Inspire- This is to infuse into the mind, to affect a thought process, to stimulate, to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially something creative, to fill an individual with confidence and desire to act.

This is what it means to inspire someone.

The words inspire and motivate have similar meanings and many people use them interchangeably. There's a difference though between the two words; to motivate means to give an individual reason to act. To be inspired on the other hand is to stir up an individual into being creative. Motivation has to do with external forces, while inspiration comes from within an individual. Motivation is necessary if your employees are to remain committed to their jobs, there are ways to keep your employees motivated. (How to motivate your employees without money).

For the sake of this article though, we are going to stick with inspiration.

Inspiration or the quest to get inspired is more noticeable with people who deal in arts such as; writers, musicians, actors, painters, sculptors etc. They are the ones who are more likely to talk about what inspires their art. What this simply means is that inspiration goes hand-in-hand with creativity. The need to be creative or unique is what gives birth to inspiration. Knowing you need to do something beyond the regular is what opens up your mind to get inspired. This is not to say that people in other fields cannot or do not need to be inspired. We all need to be inspired as often as possible if we are to be successful in our different niches.

The need for inspiration

As noted earlier, inspiration births creativity. You are fully aware that you are not the only one in your line of business. To succeed, you need to stand out from your competitors. You need to be able to sell yourself and your product or services better than your competitors. It is important to know that it is not just about being ahead in your niche, it is about you growing as a person, expanding your business, avoiding stagnation, being maximally productive, getting to the peak, creating and setting new records and above all else being satisfied with yourself and the effort you put into what you do. To achieve this, your employees and yourself need to get creative and this is only possible after you get inspired. To this end, a lot needs to be done to get your employees inspired. How can you go about this?

How to inspire your team

Below are ways to inspire your employees or team.

• Minimize stress. Avoid overworking your employees or teammates as this could cause them to be burnt out

• Assign tax based on hobbies and interests

• Run an inclusive team. Include your teammates or employees when making decisions. Doing this would give them a sense of belonging and make them passionate about what they do which would, in turn, help them to get inspired more often

• Allow for brainstorming. Do not always assign tasks to individuals and expect them to do them on their own. Brainstorming allows for a flow of different but connected thoughts which allows for inspiration. When people brainstorm, they feed off each other's ideas and are inspired. At the end of the day, great ideas which would not be possible otherwise are born. There's a whole lot to benefit from brainstorming as a team. ( https://startupxs.com/why-is-brainstorming-important/ )

• Incentives. Be sure to use incentives to stir up inspiration among your employees or team members. You would be surprised at the kind of ideas people can generate when they have been offered incentives.

• As the team lead or boss, share your goals and visions. Do not hold back or minimize the extent of your objectives before your employees. The bigger your goals, the more likely it is that your employees would want to be a part of it and be inspired to give their best. People like to be part of what is considered big, tough projects so do well to let your teammates know the enormity of the task at hand

• Avoid hovering over the shoulders of employees. Do not micromanage, give a measure of free rein, and let them know you trust them. Micromanaging people puts them under strain and undue pressure which is a hindrance to being inspired. The effects of micromanaging should not be underestimated. ( https://www.aseonline.org/News/Articles/ArtMID/628/ArticleID/1441/The-Detrimental-Effects-of-Micromanagement )

• Sometimes, have your employees break the routine. Doing something different could lead to being inspired. ( https://www1.vhi.ie/blog/articles/breaking-your-work-routine-how-you-can-plan-positive-disruptions )

• Create an enabling work environment. When people walk in a conducive environment it is easier to think and come up with brilliant ideas. The workplace might be free from any form of harassment or bullying but that isn't enough. The workspace should be as relaxing as possible. Never underestimate the power of a cup of tea or coffee. Only a few things measure up to the feel of a warm cup in your hands, staring out the window into space, and having your work at the back of your mind. This is not to say that you are to expect your employees to come up with a brilliant plan after every cup of tea but it surely helps. Beautiful office walls also have a calming and relaxing effect on workers. See what you can do about those dull paints on the wall.

• Inspire through words: What you say can have a great impact on your employees. Use words that have a powerful effect to inspire them to act. Inspirational quotes and speeches go a long way in propelling people to action.

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As you go about your business, keep the point you've learned from this article in mind. Do your utmost to practicalize the steps mentioned above and move your employees to get inspired.

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