 |
Treasured Traits
When asked which trait they most prize in a fellow team member, 37%
of workers surveyed by Accountemps, a temporary-staffing firm, cited the ability
to meet deadlines. Prized teammates also avoid politics (mentioned by 20%),
are pleasant to work with (20%) and support the supervisor (17%).
A Second Chance
Once your team agrees on a solution to a problem, hold a "second
chance" meeting before you begin to implement it. This gives team members
time to reflect rationally and bring up issues that may not have been discussed
in the first meeting. Teams that follow this rule avoid the very real dangers
of making rash decisions that were carried more by enthusiasm or time pressure
than by sound judgment.
(Sue Birley and Daniel F. Muzyka, Mastering
Enterprise. Pitman Publishing, 4750A Boston Way, Lanham, MD, 20706)
Finding a Consensus
Learning to reach a consensus can be difficult. Team members may wonder,
"How will we know when we're there?" One company gives its team members
this definition of consensus: "Everyone must be at least 70 percent comfortable
with the decision and 100 percent committed to its implementation."
(Gary Dessler, Winning Commitment. McGraw-Hill,
11 W. 19th St., NY, 10011)
The Basics
When looking for ways to energize your employees,
make sure that your plans address one or more of eight
basic human desires. The desire for: |
| 1. |
Activity |
5. |
Competence |
| 2. |
Ownership |
6. |
Achievement |
| 3. |
Power |
7. |
Recognition |
| 4. |
Affiliation |
8. |
Meaning |
| (Bob Nelson,
1001 Ways to Energize Employees. Workman Publishing
Company, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003-9555) |
| |
Communication and Motivation
Are you aware of the motivational role of communication? As a
leader, your comments have an enormous impact on how team members feel
about their workplace, their team and their work. Here are two suggestions
that can help you increase team members' work enjoyment and enhance their
self-esteem. |
| 1. |
In every meeting, make a few positive statements about each
team member. Your comments should be sincere, factual and relevant to
that person's job performance. |
| 2. |
Each time you talk to a team member, make an accurate and
positive statement about how that person is doing on a specific project
or assignment. |
(Jim Pancero,
Leading Your Sales Team. Chicago, IL, Dartnell,
4660 N. Ravenswood Ave., 60640)
1. Vince Lombardi
|
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