Make it Fun. Make it Memorable.

If you find yourself in charge of a group of people, how do you create an environment that encourages productivity and excellence without dealing out the cash?

Celebrate! Everyone loves a party, so why not kick up your heels when you or your group does something well. Sharing success can give the group a jump-start on the next project. Celebrating doesn't have to be a huge event; have ice cream sundaes, pizza, etc. Rent/bring a movie, borrow a projector and show a film on a screen or wall.

Recognize. This is often the easiest, most inexpensive, but most overlooked motivator. Give people a chance to succeed and they may surprise you. Acknowledging hard work is simple and effective. Let the people who work hard know they are appreciated and their efforts are not going unnoticed.

Purpose. By answering the question, "Why are we doing this?" you can get the highest level of effort from your group. Instead of just saying, "that's the way things are," or "because I said so," explanations create ownership. Let all members know what the group is about and where they want the group to go. Feeling like they have ownership over what they're doing will motivate members to go above and beyond.

Challenge achievement. If the sky is the limit, people will continually reach for the carrot dangling in front of them. Knowing there is room for improvement, growth, and expansion of skills is important to keep people working hard and working well together. Have all members brainstorm new ideas and challenge them to step away from the norm.