How to Motivate A Team (Without Micromanaging)

You've scored a big promotion and stepped up to a managerial position - finally! 

But once the LinkedIn congratulations die down, the realisation slaps you in the face: it's all down to you now to motivate your team to do their best work - and you don't have the foggiest where to begin.

44% of managers worldwide say they haven't had formal training - so you're not alone. 

If you feel like you're doggy-paddling in the deep end, I'm here to chuck you a float and help you motivate your team as a leader.

"Liz, you're the easiest person on the team to manage"

He meant it as a compliment because I "just got on with it", but in reality my last manager just didn’t motivate me at all - quite the opposite in fact!

He wanted me to do things his way and follow his rules like everyone else but the 'one size fits all' way of managing didn't fit me. Once, we did a Myers-Briggs personality profile as a team and there it was in black and white: I had the exact opposite personality to everyone else. 

No wonder it felt bloody exhausting trying to fit in! I distanced myself, feeling disconnected and demotivated then eventually left. Can you blame me?

On the flip side, one of the best managers I ever had was a sales director early on in my career. She led by example and got stuck in. She was direct, encouraging, and quick to recognise my wins.

When things went wrong, she owned her mistakes so I felt comfortable doing the same - I asked for help, my confidence grew, and I felt truly motivated.

That's the difference between a manager and a leader.

Are team motivation levels low in your work environment?

Employee engagement in the UK is shockingly low - only 10% of workers feel engaged at work.

Gallup also discovered that 51% of employees are currently actively seeking their next career move.

How do you know if your team members are demotivated?

Look out for signs like:

• Reduced of productivity

• Missing deadlines and making excuses

• Low morale and moaning 

• Declining sales

• High absenteeism

• Minimal participation in meetings

• Internal conflict and complaints

• General lack of energy and enthusiasm.

How to avoid micromanaging

Micromanaging is common in leadership because it feels safe - when you feel like your neck is on the line, your anxiety spirals and the urge to control kicks in. 

It feels easier to do it yourself or breathe down people's necks to make sure things get done - but that doesn't work in the long term. 

Your team can only flourish when they have space to try, fail, and succeed for themselves.

Signs you're micromanaging:

• Constantly checking in

• Struggling to delegate

• Rewriting or redoing work

• Insisting every decision crosses your desk

• Complaining nothing gets done unless you’re involved.

How do you quit micromanaging?

Once you've set clear expectations and goals, practise stepping back and trusting your team to shine - you’ll thank me later! 

team members collaborating

Recognising what motivation looks like 

To create a culture of engagement and motivation you need to focus on clarity, trust, and autonomy. 

Your team doesn't need Pinterest quotes and toxic positivity: they need to understand what success looks like, have a clear goal to work towards, and know where they fit into the bigger picture.

When people feel valued, recognised, and confident, motivation flows naturally.

Coaching tips to motivate your team

• Ask more than you tell - use open questions to help team members reflect and solve problems rather than doing it for them.

• Accept honest feedback - it's not always easy to hear, but stay open rather than being defensive and dismissive.

• Set shared goals, not solo targets - make team members part of the planning process so they feel ownership over their work.

• Stay curious - when things go wrong, which they will sometimes, explore why together instead of playing the blame game. 

• Build coaching into daily life - don't save it for annual reviews. Motivation grows from regular conversations and consistent growth. 

• Be honest, not harsh - challenge your team and be direct when needed, but do it from a place of care, not criticism. 

• Know how to motivate different personalities - processes like DISC profiling help you to understand how to be a good leader to diverse individuals.

  
  

Motivate employees by modelling good leadership skills

Good leadership isn’t something you can just “pick up”. It’s a skill to develop - and it starts with leading by example.

At Bold Moves Coaching we help our clients to build a positive work environment where morale and productivity are high - because it all starts with you: manager training and engagement are key to successful teams.

I'd love to come and work with you and your team to help you achieve your business goals.

What are your challenges with motivating your team? Let's have a chat over a brew.