There is no I in TEAM
I like to watch The Apprentice. But I have one issue with the show. It is the way the show sets up tasks for "teams" but then rewards mainly individual performance. While the winning group is treated to fabulous treats, they are encouraged to pick apart their team mates in the board room. It leads to a dynamic where contestants have trouble working toward their common goal and often brings a lot of infighting and arguing. This is not an effective way to operate a team.
Unfortunately, the same dynamic is apparent in the real work world. A recent Wilson Learning study of 4,500 teams from over 500 companies revealed that there are major barriers to team success. The top one is the way corporations are structured. Many respondents said that their organizational structures foster internal competition which limits group effectiveness.
In another major finding, only 10-20 percent of the respondents had Human Resources systems set up to appraise the performance of the team rather than the individual. And in the most interesting finding, 80 percent said that the reward and compensation systems in their corporations were based on an individual's performance rather than a team's.
So how can leaders reward teams without a major restructure?
Early on in the team process, leaders may need to "reward" the team with a manager's time. By making time to "check-in" and guide a new team, leaders provide the foundation that the teams need to move forward. If possible, set up a system where all the individuals get some written feedback on how they are progressing.
As the team reaches milestones in their task, have group celebrations and give them recognition within the organization. Rewards could be team-focused merit pay or public praise. Recognition from management is one simple but powerful motivator. By the end of the team's task, have the group present their findings to an audience of senior management. One caution in this, don't let a project leader take all the limelight from the entire team. Reward all the team members with praise and accolades even if a few shine more during the presentation.
While team rewards might not make good television, these tips might work to help your internal teams flourish.
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