Pulling a group of diverse individuals is hard enough. Driving them to overcome obstacles is all the more difficult. However, it’s imperative. You need to tap the creative thinking that a team can provide. Your leadership will be shown in steering the solution, implementing the correct approach, assigning the action items and rewarding the team members that make it happen.
Here are some tactics that may help you motivate and direct the team response.
1. Share as much information as possible. People do not work well in the dark.
2. Work with the willing. Even with an “A” team assembled, not everyone on the team will be the star player at any given time.
3. Provide the right amount of guidance. People who are more capable than you will still look to you for your leadership.
4. Work side by side when necessary. In the noise of confusion, your presence in the midst of doubt will do more to help clarify thoughts than anything else.
5. Stretch your people beyond their current talents and abilities. You will be amazed at how effectively they will work when they see growth in their own skillset.
6. Make it fun, actionable, and highly visible. Most of us grew up and enjoyed a puzzle or a challenge. Redesign the solution as a challenge that will be fun to discover. Bring a picture of my mouse to the meeting.
7. Let them feel the weight of the challenge. Fun is… well, fun. It can help us to motivate. However, at the end of the day, the task is serious. Let them see what rests on a favorable solution.
8. Reward them. When the wall has been scaled, get them together, and do something special. Recognize the one(s) who drove the solution. Our drivers are our most important assets. Empower them for the next time around.
