Team Building  Through Motivation

Are you the Head of an organization that stood the tallest, a few years ago, but is trailing behind its peers right now?

Are you finding it tough time meeting corporate goals or deadlines as planned?

Do you experience your customers deserting you and running for your competitors?

Do you ever notice the profits showing a declining trend over the past few years?

Again, have you ever found that your employees are quitting jobs and seeking jobs elsewhere?

If so, it is time to change. Why change? When your peers are performing better and external business conditions are stable, the problem is internal. It’s time for you to take corrective steps, to think and act for a change in the right direction.

You may be good, and an expert at managing an organization. You might have taken the reins of your organization just recently and may be thinking that the present condition of the business is the result of the wrongs committed by the predecessors so that you haven’t any say in that.   Remember, all these are lame excuses, because, you are the boss. And it is your organization. History aside, you have to see that the organization fares well under you.How to build up business?

Mend the steps before starting the climb

Everybody wants to climb up the ladder. All eyes are on the top. But Remember. Learn to look down the ladder and see if the lower part is stronger enough to support you at the heights. Before taking next  step see if the steps are stronger enough.         

How to Rebuild your Team?

I use the term ‘rebuild’ as I know you have a team right now, a team already working with you watching the whole scenario. What is needed is just a reassembly. You know, football is a team-game. If we look back we can see teams which had the World's top  ranking players in their list miserably failed to win even quarter finals. Instances are many of weaker teams winning the world cup despite the fact that they do not have world title holders in their players’ list, but only because of team work. A well knit team is a source of power to strike against opponents as well as adverse situations.

How to Motivate?

Motivation means creating a natural state of mind in others to give out the best in them. A motivated employee with average skills will be better productive than a de-motivated adept. Motivation creates a chain of positive emotions and when you are positive, your productivity level increases.

Here are some suggestions to improve your team’s performance.

Know the areas of strength, also of weakness

Being the head of a team means managing people. A craftsman knows the strength and uses of each tool with him and applies them accordingly. The team leader should know the strong and weak personality traits of each member of his team and give those positions taking account of their merits .He should also learn the skill and apply them diligently to help the team members come out of their deficiencies, if any. Do not fire, but keep them updated.

Maintain transparency in communication, and interact at short intervals with the employees in a friendly atmosphere

Transparent communication is one firm step towards team building and motivation. It has been our experience with many top level executives that they seldom interact with the subordinates and the grass root level employees. If at all they interact, they prefer not to talk in a friendly manner adhering to the time barred management maxim that ‘Friends cannot be Masters. We can see many of them within our organization and outside. These people do not realize the significance of friendliness in building a team. Friendliness eases up tense situations. Allowing the subordinates to open up lets you understand the way the employees are thinking and helps you take more realistic assessment of the future.  Negative thoughts spoil the work atmosphere. Erase them at the start.

How to correct mistakes?

The employee will come to know of their shortcomings when somebody high lights them. Many team leaders shy away from doing so for fear of demotivation. If at all they do, they speak in an unfriendly tone. Please remember that if somebody secretly tells you about your deficiencies in a friendly manner, you will accept that, because everybody has an intrinsic liking to be seen perfect by others. Deficiencies are indicators of imperfection. But when speaking about in the public, always highlight the positive side of the employees.  You tend to like the persons who speak good things about you. Be sincere, committed and true to your words. It may take some time for your team members to realize this. Once they realize, they would follow you.

Appreciate...Appreciate…Appreciate

Appreciating the team members for whatever contribution they make towards betterment of positions, is one of the motivational tools a Team Leader can employ. Appreciation boosts up the morale and enthusiasm to seek more and more opportunities to contribute. Appreciation makes them feel that their worth is taken account of by the boss which in turn creates a sense of belonging in their minds. Now he is working not for somebody else, but for his own company. When you work for your own organization you are more sincere and committed.

The Talent Bank.

Greater ideas sometimes come from ordinary people. The fact is that we seldom give room for them. But when the same idea comes from famous people and professionals you start thinking on them. When your organization has thousands of educated people there is chance for finding unutilized talents within them.  When you recruit somebody, you recruit them for getting certain skills and talents ignoring his other potentials.  Before going after outside agencies and organizations in search of skills, just give an opportunity to your team members to show case their not yet utilized talents. I am sure; you have better chances to find them within your set up   

Welcome suggestions

Everybody has a longing to be considered as important by others, wherever they are, irrespective of their caliber and cadres. Accepting the suggestion of a person is an indirect way of giving importance to him. Acceptance need not mean “going to implement. It only means “noted for consideration.” In day today life we accept so many proposals most of which are rejected in the final stage. Rejecting after scrutiny is not as painful as rejecting a proposal at the beginning itself. So, give the subordinates a chance to put a proposal which they find suitable, and appreciate them and tell them that it will be taken account of before implementing some newer idea. It helps create a sense of belonging to the organization in the minds of the employees. You will be more sincere if you are working for a cause which you think is your own.

I will do….

Let each member of the team speak out to you looking into your eyes:” I’ll do”. When somebody says so, it is commitment, a commitment which involves his whole being. Commitment is deeper than agreement. Agreement need not always involve your being. But commitment does.

Yes you have the ideal and efficient team around you. All the Best

Read More…
Tweets by @twitter