• As a leader, if you want to have a successful team, you have to be able to motivate the people working with you. Whether you're a business manager, employer, teacher, or other leader, you will get results out of your team if you offer them some type of incentive as a motivator. Your incentives can be financial, intrinsic, physical, or otherwise motivated; different strategies work for different teams.
  
  

Financial Bonuses

• Money is a big motivator for many people. If you are financially able, consider offering a monetary incentive for your team members. You may offer a monthly bonus for achieving performance goals, or offer a percentage commission on all of their sales. The extra money they have the potential to earn can be a motivation for employees on any level of the pay scale.
  
  

Drawings

• If you only have a few prizes or incentives to offer, consider holding monthly drawings. Every team member who achieves a specific goal can be entered into the drawing to win some type of prize, whether it is a gift card to a local restaurant or a cash prize. You might also draw for a gift basket full of gourmet food items, lottery tickets, or even a t-shirt with your team's logo on it. The prize doesn't have to be large in order to be appreciated. The team members will be motivated by the chance to win the prize, and the drawing adds an element of entertainment into the performance goals.
  
  

The Gift of Time

• If you don't have a lot of finances, give your team member time off instead of a monetary prize. An employee can earn a paid day off, which won't cost you any more than it costs you to offer sick leave. A student can earn a day off from homework, or a team member can earn a free day away from team responsibilities. The gift of freedom allows your team member to spend his time the way he chooses, and he may even return the following day with a renewed motivation to perform.
  
  

Facilities

• Make use of the facilities you have at your disposal when offering incentives and motivators. Offer a prime parking spot to the "employee of the month" every month. If your work involves equipment or materials your employees would enjoy, give them a month of free use of that equipment (for instance, a month of free workout time in an exercise facility or a month of free drinks in a coffee shop). This type of incentive boosts the average employee discount up to a new level.
  
  

Relationship Rewards

• Make use of the business relationships you already have when offering rewards and incentives to your employees. If you own a bakery, for example, and your menus are printed in a local print shop, then maybe you can work out a deal with that shop. You can offer free baked goods as a prize for their employees and they can offer free printing services for your employees. Now, you have another way to mutually benefit from your working relationship.
  
  

Thanks and Recognition

• Sometimes the simple act of publicly recognizing someone's hard work is enough to get them to continue to work just as hard. Take time out once a month to announce the team members who have performed well in the past term, and provide them with a note of thanks or a certificate to reward their efforts.