Thomas Edison once remarked that “genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Genius that Edison was, his statement encourages leaders to seriously undervalue inspiration’s importance to business outcomes. Recent research into the science and psychology of inspiration reveals it’s a critical component of creative and productive output.
Yet, inspiration is notoriously difficult to come by. Inspiration is evoked, rather than willed into existence. We’re all familiar with the trope of an anguished artist searching for his muse.
And, to a certain extent, the tendency to be swept away by inspiration seems to be written into our DNA. Those of us who can regularly reach dizzying heights of inspiration are more productive. Inventors holding multiple patents tend to score higher on the inspiration scale.
So, with inspiration being the sought-after, productivity-boosting commodity that it is, how can you inspire your team? In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 6 things to say through words or actions to inspire your team.
“Your contributions are important to our success.”
An important characteristic of inspiration is that it brings a sense of clarity. You can help facilitate this clarity by reminding your team of your company’s vision and mission. Then relate their work to the success of the company’s mission.
“We’ve achieved some important milestones.”
Progress towards goals helps evoke inspiration. Your team needs to know they’re making progress even if the finish line seems far away. Try using a visual tool to mark the team’s progress.
“Your happiness at work matters.”
Researchers have found that positive emotions elicit inspiration. There are many ways you can communicate during your meeting that your team’s happiness matters. Start by always seeking solutions to concerns your employees bring to your attention.
“You’re doing a great job.”
Work mastery helps us feel inspired. Always recognize achievements of your team and its members. And if anyone struggles, find a way to help through a mentoring program, additional training or simply aligning employees’ roles with their strengths. Also, note that creating competitiveness among your team members can hinder inspiration.
“What do you think?”
Research indicates that extraversion contributes to inspiration. You can help even your most introverted team members be more creative when you encourage the sharing of ideas through discussion.
“Mistakes are okay.”
Edison was spot on when he famously quipped, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
A key to inspiration is silencing the inner critic. In matters of creativity, leaders should let their team know that mistakes are okay. Without fear of reprisal, your team will be inspired to follow new ideas.
Inspire Your Team to Greater Productivity
As an entrepreneur, you’re passionate about your business. But it can be difficult to transfer that motivation to your team. Unfortunately, research indicates that external rewards aren’t as inspiring as we would like.
But you can use the science of inspiration to help your team reach new heights of productivity. Communicating the above statements through words and actions can help your employees feel almost as passionate about your business as you are.