By Andrea Applegate 

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Motivating your team does not have to be a chore!  It is no secret that leaders are experiencing major workforce challenges, but motivating employees does not have to be one of them.  Get creative and find out what makes your workforce “click.”  Have fun in the office or on the worksite to create comaraderie and set challenges for project deadlines.  Here are a few ideas that have worked for me:

1.     Walking challenges to get people moving and competing with each other

2.     Drawings for a gift basket full of their favorite baked goods

3.     Gift certificates to their favorite restaurant or store

4.     Office lunch for meeting group goals

5.     Small gifts of appreciation

6.     A handwritten card

Small gestures make a BIG impact and there are so many ways to turn “work” into fun.  There is no rule that says you cannot have fun at work.  Try it!