One of the main techniques I use to motivate a team is recognizing their effort and achievements. I believe that when people feel valued and appreciated, they become more committed and confident in their work. Even small words of encouragement or acknowledging a job well done can improve motivation and teamwork.
People tend to disengage when they are treated merely as executors of tasks.
They engage when they understand the impact of their work, participate in meaningful decisions, and feel safe to raise concerns, challenge assumptions, and contribute ideas.
I’ve also learned that motivation is deeply connected to leadership behavior.
Teams lose energy quickly in environments dominated by excessive control, constant firefighting, or unclear priorities.
The strongest teams I’ve seen were not necessarily the most pressured.
They were the ones operating with clarity, accountability, psychological safety, learning, and shared purpose.
In complex projects, motivation is rarely created by slogans or incentives alone.
It is largely shaped by the quality of the system people work within.
Luis Branco I agree that motivation is built through the system and culture we create, not just slogans or incentives. Your points about psychological safety and meaningful autonomy align perfectly with modern leadership. It is a great reminder that when people feel their work truly matters, they stop being "executors" and start being "owners." Regards! Francisco. Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
May 11, 2026 2:31 PM
Replying to Jorge Gutierrez
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One of the main techniques I use to motivate a team is recognizing their effort and achievements. I believe that when people feel valued and appreciated, they become more committed and confident in their work. Even small words of encouragement or acknowledging a job well done can improve motivation and teamwork.
Thanks for your commets Jorge, Regards! Saving Changes...
Para mi la mejor forma de motivar a mi equipo de trabajo es asignar tareas claras y que ellos estén consientes del impacto que éstas tienen dentro del proyecto, que sin su contribución no vamos a poder llegar al objetivo. Al igual me gusta crear en la oficina un ambiente cómodo y agradable, ponemos música que nos guste a todos (o creamos una playlist), creo dinámicas de integración independientes de las que hace RH, por ejemplo: los viernes nos vamos turnando todos para traer algo para compartir en el desayuno (alguien trae los tamales, otros el atole, otros pan de dulce...), pongo una canastita con dulces, barritas de cereal, papitas (y entre todos nos cooperamos para llenarlas). También soy la última de irme de mi equipo e intento ser la primera en llegar, me gusta que el compromiso se note no solo en ellos si no en todos. Al igual reconocemos los logros que llegamos a tener, cuando a un compañero lo suben de puesto lo festejamos como si a nosotros nos hubieran ascendido y si alguno le toca regaño siempre es en privado sin alzar la voz y siempre buscando la manera de ver el lado bueno de las cosas. Intento que todos tengamos una buena actitud e integración porque al final del día pasamos de 40 a 48 horas semanales juntos y qué mejor que pasarla de manera agradable y que si estamos presionados por lo menos haya una canción de fondo que nos guste :) y que nos sintamos parte esencial del equipo.
Project & PMO Manager | Research & Enterprise Mentor| GFB HoldingSouth America, Brazil
The most effective technique I use to motivate my team is individual career alignment and active empathy, focusing deeply on understanding each member's unique dreams, career ambitions, and current personal disposition. By conducting one-on-one alignment sessions, I help team members map their professional aspirations, raise awareness of development opportunities within our projects, and provide concrete, structured pathways to help them achieve these milestones. This personalized approach has worked exceptionally well for me because it builds deep organizational trust and mutual respect. It goes beyond standard performance management by acknowledging that sometimes a person's ultimate path to achieving their dream may eventually lie outside our current team, allowing me to maturely advise and support them when it is time to move on to a new professional horizon, which paradoxically ensures they remain incredibly focused, loyal, and high-performing during their journey with us.
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Jun 30, 2026 5:08 PM
Francisco Herrera
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Thanks for your answer Francisco, Regards!
Saving Changes...
SANTOSH BADGUJARCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER| Accumax Lab DevicesAhmedabad, Gujarat, India
Francisco, great question. From my experience as a COO managing cross-functional operations teams in manufacturing, the motivation technique that has consistently produced the best results is connecting individual work to visible, meaningful impact.
Here's what I mean practically:
When someone on the team—whether a quality engineer, a production lead, or a PM—can see directly how their work affected a product that reached a real customer, their engagement changes. It's the difference between "I'm updating the CAPA records" and "I'm part of ensuring that the devices we ship are safe for the labs using them."
The way I implement this: - I share customer feedback with the team directly—positive and corrective. Teams rarely see the downstream impact of their work unless leaders make it visible. - I tie our sprint reviews and project milestones back to business outcomes, not just deliverables. "We completed 3 validation runs on schedule" lands differently when followed by "which means we're on track to release 6 weeks ahead of competition." - I celebrate progress publicly and specifically. Not generic praise, but recognizing exactly what someone did and why it mattered.
What I've found is that people don't disengage from work they find meaningful—they disengage from work that feels arbitrary or disconnected from purpose. The leader's job is to close that gap.
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Jul 03, 2026 3:21 PM
Francisco Herrera
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Santosh you hit the nail on the head with this phrase: 'people don't disengage from work they find meaningful—they disengage from work that feels arbitrary.' Showing the team the real-world downstream impact of their tasks is true leadership. Your three practical steps are a perfect guide for any project manager. Thanks for sharing! Francisco
Considero que una de las mejores técnicas para motivar a nuestro equipo es crear un ambiente donde se sientan valorados y reconocidos por su esfuerzo. Dar reconocimiento a los miembros del equipo, fortalece la confianza, aumenta el compromiso y motiva a continuar dando buenos resultados. Personalmente cuando siento que mi esfuerzo es valorado, trabajo con mayor entusiasmo y aporto más al logro de los objetivos del equipo.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
May 06, 2026 10:36 AM
Replying to James Q
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In reality, motivation is more immediate, and I often use words of encouragement, accompanied by physical rewards, of course, in a subtle way.
Maintaining long-term and stable motivation requires company culture, setting a good example, maintaining transparency, and making sacrifices.
@james I like your approach to immediate motivation! Could you share a few examples of those subtle 'physical rewards' you use with your team? Francisco Saving Changes...
With the rising cost of living, the best motivation an organization can give its staff is a salary increase. This will contribute to long-term motivation among the staff. In the short term, some of the recommended motivations stated above might be helpful: company culture, a sense of belonging and ownership, and acknowledgment. contribution of individual team members, etc.
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Jul 13, 2026 1:25 PM
Francisco Herrera
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Akin thanks for this realistic comment! You are absolutely right—long-term motivation definitely starts with a decent salary that covers the rising cost of living.
Fair financial compensation is the foundation of employee satisfaction. Once that baseline is met, short-term motivators like recognition, culture, and a sense of belonging can really help the team thrive. Excellent point! Francisco
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