How to motivate your team?
- Magalie AUGER
- May 2
- 7 min read
Do you feel like your team is losing energy or motivation?
Are you a manager, HR director or executive and wondering how to boost engagement sustainably?
Do you want to (re)create a positive, motivating and meaningful climate in your teams?
Then this article is for you!
Why is it essential to know how to motivate a team?
Motivating a team is one of the most strategic skills in business. It's what makes the difference between a team that painfully achieves its goals and one that exceeds them with commitment, mutual support, and enthusiasm.
An unmotivated team is a team where chronic fatigue, turnover and conflicts take precedence over performance and enjoyment at work.
Let's take the example of Céline, HR Director in an industrial SME: her team was understaffed, stressed and losing its bearings.
She established individual recognition points, valued missions aligned with each person's natural skills, and reorganized tasks to take into account energizing activities.
Three months later, engagement metrics had increased by 25%.
According to a Gallup study (2023), only 7% of French employees say they are engaged at work.
Among the 38 European countries studied, France ranks second to last.
This figure raises alarm about the urgency of acting on team motivation.
What are the risks if you don't know how to motivate a team?
Leaving a team without motivational levers is like driving a car without gas. It moves forward only by inertia, then stops.
Warning signs:
Increased absenteeism and turnover
Decline in productivity
Silent meetings, latent tensions
Loss of initiative and conformism
Risks:
Collective burnout
Employer reputation damaged
Loss of talent
Disconnection from strategic objectives
A demotivated team is like a plant that you forget to water. It survives for a while, then irretrievably withers.
A manager who imposes the same pace and the same methods on his entire team without consideration for individuality ends up exhausting the most autonomous and stressing the most novice.
The result is simple: widespread exhaustion.
What are the benefits of knowing how to motivate a team?
A motivated team is a more productive, more united, more creative and more resilient team.
She adapts better to changes, manages conflicts better and shows initiative.
Motivation becomes a lever for stress prevention and lasting commitment.
In a context of constant transformation, motivating your team becomes a competitive advantage.
During a coaching mission, I supported a manager of a large company that was overwhelmed by internal conflicts.
By adopting a situational management style and promoting energizing activities for each member of his team, he succeeded in reestablishing a constructive and motivating atmosphere in just a few weeks.
His management even congratulated him on the results achieved.
What does it mean to motivate a team?
Motivating a team means creating the conditions that encourage the desire to act, learn, collaborate and progress together.
It is about nourishing meaning, strengthening connections, stimulating skills and recognizing efforts.
It is not about manipulation, but about listening, accountability and alignment between individual and collective objectives.
Example 1: An HR manager who sets up personalized recognition programs (gratitude grid, appreciation in meetings, regular feedback) increases the commitment of their teams.
Example 2: A leader who identifies the energizing activities of his managers allows for more intelligent distribution of tasks and reduces friction.
How to motivate a team?
Here are 10 concrete tips for taking action
Tip #1: Identify energizing activities
Understand what motivates or depletes each member of your team.
Using the Identify Energizing Activities method, ask your employees to note their week's tasks with a symbol indicating whether it:
Energized (↑),
Left neutral (—),
Sold out (↓).
This allows for better distribution of roles, adaptation of missions, and making daily life more motivating.
Example : If Marie is exhausted by weekly reports but loves client presentations.
By transferring part of the reporting to a colleague more comfortable with administration, their energy and impact will increase tenfold.
You improve individual engagement and collective effectiveness.
Tip #2: Adopt situational management
Adapt your style according to each person's maturity and motivation.
Inspired by the Hersey & Blanchard model, this style consists of assessing a collaborator's level of competence and commitment, then adjusting your posture:
Directive,
Persuasive,
Participatory
Delegative.
Example : If Thomas is motivated but inexperienced, coaching-style management is more suitable than complete delegation.
On the other hand, Sandrine, senior in her position, will thrive in autonomy.
You secure the beginnings, support the development of skills and strengthen mutual trust.
Tip #3: Regularly recognize efforts
Strengthen the sense of usefulness and belonging.
Authentic recognition (verbal, written, public or private) is one of the most powerful levers of motivation.
It costs nothing but brings in a lot.
Establish rituals. Thank you notes in meetings, congratulatory messages, success walls, etc.
Example : A manager who takes 3 minutes at the end of each week to individually thank his or her colleagues for an effort or attitude creates a climate of consideration.
You boost self-esteem and intrinsic motivation.
Tip #4: Give meaning to missions
Connect daily tasks to a bigger purpose.
"He who has a why for living can bear almost any how." — Friedrich Nietzsche (German philosopher)
Explain the concrete impact of each person's work on clients, the team, or the company's mission.
