How To Encourage Your Startup Team To Kick Goals

Mario Andretti said, “Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”

This is an incredible statement for the entrepreneur and young startup owner. Without goals and dedication to them, it’s hard for your startup to grow.

Let’s take a look at how to encourage your startup team to kick goals so that you have a dynamite team working for you.

 Be deliberate when establishing company culture

The culture you create from the beginning of your startup can be a big player in encouraging your team to work hard at your goals.

While creating a company culture might not be at the top of your to-do list, it’s one of the biggest motivators for your team.

To encourage your team to work towards your goals, they have to work in a positive environment where they feel empowered to do their job.

Build an atmosphere of trust and camaraderie where everyone feels their opinion is valued.

Set small, attainable goals

If you set lofty goals that aren’t readily attainable, you’ll discourage your team.

To encourage them, set small and large goals. First, set goals that your team can achieve. These smaller goals should all lead to the ultimate, bigger goal.

By setting smaller goals, you’ll encourage your team and help them feel like your bigger goal is within their reach.

Think of it as running a marathon. You wouldn’t just decide to run a marathon and go do it. You’d set smaller goals like run one mile per day the first week, three miles per day the third week and 10 miles per day in month two.

In this way, you allow your team to reach one milestone before moving on to another. This lets them celebrate small successes along the way.

Reward your team

Don’t overlook the reward as it is a powerful motivator.

Many startup owners skip the positive reinforcement because, quite frankly, they’re too busy.

We encourage you to make time for praise and rewards.

Your rewards don’t have to be big, and they don’t have to be monetary. Sometimes, a simple word of praise or recognition is enough. Public recognition also has positive consequences.

Positive reinforcement encourages your team and gives them the strength they need to reach for the next goal.

Don’t just reward the big goals, either. You want to reward the baby steps or the smaller goals on the way up to the large goal.

Provide ongoing training

Invest in your team. Provide them training so they can continue to improve and provide their best to your startup.

You’ll improve morale by providing your team with training, coaching and constructive feedback.

Hone their strengths and work on their weaknesses to encourage them to kick goals.

Communicate

To really motivate your team, you have to communicate well.

Check in on a regular basis. Talk to them about what’s working and what isn’t.

Consider meeting face-to-face as opposed to email. You’ll have a better chance at gauging motivation levels if you can see their body language.

Have open lines of communication because this is also crucial to your team’s success. An open-door policy is part of your company culture and helps to inspire your staff.

 Foster respect

A team is only as good as its weakest member. This is why it’s important to foster respect among team members.

When everyone respects one another, they are better able to work together towards a common goal.

Performance improves, tensions are relieved, and your team can really start to kick your goals.

Final thoughts

Once you’ve assembled a top-notch team, it’s time for the hard work to begin.

This is your chance to build a strong, unified group of people who are ready to work hard to meet your startup’s goals.

Now that you know how to encourage your startup team to kick goals, you can hone your leadership skills to empower your team and jump start their success.

Want more?

Since 2006, Escalon has helped thousands of startups get off the ground with our back-office solutions for accounting, HR, payroll, insurance, and recruiting and taxes — and we can help yours too. Talk to an expert today.