2.2 Explain the importance of a leader being able to motivate teams and individuals and gain their commitment to objectives (20 marks) It is important for a leader to be able to motivate teams and individuals as the leader plays a large part in setting the goals of the team and hence in making work of the team members achievable, enjoyable and satisfying. Leaders need to find out what motivates each employee and the team as an entity in itself so that goals can be modified to achieve agreed outcomes and satisfy all team members in a job well done.
Some may be motivated by money, some by praise and thanks and some by work-life balance or a combination of all these factors and more. A manager can undertake one-on-one employee analyses to understand employees work-related desires, it is likely most employees will appreciate a leaders interest in their lives and desires. A leader can help to gain the commitment of employees by being honest and frank and dealing with individuals in a straightforward and fair manner. This ensures each individual feels they will be rewarded in proportion to their effort and also not reprimanded unfairly. A manager can also gain employee commitment by “leading by example”. If you wish to motivate employees to succeed you should behave in the way you would like them to behave and try to refrain from allowing bad habits such as distraction or procrastination to emerge. Being kind, respectful and giving thanks and praise where due will motivate employees to do the same.
It is important for a leader to set realistic goals for individuals and teams in order to maintain motivations. Employees need to have milestones or performance indicators and timeframes against which they can set their achievements and a leader needs to motivate and enable employees to reach these targets