How will you keep your team members motivated and engaged — especially in a tight economy? If you’re leading a team or managing a department, this question is always important to consider. But, it may be even more critical in today’s workplace.

According to a recent study by The Conference Board, U.S. job satisfaction is apparently at its lowest point in two decades. And, this employee dissatisfaction appears to go beyond the survivor guilt often felt by employees who watch their friends and colleagues lose their jobs. It covers many categories including: interest in work, job design, managerial quality and rewards.

What are the implications for you and your team? Based on your leadership role, on which of the categories above can you have the most impact?

Here are two tips to consider as you define your team’s goals and priorities for this quarter and the year:

• Have you aligned individual team member objectives with overall priorities?** When you identify and map individual objectives to team/organizational goals it can give your team members a “line of sight” from their role and responsibilities to the greater purpose of the organization (“Where do I fit in?”). It also helps to level-set expectations so that you and your team members are on the same page about what’s being expected.

• Have you aligned your incentive/reward structure with key goals?** If the messages you send to your team suggest that achieving team goals is important, but your incentives tend to reward individual performers more, there could be a disconnect. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t reward high-achievers; just make sure you’re “walking your talk” by clearly communicating what are your performance expectations, and explaining how they connect with your key goals.

As a leader, one of your priorities is to create the right environment for your members to succeed – and exceed their goals. My priority is to continue sharing compelling ideas and strategies to help you and your team to achieve sustainable results in 2010 and beyond.

If you’re serious about continuing your team’s progress in this tight economy, gather your core team members in the conference room and join me for my next (free) 20/10 Team Visioning Teleclass! on Tuesday, March 30th at 1:00 PM EST. We’ll be revisiting your key intentions and top priorities. We’ll also explore more ways to keep your team motivated and on-track, especially in a tight economy.

REGISTER ONLINE and Bring Your Team’s Future into Laser-Focus!