3 Steps to Redefining ‘Winning’ and Boosting Employee Motivation

“I came in second place!” My almost six-year-old son yells from the back seat of our Prius. We’re on Bluetooth with my sister, who’s asking how his race went during soccer practice this morning.

“I’m so glad you enjoy running; you really like exercising,” my sister replies. She has three kids of her own, so she’s practicing that parent thing of trying not to over-praise but still matching our kiddo’s excitement and enthusiasm.

“No,” My son replies, “I don’t like running—I like winning!”

Out of the mouths of babes.

Why Competition Works (for Kids and Employees)

Competition can be a motivator. My older son was “SOOOO bored” holding a plank (his request for an ab exercise) until his younger brother joined him. Then, he was totally engaged, and it became a contest to see who could hold it the longest. Some companies use this kind of individual competition in their employee motivation programs, too. Personally, I think things like pitting your salespeople against each other can be counterproductive to company culture. You want your whole team to win, not just one person! But defining winning and celebrating those wins together can definitely help increase employee engagement and motivation.

If you’re looking for actionable employee motivation strategies, you can break this one down into three steps. 

3 Steps to Winning More Often

Step 1: Pick Where You Want to Win

At The FruitGuys, of course I want us to hit the numbers we need to keep the business growing. But I feel even prouder when someone on the team pushes to improve beyond what they thought they could do. I know my team is also more motivated by the impact we have in the world (servings of fruit donated, farms supported, people fed) than they are by revenue targets. Those are the wins we all want to see, so those are the wins we aim for.  This year, for example, we’re striving to donate one million servings of food to people in need. That’s enough to feed everyone in the country of Bhutan, with almost 100,000 servings leftover!

Takeaway: Picking the right target is important because if you pick something that your team connects with, they’ll feel more inspired and engaged.

Step 2: Decide What ‘Winning’ Really Means

For a long time, I didn’t think of myself as a competitive person. I wouldn’t even try to run the mile when we did physical fitness tests in school; I’d just start walking halfway through the first lap. That’s because I thought “winning” was coming in first place. I didn’t think I could compete, so I didn’t even try. Now, my grown-up self can see that if I’d defined winning differently—maybe by getting a better time than I did on my last mile, or just by finishing one lap—I might have felt successful. I definitely would have put more effort into running!

Takeaway: Picking what “winning” means is important because if you pick something unrealistic, it can be demotivating instead of motivating. Learning how to improve employee retention and motivation starts with setting a clear path to success and growth rather than setting an impossible bar.

Step 3: Celebrate Every Win Together

However you define winning for your team or organization, you have to celebrate it. It’s a lot easier to keep working when you feel successful and celebrated for your wins. When you feel like you’re constantly failing, it’s hard to stay motivated to do better. I’m sure millions of business books include this concept, but I’ll always love the simplicity of The One Minute Manager, which recommends “catching people doing something right.”

Takeaway: Celebrating wins is important because even if they’re small, they can be contagious. Applauding them gives people the confidence they need to tackle things that are even more of a stretch. 

Even if you feel like your team doesn’t have a competitive streak, I bet if you dig in, you can find a win to aim for and celebrate. Tuning into your team and finding the appropriate amount of competition can bring fresh energy to your organization and drive positive results you never expected.

And if you don’t win? That’s okay, too. Sometimes you come in second just like my son did in that race. When that happens, you have to honor the disappointment and move forward. Keep pushing for the next win you can celebrate together.