Developing leaders and managers is the most important advantage we will have in the future. The process by which you motivate your workforce, as you develop your managers, and the tools you equip them with will determine your success. Few innovative technologies last long before being replaced, however, intentionally developing a team will pay big dividends well into the future.

Great companies remain great by developing people and creating a goal-directed, results-oriented culture. Leadership and management are modeled behaviors. Workers today, especially younger generations, are quick to notice inauthentic leadership. Words are empty if they are not supported by actions and behaviors.   

Let’s look at the best practices for managers. Here is the playbook to motivate your workforce and get results through others.  

• Help Team Members Be More Productive
  • Make your resources more valuable 
  • Improve relationships — internal and external 
  • Create a culture of accountability 

• Communicate Effectively
  • Ask better questions to get better answers 
  • Make communication impact match intent 
  • Implement different communication styles 

• Activity and Results
  • Spend more time in high-payoff activities Improve “bench strength” through effective delegation 
  • Use scorecards to improve performance and results

• Clarify Goals and Expectations
  • Identify your most important business goals
  • Develop clear, specific action plans
  • Clarify expectations to yourself and others

• Motivate People to Produce
  • Encourage others to want to perform better
  • Give effective feedback to reinforce desired behaviors 
  • Use positive confronting to correct ineffective behavior 

• Training Techniques That Work
  • Remove barriers to improved performance 
  • Create dynamic employee development plans 

• Decision Making & Problem-Solving
  • Make decisions for productivity, profitability and growth Stop wasting time on damage control
  • Develop proactive “problem preventers”

• Create Synergistic Teamwork
  • Increase collaboration and cooperation
  • Create synergy by focusing on team strengths, not weaknesses 

Just like playing golf or tennis, you become your best by refining and executing the steps until they become automatic. This leaves more time for thinking and reacting to variations in the process. Practice makes progress — this works in sports and in business.

Develop the habit of helping team members be more productive. Start with yourself; communicate more effectively, stay in high-payoff priorities, and clarify goals and expectations. As you make these improvements, you will naturally motivate people to produce and create synergy in your company.

For more tips on motivating your managers and leadership, visit Achievable.com.