Clarify objectives through stories, concrete cases, and customer feedback.
Example : A software developer motivated by innovation was re-motivated when he was shown how his code improved digital accessibility for people with disabilities.
You make people want to get involved beyond just execution.
Tip #5: Celebrate small victories
Promote collective recognition and positive anchoring.
Intermediate successes are often overlooked in the race for results. Celebrating them strengthens team dynamics and shows that every step counts.
Use visual tools (tables, badges, internal newsletters) or simple rituals (Friday meeting, collective message, snack break).
Example : A customer service department has set up a "wall of successes" where everyone displays positive customer feedback received during the week.
The collective effect is immediate: pride, motivation, feeling of usefulness.
You anchor a mindset of progress and shared success.
Tip #6: Co-construct the objectives
Involve employees in setting priorities.
“People support what they help create.” — Vince Lombardi (famous American football coach)
Setting goals top-down is often demotivating.
Involve your team in defining them through workshops, group discussions or shared prioritization tools.
This allows us to reconcile meaning, realism and adherence.
Example : During a team seminar, a manager proposed a collaborative vote on the three quarterly priorities. The energy generated boosted engagement and consistency of efforts.
You increase engagement and accountability.
Tip #7: Practice active and compassionate listening
Make listening a posture, not just a tool.
Active listening involves silence, rephrasing, non-judgment, and genuine curiosity.
It is a powerful motivator because it demonstrates respect and recognition.
Ask open questions, validate emotions, rephrase expressed needs.
Example : If you notice that a colleague is withdrawn and suffers from a lack of visibility in her role.
By reintegrating her into team decisions, her motivation will increase.
You promote a climate of lasting trust.
Tip #8: Encourage progressive autonomy
Provide trust while securing the framework.
“Trust is the invisible glue that drives a team to win.” — Bud Wilkinson
Autonomy is not decreed, it is built.
Gradually delegate responsibilities with an appropriate level of supervision.
Allow for mistakes and offer regular feedback.
You develop commitment, confidence and performance.
Tip #9: Create collective breathing times
Foster human connections outside of operational pressure.
A team that takes the time to meet outside of an emergency strengthens its bonds.
Plan convivial moments (breakfasts, after-work drinks, gratitude breaks, inspiring sharing) to nourish relational energy.
Example : A team of consultants set up an "inspiration Friday": everyone shares a discovery, a failure, or a source of pride.
Result: strengthening of the bond and rediscovered pleasure.
You stimulate emotional energy and cohesion.
Tip #10: Offer career prospects
Provide a direction that everyone can move towards.
“People think motivation comes from within, but it is largely determined by the environment.” — Carol Dweck - psychologist
Stagnation is demotivating. Offer career paths, even modest ones. Take on new roles, training, mentorship, and cross-functional expertise. Offer clarity about the future.
Example : A motivated employee was appointed junior advisor. She then co-led an internal training session, reinforcing her sense of purpose and her desire to stay.
You retain and enhance your talents over the long term.
Is it suitable for all contexts?
Yes, but with nuances.
These methods are suitable for all sectors (industry, services, public sector, tech), but must be modulated according to:
of the maturity of the team,
from the hierarchical level,
the business context (growth, crisis, transformation),
of the managerial culture in place.
They require a listening attitude and a real desire for commitment from the manager.
Are there any prerequisites for effectively motivating a team?
Yes, here are the basic conditions:
Sincere managerial will
Time dedicated to human management
Feedback culture already underway
Clarity of team goals
Posture of trust and mutual respect
Without these foundations, actions can remain superficial.
What are the key success factors for successfully motivating a team?
To successfully motivate a team, several factors are decisive:
Giving meaning to work
Recognize efforts and successes
Adapt your management style to each profile
Establish a climate of trust
Encourage autonomy and progress
What are the key skills or qualities needed to motivate a team?
Here are the essential qualities to develop for a manager, HR director or director:
Active listening and empathy
Clear and inspiring communication
Emotional intelligence
Adaptability
Strategic vision and ability to unite
In short: What should you remember to motivate a team?
✔ Identify energizing activities
✔ Adopt situational management
✔ Recognize efforts and celebrate victories
✔ Give meaning and involve employees
✔ Offer autonomy and growth prospects
Want immediate action : Choose one tip from this article and implement it in your team this week.
Need help motivating your team?
Motivating a team is not a matter of luck, but of real work in posture, attention and human strategy.
It is within the reach of any manager who is sincerely committed.
If this is what you want, I can support you with individual or team coaching to reveal the levers of sustainable engagement and strengthen your positive leadership.
Book your free Discovery Appointment with me now:
Sources of the article:
Gallup Study - 7% of French employees say they are engaged at work:
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