There Is No Single Recipe for Inspiring a Team

There is no single recipe that makes every employee perform better, and the leaders still searching for one are losing the people they most need to keep. The work is to understand the ingredients so well that you can create hundreds of recipes, each one personalized and authentic. That is what leadership in the age of personalization demands.

More people feel stuck at work than leaders care to admit. They want to be heard, and more than that, they want to know their contributions are noticed and not taken for granted. What they are asking for is relevance, not attention. They want to know their skills still matter and that their work is making a difference.

A growing number have stopped waiting for their employers to invest in them. They are investing in themselves, quietly asking where their capabilities fit and what their future holds.

Meanwhile, leaders are trying to keep the ship steady. They know that if too much disruption leaks into the workplace, their best people will leave, and top talent is difficult and costly to replace. The problem is that too many leaders still reach for a one-size-fits-all approach to earn trust, build loyalty and stimulate performance.

Ten Ingredients Worth Knowing by Heart

1. Solving, not just selling. Stop selling people on why they need to perform better. Show them how their work solves real problems. Early in my career, I would take my team to the manufacturing plant to watch a new product come off the line, or to stores to see new label designs on the shelves. When people see the outcome of their collective effort, they connect the dots on their own.
2. Purpose, not just profit. People are inspired when they know their work makes a difference beyond the quarter. Show them the wider impact their work has on customers and communities, and make sure the organization's actions match its words.
3. Ingredients, not just the recipe. Know the tendencies, aptitudes and behaviors of each person well enough to work with them in the way that brings out their best. When you spend time with your people, make it matter. Your title and your presence alone won't inspire anyone.
4. Learning, not just lecturing. People are tired of being told what to do. They want continuous coaching and objective feedback. Simplify your direction, give people the tools they need and then shift from teacher to facilitator.
5. Innovation, not just ideation. Let people get their hands dirty on the projects that bring ideas to life. Stay close enough to their work to know the two or three tools or resources each person needs to reach the next level. Money alone won't sustain performance. Opportunities to grow their individual value will.
6. Significance, not just success. In your next performance review, evaluate two things: success and significance. If someone reached 90% of plan, discuss what it takes to reach 100%. Then measure what that 90% made possible, such as a new hire or a customer relationship saved. You never know the significance of someone's performance until you measure it.
7. Ownership, not just accountability. Give people a role in defining how accountability works. Hand someone a special project, outline the end result you expect and let them call the shots. Meet weekly and watch how their attitude changes. What you learn about them becomes another ingredient.
8. Respect, not just recognition. Praise has its place, but too many workplaces have created recognition addicts. Teach your people how respect is earned, and why being respected outlasts being recognized.
9. Personal growth, not just responsibility. Leaders have long used more responsibility as the reward for performance. People flourish when leaders invest in their development instead. If the training budget gets cut, put your own resources where your mouth is. Buy someone a book you believe will help them grow, and tell them why you chose it.
10. Trust, not just transparency. Transparency tells people what is happening. Trust tells them you believe in them. As a young executive, I had a boss I trusted, not only because he was transparent with me, but because he believed in me. He assigned some of the most significant corporate growth strategies to my team, the youngest leader and team in the organization. We performed not just to seize the opportunity, but to prove to those above him that his bold decision was the right one.

Two People, One Job Title

The plant visits and that boss's bet on a young team worked for the same reason: someone looked past the role and saw the person in it. It is easy to see output and miss the individual behind it. The leaders who inspire performance are the ones who notice the difference between two people with the same job title and lead each of them accordingly.

So start close. Can you name what motivates each person on your team, in their words rather than yours? Who is ready for ownership, and what are you waiting for? The answers are your ingredients.

Inspiration is not a switch you flip on and off. It comes from consistent behavior, expressed in many ways, that tells people they matter and that you genuinely care. When you commit to enabling the full potential of each person, performance follows.

Want to explore these ideas further? Learn more about my work on leadership, identity and conviction at www.theglennllopis.com.