Motivation. We hear the term often. What does it mean?

Generally we associate the word with a state of mind that leads and moves us to action. 

While few have had formal training in it, most of us know it when we see it.

What are the ingredients or characteristics of teams that seem to sustain high levels of motivation?

Before answering that question we need to get a clear understanding of what makes us do things as individuals.

The first question to be answered in a discussion of motivation is “What makes us do anything?”

Why am I writing this article? Why are you reading it? Why did you get up this morning and go to work? Why did you have what you had for lunch?  Why do you do any of the things you do?

Each day brings with it a series of countless opportunities to make decisions.

The process of making those decisions is driven primarily by the hope of a benefit or the fear of a consequence.  We move towards pleasure and away from pain.

Literally, every decision we make is filtered through this process. All of these decisions are driven by our basic core needs as a human being- our need to have meaning/purpose/significance, our need for connection, and our need for certainty/predictability/stability. 

A strong understanding of these drivers can be gained very quickly through effective training.  Knowing what moves people is the first step in moving a team to action.

Why Be Part Of A Team?

You’ve been asked to participate on a team to accomplish some task.

Immediately your decision-making process begins.

*          What is the purpose of the team?
*          Who will be on the team with me?
*          What is the reward for participating?
*          What kind of authority will we have?
*          Is it a topic that interests me?
*          Is it important to management?
*          Do I have a choice?
*          What is the risk (perceived as punishment) for not participating?
*          How long will it run?
*          Will I be better off as a result of my participation?

These are some of the questions we might ask ourselves when faced with an invitation to participate in some kind of team.

Are they typical questions?  Certainly. Do they relate to our motivation to participate?  Definitely.

Factors That Influence Team Motivation

1.  Purpose
The team must have a clear purpose and it must be a purpose or mission that participants find aligns with their personal wants and needs.

So one strategy with a lethargic team might be to stop the process, re-visit the team’s purpose or mission, and see if there’s alignment on it.

Even with a team that seems well motivated, it still is a good strategy to recheck once in a while. That way we are all certain we are moving in the same direction.

2. Camaraderie
Camaraderie, meaning comradeship, fellowship, and loyalty, is another key ingredient in most successful teams.

The people on these teams genuinely like or respect each other and work hard to develop and maintain their relationships.

Although they are probably not aware that research supports this behavior, they just seem to understand that it’s a lot easier to support your team member when you have a good relationship.

The results of this relationship building is open and direct communication, frequent praising of each other’s contributions, and mutual support.

Often, an offsite activity or event designed to be fun, but also designed to inculcate values and knowledge can be used to jump start or accelerate team camaraderie.  A connected team is a more effective team.

3. Challenge
The team must face a challenge that they believe can be overcome.  If it seems to easy, motivation is low.  If it seems impossible, motivation goes to zero. 

The brain doesn’t allow us to waste effort on things it is certain will not produce rewards.  The common solution is to find a balance, an appropriate level of challenge. 

A more powerful solution is to empower a team to believe that the “impossible” goal is attainable and is not impossible at all, and then help them find a concrete path that will lead them to success.

The size of the hero is often determined by the size of the challenge. 

4. Responsibility
In general, people and teams are stimulated when given responsibility. Responsibility leads to feelings of ownership of the task and higher motivation.

Responsibility can be tricky, though.

Implied in this concept is the understanding that the responsibility comes along with authority to make the necessary changes. Responsibility without authority or resources to produce results leads to lost motivation. 

Teams that have both the responsibility and authority tend to maintain motivation over longer periods of time.

Also, responsibility can be de-motivating if the consequences for errors or failure are too large. If the organization, for example, has a history of punishing mistakes, then the giving of responsibility is viewed more as a negative.

The short-term performance may be good due to the motivation of fear, but long-term motivation will suffer. It is difficult to sustain high performance over the long term when energy is being sapped by fear.  People will do more right away to avoid pain, but will do more consistently over the long haul to more towards pleasure.

Here again, the most powerful solution involves empowerment and elimination of fear.

5. Growth
Personal and team growth can provide another basis for sustained motivation. When people feel they are moving forward, learning new concepts, adding to their skill set, and stretching their minds, motivation tends to remain high.

Personal growth adds value to the individual, enhancing self-esteem and self-worth.

It is often said that we are growing or dying, as a person or as a team.  Growth feels good.

6. 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 itself.

We have all seen examples of how leaders inspired teams to accomplish some phenomenal task. History books and Hollywood are full of these stories, and we come to honor these leaders.

Great leaders have a knack for helping others see the best in themselves, providing the stimulus for self-actualizing behaviors.

But 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.

Great leaders understand that their team members have needs, and that for motivation to grow and continue, the activities of the team must help in some way to meet these needs.

Summary

Call Professional Teambuilding at 1-800-446-4742 and find out more about how our corporate teambuilding and motivational programs can help you build a more satisfied, motivated and productive workforce.

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