How to Motivate

"Motivation is not cheerleading. It's not about imploring the team to perform at a high level but inspiring them to do so," observes Tracey Ballas in her book, Targeted Leadership: Building a Team That Hits the Mark. "Motivation requires the leader's engagement, focus, and commitment. One of the best ways to motivate your team -- and the absolute cheapest way -- is to be visible and active in the workplace. People don't want their leaders behind some desk or locked in an office. Being out and interacting with your team, seeing what they see, dealing with what they deal with, being part of the day's performance means a lot to most people.

"This stems from a leadership principle that reminds leaders that they should not make their absence from the workplace a reward for good performance. The philosophy runs counter to some perceptions that say, 'The less I see of my boss the better.' Adhering to that negative approach is demotivating.  Good leaders are inspiring. They help their team. They put to use their experience and ideas so their team can excel. You want good leaders around -- they are motivating just by being there."

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