With one person carrying the workload of two or three positions on average these days, how motivated and self-directed are you and your  team members?  This demanding work environment can have a negative effect on employee motivation, commitment and performance.  To fulfill today's productivity demands, the organization's climate must support and show appreciation for the efforts of employees at all levels.  People are usually willing to go the extra mile when they feel appreciated and valued.  Without this intangible reward, morale will deteriorate; consequently, productivity and quality will decline.

Is Your Team Environment Healthy?

A high-performance team is an empowered, productive team.  The below questions reflect on what it takes to have a healthy team environment.  Take notice to the questions that you responded "no".  These are the gaps that are affecting your optimal team potential.  Go ahead and celebrate your "yes's"!

1. Does our team have defined expectations and roles?     

2. Are team members held accountable for not performing expectations?  

 
3. Is information communicated between cross-function teams?      

4. