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All companies have talented staff, some more than others however, it takes more than just talent to succeed, that talent needs to be motivated! It's true that different things motivate different people but as a leader there are a handful of simple tools you can apply daily that will create the right environment; the talent will do the rest!

Think and behave positively – nobody is going to be motivated by seeing your grumpy expression every morning or listening to you complain. Make sure the first conversation you have with each person each day is a really upbeat one, mention the good things that have happened recently or acknowledge a success the company has had. Negative talk is going to set people off on the wrong mindset so don't go there. Even criticism can be delivered positively and constructively so think before you act, it'll benefit everyone in the long run.

Know your goals and share them – If you don’t have a clear picture of what you’re trying to accomplish, how will anyone else? It'll simply never happen. When a common goal is known people will pull together. Keep the topic on the table, refer to the goal each day either in passing or at meetings, display the message on boards and planners. People like to know what they are aiming and working toward as this allows them to measure their own progress in relation to this goal. Seeing progress made, and having you acknowledge that progress is highly motivating to the majority of people. Winners know what they want to achieve and take the steps to get them there.

Monitor and record progress – Don’t continually look ahead at what people have left to do, take time to acknowledge what they've scrubbed off their to-do list's and recognise the progress made. Ensure that they also realise whatey are achieving as they go along and take time to pat themselves on the back.

Use rewards – Everyone likes a little recognition now and then and it goes some way to building self-confidence, the same self-confidence that is needed to kick-on and excel in a role. When we speak of reward everyone automatically thinks money but that couldn't be farther from the truth. a passion 'well done', taking time to sit for a coffee and tell someone how you've recognised their work, a quick lunch with the boss, open praise in a newsletter or meeting, all these things will be valued by your team and spur them on to greater things. Take time to recognise this progress part way through a task or project also, don't just wait until the end result is achieved, acknowledging a milestone or innovative act is also a great motivator.

Challenge people, but realistically! – Don’t allow your team to be content with repeating the successes of previous years last year’s, push them to do even better. However, be wary of simply upping their targets to new heights, a new challenge can be a real motivator so allow people to change dept for a specific task, to take on a special assignment or personal project. A word of warning though, make sure that you arent setting them up to fail, the challenge has to be achievable!

How do you apply the above to your teams? Would love to hear in the comments below.