How to Create Teams That Drive Success

Success driven teams don’t simply “happen”. It’s not a fortunate aligning of the stars that energizes people to work together for a common goal. All winning coaches know that which led their team to victory began long before they ever took the field. Championship teams are created. Motivated together, through a sharpening of collective skills, accountability, and trust.

Though the goals may differ, every highly effective team has the same tools for success. Through inspiration, empowerment, motivation, and an atmosphere of respect and trust, you have the ability to shape your team into a group driven to succeed.

Blueprint for an Effective Team

The ability to come together and work toward a common goal, that’s both individually rewarding, and advantageous for the team, is essentially the definition of teamwork. What makes a successful team? The capacity for communication, understanding, personal accountability, trust, and the ability to build strong relationships among members are at the core of all great teams.

Those attributes and abilities may be the cornerstones of what makes an effective team, but how do you, as a manager or leader, create a continued climate of positive motivation, and the desire to succeed? What is it that drives a team to be successful, never letting their eyes drift from the prize, and doing whatever it takes to realize outstanding results?

What Motivates Your People?

We all know that micromanaging your team to the point of draining all the energy, and extinguishing the flame that drives success doesn’t work. Finding ways to keep your team of individuals motivated and propelling them toward the goal doesn’t require constant monitoring, or endless interaction. Recognizing certain catalysts will keep your team members strong, unified, and focused on the outcome.

Although money and status have their place among strong motivational tools, these incentives are not the golden enticements they once were thought to be. Fulfillment of the individual, a sense of participation in the group, collaboration, belonging, and respect are much stronger motivators for your team members.

When met with encouragement, camaraderie, and a spirit of trust, your team members will naturally want to excel and stay focused on the objective, without the need for intervening. Once you begin to value the fundamental needs of team members, you’ll begin to understand how inefficient and damaging micromanaging can be.

Fundamental Human Needs

Recent research has uncovered a variety of factors that influence each one of us. Our priorities and ideals dictate the degree to which these factors impact us as individuals. But, suffice it to say, every single member of your team has these same set of fundamental needs, and can be motivated toward success by simply having their needs met.

Certainty

Stability, predictability, and security all contribute to the feeling of certainty in life. Knowing that there is sameness is our daily lives gives us the security we need to be able to go out and thrive. However, too much certainty creates feelings of boredom and lack of motivation, and too little can cause feelings of panic and a need to control every little thing, leading to scores of other issues.

Achieve meeting the needs of certainty among members of your team by providing clarity and inclusion all along the way. Make sure members of your team understand exactly what is expected of them, individually and as a group, and where they fit in the larger picture.

Variety

New stimulus helps create excitement and prevents team members from feeling as though they are stuck in a rut. Offer opportunities to break out of the norm. Develop projects within a project. Provide a chance to mix things up a bit.

Be aware of those team members who may try to create conflicts among the group, or encourage negativity. These individuals may need extra opportunities for variety in their day-to-day responsibilities and work assignments. Keep them actively engaged in learning new concepts and strategizing in innovative and fresh ways. Let them then present these new ideas to the group.

Significance

Most everyone has a desire to take part in those meaningful and significant events that impact humanity, no matter how small or large their importance. Many people value significant contributions from a place of humanitarianism, or ultraism. Others are more self-centered about their significance.

Be mindful of the individuals among the team who become competitive and step on others toes in an effort to promote their own significance. Make an effort to show appreciation. Reward your team in tangible ways. Treat them to movie tickets, or lunch away from the office, if possible.

Connection

Connection is the backbone of a strong team, and results in a cohesive group. Everyone craves an affiliation with a community. Use this need for connection to promote camaraderie among the team.

Watch out for those members who always try to stand out. Encourage them by asking them to share their strengths. Uncover mentoring opportunities within the team community.

Growth

The need to grow, both personally and professionally, is inherent and ongoing. Unhappy people often feel stagnant and stuck because of missed opportunities for growth. Demonstrate the importance you place on continued learning and growing by encouraging team members to take classes, attend seminars, webinars, and even read certain books. Ask questions, provoke thought, and keep your team moving forward.

Contribution

Many times we fail to see the value of our contribution as we get mired in the minute and weighed down by the details. Team members may not “see the forest for the trees”.

Try to help your team members maintain a clear picture of the end result and how it will enhance the quality of life for clients and end-users. Use this visual and/or mission statement to present a clear touchstone for the project as it develops.

[tweetthisMotivation is the catalyst behind every successful team.][/tweetthis] That which motivates the team, and those individuals who make up the collective group, depends a great deal on how the basic human needs are being met. Observe your team members, find out where their strengths lie, meet their needs. Utilize your own skills to fill in the gaps and ride that wave of success to your own championship.