Let’s be honest, trying to motivate teams in this new world of work can feel like wrestling with fog. With hybrid models and global teams making up our daily reality, the old rulebook seems utterly useless. But here’s the thing: while the context has shifted, the core of what actually drives people hasn’t. It’s just been buried under decades of management dogma. The real key isn’t another perk or a flashier office; it’s about connecting people to purpose. If you’re chasing sustainable performance, this is where you have to focus.
It doesn’t matter if your organisation is a highly-tuned kitchen in Mayfair or a sprawling automotive plant in the Midlands. We know from experience that the formula is constant: people give their best when their work has meaning, their development is taken seriously, and their contribution is genuinely seen and valued.
1. It all starts with purposeful work
This isn’t a new trend. We saw it gathering steam long before the pandemic reshaped our working lives, this search for something more than just a payslip. But now, that need for meaning is no longer a quiet hum; it’s a roar. Let’s be clear: crafting meaningful work isn’t some ‘nice-to-have’ HR initiative. It’s a straight-up commercial imperative.
- Play to their strengths: Are you aligning roles with what your people are brilliant at and where they want to go? When someone’s job taps into their natural talents, it stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like a craft. That’s the sweet spot where productivity climbs and you stop losing your best people.
- Connect the dots to the bigger picture: Your team needs to see how their daily grind contributes to the organisation’s overall mission. If you can link their individual goals to the company’s strategy, you transform isolated tasks into powerful, collective momentum.
- Show them the impact: Don’t just tell them, show them. Use real stories, customer feedback, and clear data to illustrate how their work makes a difference. A single heartfelt ‘thank you’ from a client can often mean more than any financial bonus you could offer.
A lesson from hospitality: I remember running front-of-house teams where we set up a ‘Guest Gratitude Wall’. It was just a simple board covered in handwritten notes from happy customers. Every one of those notes was a powerful, daily reminder that our job wasn’t just about serving plates of food; it was about creating memories.
2. Real growth happens just outside the comfort zone
There’s a persistent myth that people just want an easy ride. My two decades of experience tell me that’s simply not true. Most people crave a genuine challenge, the kind that pushes them to grow without pushing them over the edge. You don’t build skills by staying comfortable; you build them in the stretch zone.
- Set ambitious, but believable, targets: Work with your team to set goals that are genuinely stretching but still feel attainable. Getting this right is a huge trust-builder and a direct lever for performance.
- Champion learning through doing: We need to move past the idea of purely classroom-based training. The real learning happens on the job. Let junior colleagues shadow your seasoned experts, and then, crucially, let them have a go themselves.
- Bring them into the ‘why’: Open up the conversation. Invite people from every level to contribute to the decisions that affect them. When your team feel their perspective is valued, their investment in the outcome skyrockets.
An analogy from the automotive world: Think of it like tuning a performance engine. The right amount of pressure generates incredible power. If you have too little, the engine stalls and you lose momentum; too much, and you risk a total burnout. It’s all about finding that perfect balance.
3. Forget contracts; loyalty is built on mutual value
The old, purely transactional relationship between employer and employee is dead and buried. The people we work with today rightly expect a partnership, one that’s genuinely grounded in mutual respect and shared success.
- Earn trust every single day: Let’s be clear, psychological safety isn’t something you create with a policy document. It’s forged in the thousand small interactions that happen every day between managers and their teams.
- Rethink your benefits package: Are you sure yesterday’s perks are still relevant? You need to be constantly reviewing your offerings and tailoring them to what your people actually need now, whether that’s proper wellbeing support, a learning budget, or truly flexible working patterns.
- Invest in supportive leadership: We have to equip our managers to do more than just manage tasks; we need them to genuinely care for their people. An employee who feels properly supported doesn’t just do their job; they become your most credible brand ambassador.
Here’s a practical example: A global client I worked with recently ditched their generic discount scheme. Instead, they introduced a wellness allowance that staff could spend on anything that supported their wellbeing, from yoga classes to learning Mandarin. The impact on their engagement scores was immediate and impressive.
4. It’s the culture that allows people to flourish
When we talk about culture, we’re not talking about beanbags and beer fridges. A great culture is defined by something much more fundamental: the day-to-day climate. It’s about how people speak to one another, how you celebrate wins, and, just as importantly, how you navigate setbacks together.
- Lead from the front, with purpose: A clear, compelling mission is your organisation’s North Star. When your team truly understands and connects with your “why”, their resilience and commitment deepen tenfold.
- Engineer connections across teams: Great collaboration doesn’t just happen; it’s fuelled by relationships. You have to be deliberate about creating opportunities, both virtual and in-person, for those connections to grow organically.
- Remember you’re leading humans, not resources: Acknowledge the milestones in their lives, not just the metrics in their performance reviews. Recognising a work anniversary, a project success, or even just a birthday shows you see the whole person, and that builds incredible goodwill.
Another story from my hospitality days: At a five-star hotel I was advising, we started holding short sunrise briefings. We’d get everyone together, from the head chef to the concierge and the housekeeping team, to share one thing they were proud of from the day before. The respect that grew between departments from that simple ritual became the very heartbeat of that hotel.
5. Recognition: Treat it like the strategic tool it is
Let’s put this myth to bed: recognition isn’t a ‘soft’ skill. It’s a hard-nosed strategic lever. It’s what transforms discretionary effort into consistent, reliable excellence. When your people feel genuinely seen and appreciated, they give you their best.
- Be quick and be specific: To have any real impact, recognition must be timely and precise. ‘Good job on that report’ is pleasant but forgettable. ‘That specific insight you found on page five is what won us the pitch’ is powerful and memorable.
- Make it personal: One size does not fit all. Some of your team will thrive on public praise in a town hall, while others would much prefer a quiet, sincere ‘thank you’ in private. The key is to know your people.
- Connect it back to your values: When you give praise, tie it directly to the core behaviours that define your culture. Doing this constantly reinforces what ‘good’ looks like in your organisation and encourages more of it.
A practical tech tip: Consider using one of the many peer-to-peer recognition platforms out there. They allow for instant, public appreciation and, crucially, they empower everyone in the organisation to celebrate great work, not just the managers.
The Takeaway: Motivation is a Culture, Not a Campaign
As our organisations continue to adapt to a world in constant flux, it’s these intrinsic, human drivers that provide the real power for transformation. If we truly want our people to bring their A-game, we have to offer them more than just a list of tasks and a performance dashboard. We owe them work with purpose, challenges that help them grow, and recognition that feels real.
The organisations that will win in the coming years are the ones being built right now, not with superficial perks but with deeply embedded, people-first principles. If you focus on these five core drivers, you won’t just be building a workforce; you’ll be cultivating a genuine culture of excellence.
The future of work isn’t something that’s going to happen to us. It’s up to us, as HR leaders, to build it. Let’s get to work.
