Managers often complain to me about team members who are unmotivated.

Now while there is a time to move people on, I would suggest that everyone is motivated for something.

Here are five keys that are known to be effective in accessing people’s internal motivation.

The first is simply finding work that they want to do. There is a chance that they may be feeling stifled in a role that is not satisfying for them.

What is the best way to find out what would be satisfying for them? Ask them, or at least offer them some options to think about.

People tend to be motivated when they are doing work that they have chosen to do.

Secondly, ask for their opinion on work-related matters. People feel more valued when their opinion is sought on problems or changes that affect their work.

Never underestimate what your employees know. Often they will generate better ideas than you may have done by yourself.

Of course, not all of their ideas will be viable, but run with as many as you can.

My third key is authority. Some people thrive on challenge, while others would rather run a mile.

For those staff who find authority motivating, consider what parts of a project you could put them in charge of. Importantly, they need to know they have your support if they make a mistake.

The fourth key to access their energy is to create opportunities for learning. As well as providing variety in their work, people are more motivated when they are learning.

It is important to align learning opportunities with their interest areas.

Lastly, give genuine positive feedback. Although this is not rocket science, many team members feel under-valued and unappreciated for what they do.

Catch them doing the right thing and praise them for it as soon as possible.

Positive feedback is just as relevant for individuals as well as teams and can be used simply for a hard day’s work or the completion of a stage of a project. A genuine ‘thanks’ can go a long way.

Positive feedback can even be used when their performance has not been ideal.

For example, where there has been improvement in performance or if a mistake has been made that could have been worse.

If you are going to use something tangible like money, food or movie tickets, it is important that these incentives are attached to improved performance.

If you are giving out treats routinely, some staff can form a sense of entitlement and take such gestures for granted.

The challenge now is to tailor your approach, identifying which keys will be most beneficial for individual staff.

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Ken Warren is an expert on Workplace Relationships. Subscribe to his free newsletter through www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.auand receive three e-books on becoming happier at work.