Motivated Thriving Teams
4Pillars Team Coaching Solution
Extensive academic research has been carried out in recent years on positive psychology at work, team motivation and team effectiveness,.
Having researched many studies, there is one particular piece of research that stands out.
Carried out by Sprietzer & Porath in 2012, the study interviewed 1200 employees in a variety of different teams across many organisations and industry sectors, and found that organisations with teams of highly engaged, motivated, and thriving team members, outperformed peer groups in several areas:
16% better overall performance
125% less staff burnout
46% more satisfied with their jobs
Furthermore, less staff missed work attending to medical issues which translated into much lower health care costs for the organisation
In broader reaching analysis, the research highlighted company’s with superior employee satisfaction ratings, generated higher returns to shareholders of 2.1% above peer industry benchmarks
Motivated thriving teams demonstrate different attitudes and behaviours that significantly contribute to that team consistently achieving superior performance. Our 4Pillar diagnostics and team coaching solution helps teams quickly benchmark themselves against these behaviours to highlight where their strengths are, and what areas could be stronger
Why is ALIGN important?
- When a team is aligned, team members will have agreed common objectives, and priorities, and will experience a strong sense of purpose and meaning around what they want to achieve
- Team members will embody, and be acting out of a set of agreed core values, and behavoural norms
- Communication between team members is more authentic with issues resolved more quickly
- Team members want to know how they can help each other achieve their goals, as cross-functional collaboration and collective team goals are very important
- Without alignment, the team is likely to be more disparate, with team members pulling in different directions, more focused on personal agendas, and rivalries, rather than on what is good for the team as a whole.. Cross functional collaboration is limited
Why is BELONG important?
- Teams will experience a sense of real belonging and camaraderie when members believe they are working in a psychologically safe environment – a space where there is permission to openly communicate, where they are not afraid to say what’s not working in their areas of responsibility or in areas run by others who might be falling short
- In a belonging environment, open communications can transform situations and enable deeper connectivity between team members because individuals feel valued, trust each other, are more prepared to take risks, and share ideas without fear of being ridiculed or interrupted – it can be the foundation for more innovation and creativity
- Without this sense of belonging, team members are more likely to be disengaged, and will want to protect themselves from any political crossfire
- They will be more unlikely to fully listen to one another, and be more interested in getting their own point across, or will withdraw from the process if they are not being heard
- Individuals may also be driven by fear – fear of losing their job, fear of asking for help in case they are ridiculed, fear of being “found out” – recipes for talent churn as people look for ways to leave
Why is BREAKTHROUGH important?
- There will be times when team members face personal challenges, set-backs, perceived limitations, or may display negative behaviours
- Individuals in highly motivated thriving teams recognise and accept from time to time they will hit barriers, but the culture will encourage constructive feedback, and healthy conflict which they will perceive as a positive force for change
- Team members will be more attuned and sensitive to what colleagues are experiencing, and will recognise that “clearing the air” can lead to new insights which in turn will lead to an even more deeply connected, supportive team.
- Team members take responsibility for setbacks, and their part in any mistakes made. They will also have more clarity on how to fix problems they face as a team, because they will be more collaborative, and willing to engage in healthy conflict
- Teams with no processes in place for constructive feedback or healthy conflict, are more likely to operate in a “blame and gossip culture” where individuals are not prepared to take issues directly to the source, and are more likely to be disengaged and withdrawn
Why is SUSTAIN important?
- In times of business change, and uncertainty, toxic cultures can gain ground quickly as individuals start looking out for themselves more or start blaming others for problems.
- How a team faces up to adversity will be determined by how team members respond individually and collectively to each other, and how they can support each other to sustain team performance and alignment of purpose, core values, and goals
- Team leaders of motivated thriving teams will have prepared for these challenges with mechanisms in place like health checks, super charge protocols, and agreed norms to support them re-generate the team to better handle change.
- Without these protocols and mechanisms, it may be more difficult to sustain a thriving environment, drive more creative thinking, retain top talent, and reduce absenteeism,
