4 Ways to Inspire Your Team to Inspire Each Other

​Ask yourself these questions: What does my organization look like if I’m not there? Are there group magnetics where your eco-system functions as a cohesive unit? We know that inspiring your team is a necessary way to retain employees and keep them working at the highest level possible. But it’s also important to foster a supportive environment where your co-workers want to inspire each other. Here are four ways to start:

1. Establish relationships before competitions

So many leaders feel that to get the best out of their employees they need to pit them against each other. And while this may encourage some to rise above, it may also sow resentment and back-biting. So it’s important to first create an environment that encourages informal relationships at work. Then, if you do propose some friendly competition, your team is more likely to encourage each other when it comes to reaching goals.

2. Symbiosis

Many people have a hard time asking for help. But they are far more likely to admit they don’t know something if they’re able to then show off some of their own expertise. Try to pair up within your team so that all members are able to learn a skill and teach a skill. You will not only end up with a more knowledgeable team but the lines of communication will widen and the team will be more focused on the solution than the problem.

3. Eliminate boredom

You know what they say about idle hands, and many work environments suffer from gossip and inflated drama when they have nothing better to do. If your team is sitting around waiting for something to do, this rarely produces a sense of group harmony. Make sure that you are not suffocating your team with work but also make sure that if they truly want to gossip you’re not giving them the down-time during their workday in which to do it.

4. Treat everyone like Employee of the Month

Yes, some friendly competition is fine, but when you start giving praise to your highest achievers on a regular basis, your team begins to think it’s less about inspiring each other and more about impressing leadership. Instead of trying to praise your best and brightest, give time to everyone, no matter how well they’re doing. Making everyone feel that they are inspiring will give them the confidence to inspire those around them.

One final thought, even the smallest win equals big results.