5 Ways to Create an Inspired Team | Clay

Serenbetz

Business leaders understand that employees are the greatest asset their company has, making attitude

the greatest deter i a t of su ess. Wise usi ess leaders fo us o hat is right i their o pa and in their employees. Using intimidation and uncertainty to spurn productivity yields limited,

temporary results. That type of coercive motivational approach is totally counterproductive in the long

term. A workplace imbued with a positive mindset has the greatest potential.

1. Balance negatives.

Human beings tend to dwell on negativity. Negative thoughts are bigger than positive thoughts

and are processed by a different part of the brain. Negative thoughts take longer to break

down. Managers can easily get stuck focusing on what hasn’t been achieved and what employees are not doing, leading to negative feedback that undermines those who work for you.

2. Keep promises.

Creating a positive work environment is accomplished through reward, acknowledgement, group

and individual recognition, but most importantly through trust. If you tell the team or an

individual person their hard work will be rewarded, either with bonuses, tickets to a game, a

show or through some other form of reward, you must follow through. Not keeping a promise

will lower individual and team morale.

3. Support your employees.

Inspire your employees by communicating your confidence in their abilities to do what needs to

be done to succeed. Only talk in terms of success, rather than threatening failure. Your team

must see you have the deep confidence in them they crave and deserve. When you have doubts

about your team communicate in a way that ensures their success. Offer feedback, rather than

criticism.

4. Focus on today’s success.

It can be demotivating when leaders focus only on the bigger picture and how far the team is

from reaching the company’s loftiest goals. The perception amongst employees is one of lack

and how far off they are from achieving what needs to be done.

5. Build upon strengths.

Study your employees diligently. Observe and comment on their strengths to positively push

them to their fullest potential. When you see a specific strength in someone, you will quickly

know their optimum position and role on your team. Use this knowledge to refine and expand

them. Assign each member a defined purpose on the team that they accept, understand, embrace

and feel good about.

3 Mistakes to avoid in a startup | Clay

Serenbetz

You k o that feeli g he ou e put i eight, i e or e e hours at the offi e a d et our task list is just as long as (if not longer than) it was when you arrived at work that morning. You re te pted to tr

et a other task a age e t app, or spe d ore of our alua le ti e Googli g ho do I get ore do e? i a desperate sear h for the sil er bullet of productivity.

We e got the answers (no Google needed!) and even better—we know that these answers will actually

help ou get ore do e ea h a d e er da . Whe it o es to the pursuit of a o plishi g ore, e re often our worst enemy. I can tell you that these mistakes would ha e torpedoed areer if I had t fixed them.

Delegation:

I hired my first virtual assistant at just five hours a week. Five hours does t sou d like u h, ut the mental relief and refreshed energ I felt as i ediate. Lear i g to delegate the tasks I did t like to do or as t great at doi g has ee the iggest oost to leadership I e e perie ed i areer. Whe e er ou re sitti g do to ta kle so ethi g, ask ourself— A I the est person on my team to

be doing this particular task right now? A d if ou hesitate for even a moment in your answer, delegate

it to so eo e else! Get o er the perfe tio is No o e else a do it as ell as I do… or the pride I ot i porta t e ough to delegate tasks… a d start delegati g as soo as ou a . Belie e it or ot,

there are people around you right now who absolutely love doing the things you hate. And because they

lo e it, the re goi g to produ e e e etter results that ou ould.

Do ’t thi k you do ’t have ti e to lear .

When I was desperately trying to find more time in my day, blocking out time during work hours for

learning and development seemed like a luxury I ould t afford. But the opposite tur ed out to e true. When I was disciplined in earmarking time for reading, networking and exploring my industry, I found

my mind brimming with new ideas and new ways of tackling my work that led to increased productivity.

Thi ki g I do t ha e ti e to lear is a trap. Trul i o ati e leaders, the o es ho are o siste tl finding new ways to meet market demands, make learning a priority.

Ditch the perfectionism.

Perfectionism often equals procrastination. Procrastination equals increased stress, short tempers and

dissatisfaction with whatever you finally manage to produce. Time spent obsessing over small details is

reall ti e asted. O e ou lear that good e ough is oka , ou ll free up a sig ifi a t hu k of our day. I tell my team that 80 per cent perfect and finished is miles ahead of 100 per cent perfect and two

weeks overdue.