Introducing "Food for Thought" #65. The formula is simple: three short messages once a week to feed your mind.
Management
WHAT KEEPS YOUR PEOPLE MOTIVATED AND HAPPY
Here are a few nuggets to cultivate motivation and happiness in your teams:
- Making progress. Feeling that you're making progress, however small, motivates people. According toa Harvard Business Review studyThe days when you feel you're making progress are your best days at work. The idea is not to aim for the moon, just small victories every day.
- A group of united individuals. The feeling of belonging and security within a team you love is crucial to motivation. VisitGoogle's Aristotle project has shown that the most important factor in their successful teams is this sense of psychological security.
- Just the right level of challenge. Finding the right balance in terms of difficulty is essential for motivation, according tothe Goldilocks principle. A challenge that's too small will be boring, while one that's too big will be frustrating, leading to demotivation. That's why game levels exist.
- Personally motivating goals. It's important to get to know the aspirations of each member of your team and link them to your mission. Offering everyone something they believe in can do wonders for motivation.
Leadership
ACCEPT THE "OOPS
Another way to motivate your people is to foster a culture where mistakes are allowed. According to Marc Dutil, President of Canam, one of the keys to success for a leader and his or her team is to give oneself permission for "oops". Stumbling is an integral part of moving towards your goals. Here are a few questions for you to ponder:
- As a leader, do you give yourself enough room for error?
- Do your team members also have the latitude to stumble without being reprimanded for sure?
Motivation
1000 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS
That's how many times Thomas Eddison failed before creating his first light bulb. If your team never fails, it's probably because the challenge isn't big enough - aim higher! Think of it as a level-based game: it's the repeated failures that eventually get us to the next level.
