Joseph Kennedy may have been thinking about the challenges his family faced when he coined the now popular phrase “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”. Every family and every team needs mental strength, especially when the odds are stacked against them and nothing is going right. As a leader you can help them get back up and in this short post Coach Rhett Power shows seven ways to develop mental strength:
1. Show Them the Wins
It’s fun to see progress. And progress motivates continued effort. An excellent way to build mental strength in your employees is to let them see how their work contributes successfully to the overall good. Show them how it helps the bottom line and the impact that it will have on them.
2. Acknowledge Their Efforts
Getting recognition can be the spark someone needs to continue pushing and driving further results. Acknowledge what your employees do, and they will do even more. Find out what motivates them. It’s not always money.
3. Equip Them for the Job
It is frustrating to try to do something but be ill-equipped to get it done. Make sure your employees have the right tools and the necessary training to accomplish their delegated tasks.
4. Give Them Frequent Breaks
Working for extended periods of time can drain mental fortitude. Allow for frequent breaks so your employees and refresh often. Lots of managers and business owners expect their employees to keep the same hours and be motivated in the same way and by the same things. Pay attention to how your team is doing. People who are burned out aren’t going to help you.
5. Be A Coach
Positive words tend to uplift our thoughts. A quick inspirational note in the subject line of an email can be a much needed pick me up to your employees throughout the day. Be positive and encouraging and share your plan and ideas for success. If you’re not positive, your team isn’t going to be.
6. Have Them Collaborate
Working alone is difficult for most people. Get your employees into groups or teams frequently. Cross train as much as you can. This helps when you have an unexpected absence, or someone leaves unexpectedly. It also builds confidence and lets people know you value their growth.
7. Put Them in Their Lanes
Although it’s valuable to cross train people for most it’s tough to work outside of one’s areas of strengths or passion. Get everyone doing what they are naturally gifted at doing, and you will see productivity increase and morale improve. It takes an effort to figure out your people, but it will serve you well when something goes wrong.
Visit our coaching and workshops page for more on how to develop mental strength.