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Leadership and management skills are not coded into our DNA. These skills are honed over time through study, research, experimentation, and sometimes… trial and error. One of the things that can be challenging for managers and leaders, even during optimal times, is motivating your team. When a crisis is going on, though, the difficulty of keeping your team motivated increases dramatically. What Actually Motivates Team Members? Ask any manager what motivates workers and he or she will often create a list that is topped by “recognition of good work.”  Sure that makes sense.  We all love praise.  But have you talked to your team about what truly motivates them?  Their answers may be very surprising, and certainly enlightening. A few years back, a couple of writers from Harvard Business Review conducted an extensive study about this subject. The results were revolutionary and changed the way that we see managers and leaders. The researchers had hundreds of employees complete journal entry at the end of each workday. In this entry, they were asked to judge at the end of each day whether it was a “Good Day” at work or a “Bad Day.” The results were quite surprising.Follow These Steps to Motivate Your Team During a Crisis. Talk to Your Team Members One-On-One As Often as Possible. When your team members get discouraged, you as the leader have a powerful role in helping them stay focused. Sometimes it is just a simple positive affirmation like, “I know what you are required to do is hard, but I know you will figure it out.” However, when morale is low and stress is high, every day without a positive interaction with the leader has the potential to lead to a “Bad Workday.” Set Mini-Goal Mile-Markers. Break your big goals and projects into bite-sized pieces. As the team accomplishes these mini-goals, praise them. If a marathon only had a start and a finish, most people would quit very quickly. Mile-markers are important to morale. Make Sure Your Team Has the Resources and Support They Need. I did a virtual meeting for a team a couple of days ago for a client who wanted to improve team communication. One of the team members was using a laptop so old that it didn’t have a camera or an internal microphone. How on Earth can you expect your team to function in a post-Covid world without the proper tools? Try to Minimize the Setbacks as Best You Can. Anticipate how your current plans can run off the rails and have a Plan B or a Plan C. (Heck in 2020, you might want to have a Plan D, E, F, and G as well… Just in case.) Be the Motivating Force in Your Team. Realize that your team will be deflated by things that are outside of your control. You as the leader can motivate your team by showing how even the negative things that happen can be either a learning experience or an opportunity for growth. Now, go motivate your team!For full show notes, visit https://www.leadersinstitute.com/do-you-really-know-how-to-motivate-your-team/