10 Tips for Motivating Employees
Motivating Employees: 10 Strategic Tips Every Leader Should Use
In today’s fast‑paced, high‑tech, low‑connection world, motivating employees has become more challenging — and more essential — than ever. Even your most dedicated, high‑performing team members can lose motivation when overwhelmed by bureaucracy, constant interruptions, and unclear expectations. As a Leadership Performance Architect and founder of AdvantEdge Coaching & Counseling, I help leaders understand what truly drives human motivation so they can build healthier, more productive teams.
Before we explore what works, let’s start with what doesn’t.
What Doesn’t Motivate Employees
Many leaders assume that fun perks — dress‑down days, theme days, holiday parties, free lunches — will boost motivation. While these can improve morale, they rarely improve performance because they’re not tied to meaningful outcomes.
Similarly, contests and competitions often backfire. They create unnecessary rivalry, discourage collaboration, and leave most employees feeling defeated rather than inspired. High achievers, in particular, are intrinsically motivated by values like integrity, learning, compassion, and excellence — not by extrinsic rewards like money or pizza.
For more on intrinsic motivation, the Society for Human Resource Management offers helpful insights (outbound link):https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/intrinsic-motivation.aspx (shrm.org in Bing)
10 Top Tips for Motivating Employees
Below are strategies that consistently work — grounded in psychology, emotional intelligence, and real‑world leadership experience.
1. Reward Performance Meaningfully
Pay‑for‑performance works well for average performers, but top performers need something deeper: recognition that reflects their contribution and values. Reward excellence directly, personally, and thoughtfully.
2. Encourage Collaboration, Not Competition
Competition breeds backstabbing and gossip. Collaboration builds trust, creativity, and shared ownership — the foundation of motivating employees in leadership.
3. Understand Their Goals and Aspirations
Just as organizations use mission statements, employees benefit from personal mission statements. When you know where they want to go, you know how to motivate them.
A powerful question:
“If you had a magic wand and could create your ideal future, what would it look like?”
Learn more about my inside‑out leadership approach here:
- About Page: https://coachbarbarajordan.com/about
- Services Page: https://coachbarbarajordan.com/services
- Home Page: https://coachbarbarajordan.com
4. Support Their Development
Employees — especially Gen X, Y, and Z — value growth. Even if a skill isn’t tied directly to their current role, learning boosts confidence and motivation.
5. Build Genuine Relationships
Know your employees as people. Their spouses, kids, pets, hobbies. Human connection fuels motivation far more than generic perks ever will.
6. Open the Lines of Communication
Invite ideas. Listen deeply. Empower those closest to your customers. Recognize people who take initiative and give them ownership of their results.
7. Give Them a Reputation to Live Up To
People rise to the expectations you set. When you affirm someone’s strengths, they naturally lean into them.
8. Provide Constructive, Not Critical, Feedback
Criticism shuts people down. Constructive feedback builds clarity, confidence, and momentum.
9. Remove Barriers to Success
Unclear expectations, withheld information, and political environments drain motivation. Leaders must create clarity, fairness, and psychological safety.
10. Reward People in Personal, Meaningful Ways
A handwritten note. A thoughtful gift tied to their interests. Recognition that reflects who they are — not just what they do.
One of my clients once received a signed baseball because I knew he collected sports memorabilia. His motivation skyrocketed — not because of the object, but because he felt seen.
Motivating Employees in Leadership Starts With Understanding People
At its core, motivating employees in leadership is about emotional intelligence, connection, and clarity. When leaders understand what drives people — and what drains them — they create environments where employees feel valued, inspired, and committed.
If you want support strengthening your leadership impact, I’d love to talk. I offer a free consultation to explore whether coaching, counseling, or a hybrid approach is right for you.