What approach is the #1 motivator to get your team pumped for your creative project?
Recognition of good work
Comps or tangible incentives
Celebrating the wins collectively (and boosting that team morale)
Interpersonal support and collabs
Clear goals to measure up to
If you answered any of the above, you're pretty much on par with the average response given by most managers. But any of these answers are incorrect. Well, yes they help motivate your team but they're not the #1 tool for motivation.
Progress is.
Our intrinsic motivators
Humans are intrinsically motivated. It's built into our biology.
Intrinsic motivation is the act of doing something because you want to (it's enjoyable, interesting or aligned with your values and passions). Not because of any external rewards or benefits.
Yet most managers fail to leverage this fact (or even realise the gravity of its significance).
So how can you leverage intrinsic motivation within your team to boost creativity and productivity? Particularly when you land a project or client that the team isn't passionate about.
Progress is power
The Harvard Business Review analysed various teams working on creative projects. They gathered 12,000 daily surveys to understand what constituted a 'happy' day at work. (Sounds dry, but stick with us).
Happiest days
They found that the happiest days were those where progress took place (individually or collectively). Staff were able to tick off that to-do list, finish a project milestone or accomplish something significant to them. These employees were more upbeat and expressed greater warmth and pride. And most importantly, this correlated with higher levels of creative output that day and those good vibes continued into the next day too.
Lame days
Comparatively, days where a project was setback saw employees dragging their feet as they left the office. It was associated with negative emotions like frustration, fear and sadness. We can probably all relate to this day.
Sounds like a no brainer right — you're happier on days where things go well (duh). But the most important part of this study was that progress = power.
Don't disregard minor milestones
Big or small progress is the #1 central driver for creative, productive performance & workplace happiness. In fact, small wins can weigh just as heavily as the big wins (if not more).
It ultimately comes down to each employees individual values. So the progress that often goes unnoticed, is really the key to enhancing overall performance.
For your dev: finally fixing that stupid bug could be a bigger achievement than finishing her development stint.
For your designer: working on those illos he's so passionate about is a greater milestone than nailing the brand mark.
For you as the AM or PM: getting positive feedback from a client's NPS 2 months post-project can feel better than actually launching the project.
You get the jist. It's whatever floats your boat (and that of your staff). But have a dance party to celebrate with them.
The bad outweighs the good
As you can expect, us humans always give more thought to the bad stuff. You could get 8 wonderful comments on your project outcome, but it's that one iffy comment that sticks with you.
It's the same when it comes to our intrinsic motivations. Small losses have a powerful impact on how employees view their day, project or workplace.
Help your team see value
There are a few obvious things us managers can do to facilitate a sense of progress throughout a project. Setting clear goals and milestones, outlining metrics for success, facilitating autonomy and offering collabs and encouragement throughout the project.
But sometimes it also takes a more solid push in the right direction to help your team see value in their progress.
This could be as simple as:
Highlighting positive client feedback throughout the project
Identifying your teams contribution to a bigger picture
Demonstrating the benefits your client attains through your project
Honing in on areas of professional growth
It gives them a greater sense of progress in their day to day, and overall throughout the entirety of the project.
Takeaways
Progress is king and queen of the castle (and everything else is the dirty rascal). It is the #1 central driver for creative, productive performance and workplace happiness.
Don't just celebrate the big wins. Small wins are equally as important.
Recognition of work or obvious milestones doesn't = progress. Progress is defined by the individual based on their intrinsic motivators. So find out what your team are passionate about and hone in on that.
It's important for us AMs and PMs to minimise daily hassles that may weigh heavily on our team (remember bad events outweigh the good every time).
Always shine a light on the value of your project.
Effective managers establish themselves as resources, making sure to check in on employees (while never seeming to check up on them).