3 Unique Incentive Examples To Help Motivate Your Team
Achievement in today’s business world requires knowledge, training and a sense of purpose. But finding happiness, security, engagement and fulfillment in a career means more than a steady paycheck and an annual paid vacation.
No matter how success-driven and goal-oriented you may be, it’s sometimes hard to keep that internal fire burning without a little boost. Building a cohesive and motivated team, or being a spirited member of one, requires planning, perseverance, commitment and more than a small measure of ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Ask yourself some simple questions: Has your enthusiasm for the job you once loved vanished? Do you find it difficult to stay on task and on target? Are weekends more fulfilling than career opportunities, but does your quality of life suffer due to work dissatisfaction?
There are ways to mitigate job-related stress and recapture the enthusiasm that led you to your current position. If you’re a business executive or team leader, there are some ways to recapture the passion that you once felt for the job, and pass that passion on to your employees or coworkers.
Here are three distinctive incentive examples to reset your team’s enthusiasm:
Adventure Coaching
Routine is boring. Going beyond your comfort zone is one of the best possible ways to expand your horizons and recapture the zest for work that opens doors and leads to success. That, in turn, can improve other aspects of your life.
Active, adventure-based retreats have been used for generations as a way to help teens and young adults focus on goal-setting and confidence-building. Now, the same sort of experience is available for business leaders and individuals who want to climb the corporate ladder or expand personal competencies. Adventure coaching, a newly-coined method of breaking through existing barriers to personal growth, pays big dividends in terms of talent-retention, renewed focus and higher productivity.
When you test personal limits, either through new encounters or by deliberately venturing beyond the norm, you can find the clarity and vision that will help you realize your full potential.
Recognize and Support a “Cause”
The key to motivation lies in getting to know the “real people” on your team and recognizing the positive impact of diversity in thought and action. That means identifying and learning about their “off duty” interests. Perhaps you work with someone who volunteers time at a local food bank or homeless shelter, reads to children at the local library, mentors students preparing for the GED exam, or spends time training for a half-marathon or benefit fun run. A creative team leader can capitalize on individual passions by enlisting coworkers as “cheerleaders” and supporters.
Participating in community events and charitable efforts not only builds camaraderie, but becomes a bonding experience that carries over to the workplace. Time and emotional support freely offered are far more important than monetary donations.
Keep Them Guessing to Keep Them Interested
Institute a monthly surprise program that follows no particular agenda. Ask for suggestions, but don’t divulge what is coming next. Explore new territories: Meditation, diet, exercise, fine arts, current events, music or a current best-selling book are all possibilities that can be woven into the fabric of the workaday world.
Launch a lunchtime yoga session, start a lending library of current titles, or schedule a popup concert by a local school choir. Plan a potluck lunch or schedule a breakfast meeting at a new coffee shop. Shake up the routine, with an emphasis on “living the good life,” and watch spirits — and productivity — soar.
There are many ways to counteract the stress and anxiety of daily routine. No matter what your version of a healthy lifestyle, a team leader who supports individual paths to work-life balance is sure to win the respect and support of coworkers. Avoid formal training sessions, and instead focus on developing a company culture that is inclusive and fun. It’s the attitude that’s contagious!
Sources:
https://www.zenefits.com/blog/5-things-employees-value-more-than-salary/
