Leaders can directly impact the energy and productiveness of their team. Dr. Heidi Halvorson from Columbia’s Motivation Science Centre, believes that “finding what you do interesting and believing it has inherent value is likely the single best way to stay motivated”.

Research shows that autonomy is a key factor in determining whether you find your work tedious or inspiring.

Dr. Halvorson shares the following tips that leaders can implement to energise their teams:

• • Share your goals to help your team understand their value and purpose and repeat this message often.
  • Where possible, allow your team members to implement processes that suit their style of working. Be flexible with variations of preparation, planning and feedback to meet their needs.
  • If you cannot be flexible on goal and approach, allow them choice on peripheral matters. For example, you can have team members take turns deciding what the topic of the meeting will be each week. Studies show that these more peripheral decisions can create the feeling of choice, even when the choices aren’t particularly meaningful.
  • Take time to reflect on how you might be able create a greater sense of choice in your own workplace using these methods.

Finally, I recommend seeking feedback from your team on their motivation, energy and contribution. This will allow you to fine tune your approach to ensure your team is both energised and productive.

Click here to read Dr. Halvorson's article