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A great team works well when the whole team is motivated and working as a well-oiled machine. That means all cogs are turning together for a mutual outcome.

The economic climate has caused a lot of uncertainty of late and many companies are feeling the crunch. We have seen cost cutting, re-structures, redundancies and teams running on skeleton staff. When business is slow, a team can feel demotivated and no matter how hard they work, they can’t find success.
This is where team leaders and management step in. So, what can be done to motivate a demotivated team? There are a few things that leaders can implement to help a team feel valued and create a positive work environment.

Play
Have a morning or afternoon session to decompress, play a quick game or host an afternoon tea. Choose something that suits your team culture but it should be a break from work so employees can clear their minds and recharge. This can motivate the team to work together and form a different outlook on the day, month, quarter!

Plan
Plan your working week. This gives you focus, a purpose and allows you to stay on track day to day. The phrase ‘activity breeds activity’ is a reality - and with a demotivated team, the job of a leader is to encourage activity in the work place. Planning an event if the team reaches a certain target can be a great way to encourage them to stay on track.

Positivity
Using positive language and eliminating negative language from your working day can improve the energy in your work place. Positivity can be projected in body language and your voice, which as a leader, will reflect onto the rest of your team. This promotes a healthy team environment.

Present
Be present at work, whether it’s talking to your colleagues, customers, clients or suppliers. There is nothing more demotivating than having a conversation with a team leader or manager that is clearly thinking about something else. Make each conversation count and listen to your colleagues. You never what important information they are relaying to you.

Remember, as a team leader, keeping a team motivate in a slow period isn’t easy. It takes hard work, good communication and an approachable personality. But it is vital to the running of a team.

If you are a team leader or manager and have some examples of how to motivate a team when times are tough, please feel free to comment below.

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