"I’m not a project, but I drive all of them.
I’m not on the org chart, but I determine how people feel.
What am I?"
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motivation
One of the biggest truths in managing people is that motivation is invisible, yet it drives everything. It's the hidden variable that determines whether a team thrives or struggles. In other words, you can have the smartest plan, the sharpest tools, and the biggest budget, but if people aren’t engaged, then deadlines risk slipping, quality suffering, and projects grinding to a halt.
But the problem with 'motivation' is that as mangers, we can’t assign 'it' in a project plan. We can’t track it as a neat line on our budget spreadsheet. The result is that it's often ignored. Not because we necessarily want to ignore it; but because we can't manufacture it. And that makes it hard to measure, manage, or make its payoff visible to others.
So, many times we default to spending time on visible things, like reports, metrics, or timesheets, tickets closed, or projects delivered, and put the invisible driver that shapes them all on the back burner. But issue remains. And so does the question:
How can we as managers credibly prioritise something that’s invisible?
Well, we can’t simply tell people to care more. Because motivation can only be generated from the individuals within our teams. So, as managers, we have to find a way to unlock it.
And - perhaps surprisingly - some of the best ways to do this take far less time than we might think. Consider these four:
1. Clarify why the work matters, because purpose fuels energy
In a practical sense, when giving instructions, you could always add a 'because'. So, instead of: “We need this report by Friday”, you could try: “We need this report by Friday because it gives the client clarity before their board meeting.”
It takes around 5 seconds to implement.
2. When you're removing barriers that frustrate or slow the team down, let colleagues know that you're doing so, because your clearing the path shows respect for their time
When e.g. cutting unnecessary status meetings, getting broken tools fixed quickly, or resolving cross-team conflicts, remember to voice to team members that you are clearing the path. You might say, for example:
- “Let’s skip this X meeting because I know your time is better spent moving the project forward."
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“I’ve escalated the issue with the system so it doesn’t keep slowing the team down.”
- I’ve spoken with their manager so we’re clearer on how to move forward together.”
It takes around 5 seconds to implement.
3. Recognise effort and celebrate progress, because recognition builds momentum
You could, for example, choose to send one message a week to a different team member thanking them for their contribution, no matter how small, e.g. “I want to thank you for the way you supported X behind the scenes to make sure that the presentation ran smoothly.”
It takes around 5 minutes to implement (e.g. once a week).
4. Trust people to decide how they achieve results, because autonomy breeds ownership
In a practical sense, when building autonomy, focus on outcomes and let the team shape the path. For example, instead of prescribing every step, you might say: “We need to improve how new hires settle in during their first month - I’d like you to design the approach that works best.”
This approach is the most time-consuming, because you’re deliberately stepping back and relying on others to take ownership. Here, strong project management skills can be effective: setting clear expectations, creating a structure for accountability, and scheduling regular check-ins. These things can give you oversight without undermining autonomy, and they ensure the work stays on track while the team builds confidence in leading the 'how'.
Unlocking motivation doesn’t necessarily require sweeping cultural overhauls or endless new initiatives. It can come from small, consistent habits: adding a 'because', removing a roadblock, sending a note of thanks, or stepping back to let others lead.
Each action takes minutes, sometimes only seconds, yet together they build the conditions where people feel engaged, trusted, and driven to do their best work. The challenge for managers, therefore, isn’t how to manufacture motivation, but how to nurture the environment where it naturally grows.