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Motivating
the team
The
following approaches have proved effective in motivating teams:
Time outs and learning reviews
When
heavily involved in the task the team can lose sight of the overall context
within which they are working. They can also fail to appreciate what the team
has learnt and how it has developed. Regular time outs and learning reviews can
remind people of context and emphasise the value put on team and individual
development.
Creativity sessions
Daily
office life is dominated by routine and can easily become lacking in
stimulation. Bringing everybody together for the occasional creativity session
can not only add stimulation and improve energy levels, but also result in new
ideas and valuable solutions to problems. The book ?What If! How to Start
a Creative Revolution at Work (ISBN 1 84112 068 5), is a good source
of guidance in this area.
Rituals, milestoning, celebrating success and saying goodbye
A simple way to give meaningful
recognition to a team and also chunk down very large tasks into manageable mile
stones, is to have the ritual of informally gathering together to celebrate
significant achievements and point out upcoming challenges. Also, celebrating
the end of one task and acknowledging the beginning of a new one can help teams
address feelings associated with change, especially if the completion or start
of a task involves changes to personnel or working relationships. Team members
are given the chance to say goodbye to what may have been a settled and fruitful
period in the life of the team. This makes it easier for them to move on and
deal with the new challenges.
Be welcoming
Explicitly welcoming new
members (and their ideas) to the team is a very simple and powerful way to start
creating a culture that acknowledges and values individuals, their needs and the
contributions they can make. If the leader is welcoming, so too will be the rest
of the team.
Create a space
If a team does not have a
recognisable working space it can feel invisible and unacknowledged. Make sure
the team and everyone else knows exactly where its space is and that this space
is respected. Clearly indicate the space by sign posting etc.
To see the Tallis
Training 'Achieving Team Work' programme click Here.
To find out about the
Tallis Training 'Kick Start Conference' (an event designed to help teams and
organisations maximise their performance) click Here.
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