Show your team who they're helping
One of the most powerful ways to motivate your team is to show them the people their work helps. In a 2007 study led by Adam Grant, university fundraisers who spent just five minutes with a student whose scholarship their calls helped fund raised 171% more money a month later than fundraisers who didn't. When people can see the impact of their work, they work harder.
Most people on a small team never see the end result of what they do.
Your assistant sends the invoices but never hears the client say, "You changed my business." Your part-time designer makes the graphics but never sees the comment from the woman who finally booked a call because of that post.
You see it. They don't. And that's a missed opportunity, because the research on this is some of my favorite.
What the research found
Adam Grant and his colleagues studied a university call center where employees called alumni to ask for scholarship donations. It's a hard job with a lot of rejection.
One group of callers got to meet a student whose scholarship was paid for by the money they raised. Just a five-minute conversation. The student told them how the scholarship had helped.
A month later, that group spent 142% more time on the phone and brought in 171% more money than a comparison group.
Just five minutes with one real person more than doubled the results.
Why does this work?
When work feels like tasks on a list, it's easy to go through the motions. When work has a face attached to it, it matters.
That's not just feel-good stuff. People who see the impact of their work are more motivated, more persistent, and more careful. They know someone's on the other end.
It pairs perfectly with a sincere thank-you, which I wrote about in The thank-you that makes people work harder. A thank-you says "I see you." Showing impact says "this matters to someone."
How to show your team their impact
Share client wins with the whole team. When a client sends a great review or thank-you, forward it to everyone who touched that project.
Connect tasks to people. "This onboarding packet is the first thing a nervous new client sees. Let's make it feel like a hug."
Invite a client in. If you have a happy client who's willing, ask them to join a team meeting for ten minutes and share their story.
Tell the story behind the number. "We got 12 new clients this month" is fine. "Here's what one of those 12 told me on her first call" is better.
Make impact part of your goals. When you explain what you want from your team, include who it's for, not just what it is.
What it looks like
A client of mine runs a small service business with three employees. She started a simple habit: every Friday, she shares one message from a client in their team group chat.
She told me one of her team members said it's her favorite part of the week. Another team member started taking more care with follow-up emails without being asked. Nothing else changed. They just started seeing who was on the other end.
Your homework
Think of one recent client win. Who on your team helped make it happen? Tell them this week, and tell them who it helped.
If you want help building a team that follows through because they care, not because you're hovering, let's talk.
Frequently asked questions
How do you motivate employees without money?
Show them the impact of their work. In Grant's 2007 study, fundraisers who met a scholarship recipient raised 171% more money a month later.
What is task significance?
Task significance is how much a person believes their work affects other people. Research suggests seeing that impact increases motivation and persistence.
How can a small business show employees their impact?
Share client feedback with the team, connect tasks to the people they serve, invite happy clients to talk with the team, and tell the stories behind the numbers.
Sources: Grant, A. M., Campbell, E. M., Chen, G., Cottone, K., Lapedis, D., & Lee, K. (2007). Impact and the art of motivation maintenance: The effects of contact with beneficiaries on persistence behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103(1), 53–67.
