I wrote an article a few weeks ago about a guy who tried to leverage a team for his personal gain (ignoring the needs of the team).  He is, thankfully, an extreme case, but even the most well meaning person can hurt a team’s performance if she approaches it the wrong way.  As someone who’s managed projects, I’ve made a lot of these mistakes, so I’m hoping you can learn from them:

Give credit where credit is due.  More than monetary compensation, team members want to feel valued.  More of my friends have left jobs because their boss/subordinates/co-workers/HR departments didn’t care about their contribution to a team effort.  I’ve found that simply telling people they’re doing a good job (and never, ever letting anyone else, especially their managers) take credit for their hard work pays off big time for healthy team motivation.

Give criticism where criticism is due.  Just as it’s important to let people know they’re doing well often, it’s important to give constructive criticism early and often.  I’m not talking about harping on team members.  Just telling someone “you suck, get better” doesn’t help them improve.  However, letting them know how they can improve can go a long way into making sure they stay productive.  And as an added bonus, productive team members appreciate that you value their time when you deal directly with freeloaders.

Make it about “us,” not “me.” When you’re talking about a team project with others, don’t talk only in terms of what you’re doing.  Emphasize other people’s contributions. Word gets around that you appreciate everyone’s contributions, even when other team members aren’t present.  Plus, you won’t look like you’re trying to hog all team glory for yourself.

Talk about the mistakes you made, and how you’ll fix them.  If you’re taking any sort of risks in your team (and I really hope you are), you’ll make mistakes along the way.  Make sure you own up to them, but, equally important, talk about how you intend to fix them.  Your example will encourage others to do the same, fostering healthy risk-taking.

Talk about something other than team-related topics. I feel it’s sad when two people spend 40+ hours a week together and never get to know one another.  It doesn’t matter how different you are, you can find some common ground with all of your other teammates.  Make an effort to know them as people, and you’ll surprise yourself at what you’ll learn…not only about them, but about you.

Attitude goes a long way to motivating a team.  It doesn’t matter if you are a manager or a guy on the front lines, you can always motivate others to get work done, and one of the simplest ways is through words.

-Deborah Fike

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