Some companies make teamwork look so simple.  Their employees float into the office riding on unicorns and floating on fields of glitter.  As they flutter to their designated positions, they smile and greet each other, throwing up high-fives and throwing out good vibes.

During the day, cheerful chatter and spirited debates can be heard throughout the office.  There is no arguing, no gossip, and no negativity.  In its place?  Progress, fairies, and passion.

The rest of us… we look on in disgust.

“How dare they use glitter like that.”

“Who do they think they are?  You can’t just give out high-fives like that.”

“Pft. Fairies are a dime a dozen.”

But, really, this doesn’t have to be the case.  You can have a great team, too… but before this can happen, you have to work on the individual.

If you don’t have a motivated and inspired employee, then there’s no way this person is going to work well with other employees (who may or may not be feeling just as downtrodden and just as disinterested).  Each piece of the puzzle must be willing to fit together before they can be placed together.

To build up an employee, there are many things you can do or offer.  Here are a few of those options.

Development

Oftentimes, employees are disinterested in their work because they feel they have no room to grow.  To combat this, you should always seek out new ways to educate your employees.  You can send an employee to a conference or offer to pay for a course on Lynda.  Even something as unexciting as a business book can go a long way in motivating and inspiring a staff member.

The Big Picture

It’s hard for employees to feel inspired about what they do if they have no idea how they fit into everything.  Because of this, it’s critical that you show your entire team how they, as individuals, keep the business running.  This can be done with a roadmap or during a quarterly review.

Acknowledgement

Everyone wants to know that what they do matters.  If they don’t, then there’s absolutely no way they’re going to feel inspired to perform.  Make it a daily part of your routine to recognize something one of your employees has done.  It can be something as simple as walking by a staff member and saying, “Hey, you did a great job with that client yesterday.”  Or, you can make it over-the-top and call everyone together to publicly recognize an employee’s achievement.  Not only will the recognized individual feel inspired and motivated to consistently perform, but so will all the other onlookers.

Goals

If no one on your team knows what they’re working towards, then good luck getting any member of your team to work to the best of their ability.  They might work alright or good enough, but you’ll never see them working like they’re inspired to achieve more.  The most important thing to remember here is that you should always present your employees with clear goals.  What are you trying to accomplish and how does your employee fit into this accomplishment?  What is the point of your business and how can this employee help you uphold this standard?  What are you working towards and in what way does your employee help you get there?