A message from Sandy. So you have some team members that aren’t crazy about each other, now what? Much of the time we like or dislike someone, based on how well we understand them. It also seems most of us enter adulthood ill-equipped to deal with the myriad of personalities we come across in life. All the different personalities, temperaments, cultures, values, beliefs, ideologies, religions, and idiosyncratic behaviors.

One way to break down those barriers is to expand your understanding of  people. There are also some simple solutions like designing an off-site activity for the team, sometimes just  ”playing” together can be a powerful way to build camaraderie. How about some celebrations? (you don’t have to wait for something big)

Responsibility: In general, people and teams are stimulated by being given responsibility. Responsibility can be tricky, implied, is the understanding that the responsibility comes with authority to make necessary changes. Teams that have both the responsibility and authority tend to maintain motivation over longer periods of time. Responsibility can be demotivating if the consequences for an error or failure are too great. If you have a history of punishing for mistakes, then giving more responsibility is now viewed as a negative. It is difficult to sustain high performance when energy is being zapped by fear.

Growth: Personal and team growth can provide another basis for sustained motivation. When your team feels like they are moving forward, learning new concepts, adding to their skill base, and stretching their minds, motivation tends to run high. Personal growth adds value to the individual, enhancing self-esteem and self-worth.

Leadership: A good leader can be a catalyst for motivation in the short term, but the best leaders create the conditions for the team to motivate themselves. A charismatic leader can be so effective in the short term, but cannot necessarily sustain motivation indefinitely. Motivation is inherently intrinsic, residing within oneself. Therefore, if one depends continually on another for their source of motivation, eventually it ends. Great leaders have a knack for helping others see the best in themselves. Great leaders also understand the importance of team purpose, challenge, camaraderie, responsibility, and growth, and focus much of their time on creating the conditions for these to exist.

In summary, a team whose members are aligned with this purpose, feel challenge in their tasks, have a strong sense of camaraderie, feel responsibility for the outcome, and experience growth as a team and in their personal lives. What do you do to motivate your team? Or does your team motivate you?