The Great Intangible

Money motivates some people. Fear others. Yet at the end of the day, if someone does not want to do something, they probably won't. They almost definitely won't do it well.

Every project manager knows the frustration of trying to motivate underperforming team members. But there are ways to cultivate an atmosphere where motivation has a chance to grow. The key, many professionals in project management agree, is to give people a say in how they spend their time at the office.            

One of the best ways to motivate is to include people in decisions that affect their work lives, says Matt Starcevich, founder of the Center for Coaching and Mentoring in  Bartlesville, Okla. "If I've been excluded from a big decision that affects my work," he says, "I don't feel recognized as a contributing member of [my] team." Inclusion can inspire a team to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Phase On, Phase Off

People are motivated in different ways.