Keeping Your Team Motivated By Stewart Wrighter
Successful companies have groups of employees who work well together and care about the future. Sometimes creating this atmosphere takes effort. Team building events are a great way to create a sense of teamwork among employees. Corporate events that celebrate accomplishments make everyone feel great about their work, but there are other things that can create a sense of team spirit and leave everyone feel refreshed and invigorated about their work. There are several factors that go into people feeling as if they are working together and are really part of something bigger than just the immediate issue at hand. This sense of teamwork makes it possible to solve problems and work together in an environment of mutual respect and admiration. Teamwork requires everyone to share the same purpose. A shared sense of purpose fuels motivation. When everyone is working toward a single goal that is beneficial for everyone involved, they feel motivated to get a job done well. The members of the group must all be on the same page and feel as if they benefit from achieving their shared goal. If anyone is not on board with the goal, the teamwork will go nowhere and it is unlikely the group will find success. People must feel challenged to achieve something. In order for people to pull together and create a feeling of teamwork, there must be a problem that needs to be overcome. Challenges are too often viewed as negative. In reality they are a part of everyday life and people are constantly overcoming challenge. When the reward is great, people are willing to work hard to achieve something and find a solution.
If they are just putting in time to help someone else make more money or find success, they are likely to not care much about the challenge. The key to success is to offer employees a challenge that is possible to overcome and a benefit to finding a solution. Camaraderie is another important part of teamwork. People have to click to work well together. There might still be debate, which is healthy and necessary to reach well-rounded solutions. However, if there is a severe power struggle, groups get caught up in that feeling and solutions fall to the wayside. The problem needs to be the external thing that is in need of a solution. If groups are constantly battling with their personality differences, they will never get anywhere. Find ways to build a feeling of camaraderie, especially through special functions and celebrations. Finally, make sure everyone feels responsible for the actions the group is taking. If anyone is just along for the ride and going along with what everyone else is saying, they will not feel ownership over the solution. They might be avoiding responsibility or they might be out voiced in the group. It is important to find out the problem so you can help the group remedy the problem and get everyone involved in what is happening. Creating a sense of teamwork helps you accomplish all of these goals.—
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | NOVEMBER 2016 25
