Motivating people is hard work. People are motivated by many different things. It takes real effort to understand and deliver what will effectively motivate the wide diversity of people working in labs. However, lab management is much easier with a motivated and engaged lab staff. Motivated individuals are much more likely to deliver on the lab’s purpose and mission and deliver for the key stakeholders. Here are a few tips to help you more effectively deliver consistent praise and recognition: 

#1 – Stop demotivating people

All the hard work invested in motivating staff can be undone in an instant with the wrong statement, response, or action. Be mindful of your words, gestures, and behaviors. Strive to avoid dishonesty, lack of delivery, indecision, absence of listening, disrespect, and micromanagement. Poor behavior will erode the trust and respect built with staff. In many ways the best action towards motivating staff is to stop demotivating them.

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#2 – Recruit and hire intrinsically motivated people

Seek intrinsically motivated people to join the lab. These are people who have an internal drive for self-satisfaction that enables them to learn, execute, and conquer the challenges of the work. To recruit more intrinsically motivated people, include more interview questions that probe how candidates feel about their work, accomplishments, and their contributions to previous organizations. Hiring people with an emotional connection to the purpose and mission of the lab will help increase motivation. 

#3 – Feeding intrinsic motivation

In the book Drive by Daniel Pink, he describes the three key aspects enabling intrinsic motivation, autonomy, mastery, and purpose:

Autonomy: Staff can be more motivated when they have greater control over their work. Help staff have ownership over some lab activity. This will help them exert greater responsibility and accountability, develop deeper skills, and deliver pride of ownership.

Mastery: Provide opportunities for staff to grow and develop their strengths. Develop a culture of learning that rewards skill development, experimentation, and growth. Enable staff to practice new skills without fear of criticism.

Purpose: Clearly connect staff to the purpose and mission of the lab. Help them understand the importance of the work, who benefits, and the ways the work helps the larger community. 

Everything around the lab will operate better with motivated staff. Take advantage of the opportunity to add intrinsically motivated people to the team and then help them increase their motivation through specific actions and programs. Be conscious of any behaviors or habits that can erode motivation. Make the effort to eliminate them from the ways you manage the lab.

Scott Hanton, PhD, will expand on the topic of positive leadership and effectively motivating your staff during his presentation at the 2025 Lab Manager Leadership Summit in Pittsburgh, PA. To learn more and register for the Summit, visit: summit.labmanager.com/leadership.