s important to pay attention to signals that people are getting overly tired. Signs like showing up late, getting angry, or lapsing into silence can indicate that people need time to recharge. These out-of-character behaviors are often red flags.
Burnout is real and can have serious consequences. Pushing past the limit can dramatically extend the recovery time needed if one doesn’t quit first.
Regular check-ins are crucial, as they open the door for feedback. This feedback can be used to adjust the work pace and ensure that everyone is operating at a sustainable level. Taking care of your team’s well-being is essential for long-term success.
9. Reward It…at Every Step
Doing something new often involves failure. People make mistakes. Don’t wait until they get it done before doling out praise.
Behavioral psychology tells us that we can get faster results by rewarding each step toward success. Verbal praise is valuable. Tell them they are on the right track!
And, of course, when the job is done, celebrate success. If you want them to repeat the effort on the next project, make a big deal about their achievement. Make it memorable.
Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, eloquently summarizes the secret to inspiration:
“Setting bold goals can be intimidating, but, often, our problem is not that we aim too high and miss; it is that we aim low and hit.
At Pfizer, we learned that by focusing on our purpose, knowing what truly matters, and being willing to work as a team, we could accomplish what no one thought possible. Every patient is a person, and every person is someone to somebody—a mother, a sibling, a friend. When COVID-19 hit, we felt Pfizer had an obligation to use science, technology, and the resources we had at our disposal to find a solution as quickly as possible.
We knew that every day the world went by without a vaccine, more lives were lost, and more people continued to suffer from COVID-19. The hopes of billions were resting on our science, and knowing that saving lives was what mattered most, inspired us and helped see us through.”
The work doesn’t let up. There’s always more to do. People need a regular dose of inspiration to make their work meaningful.
After all, you never know who is going to break the next four-minute mile!
Jeff Skipper is an expert in accelerating change. For more than 25 years, clients such as IBM, Suncor, Goldman Sachs, and The Salvation Army have engaged him to achieve dramatic results during strategic transformation by wrapping complex change in motivating missions. Jeff holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and is a Certified Change Management Professional. His book, Dancing with Disruption, was published in 2023.
