Team Motivation

Healthcare management (Discussion questions) How do you plan to develop and motivate your team? First student One common model of team engagement is Bruce Tuckman's famous delineation of team development called 'forming, norming, storming, and performing' (Chapman 2013) Tuckman believed that all teams go through several stages, gradually attaining independence from the leader, as they become more functional and eventually reach the goals they were originally created to fulfill. However, motivating a team, particularly during the initial, difficult stages of formation can be challenging.

It is essential to establish ground rules and goals to create a harmonious team composed of members that are respectful of one another. Ultimately, a team which works well together is the first, most important motivating factor. All of the rhetoric in the world will not create a functional team if this critical interpersonal foundation is not built. The leader must adjust his or her managerial style over the course of team development. During the first initial stages a more directive approach may be necessitated.

However, gradually the leader can delegate more as the members understand where their efforts fit into the larger puzzle of the project. "Team members look after each other. The team requires delegated tasks and projects from the leader. The team does not need to be instructed or assisted. Team members might ask for assistance from the leader with personal and interpersonal development" (Chapman 2013).

That sense of having an important goal and the need to put aside egotism and personal needs only comes when the leader is able to clearly communicate why the different phases of the project are essential. The leader should seek to bolster team confidence by celebrating each benchmark that is achieved. Reference Chapman, A. (2013). Bruce Tuckman forming norming storming performing model. Business Balls. Retrieved from: http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm Second student People are not motivated by pay alone.

Although pay might be the reason someone takes a job, after a certain point other, intrinsic motivators are needed to ensure that workers are willing to put in an effort. This is the underlying concept of the motivational theory of Theory X/Theory Y by Douglas McGregor.

McGregor stressed that there were two basic managerial styles, Theory X which used conventional carrots and sticks to reward employees and Theory Y managers which relied upon internal, intrinsic motivators such as inspiring employees to work for a cause or soliciting ideas from them. Theory Y managers believe that "the challenge for management with Theory Y workers is to create a working environment (or culture) where workers can show and develop their creativity" (Riley 2012).

To motivate people on a team, it is essential to give them something to care about beyond individual success. Establishing a team identity through ice-breaking activities; judging the efforts made by the team rather than by individuals; constantly soliciting input so the team members know that their opinions matter; and treating work like 'fun' rather than assuming workers are inherently lazy are all ways to use Theory Y motivational skills. References Riley, J. (2012). Motivation theory -- McGregor. Tutor2u.

Retrieved from: http://www.tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_mcgregor.asp Second student Another critical component of motivating a team goes into its composition. Teams should ideally be composed of meshing personality types and there should not be too much overlap in terms of critical.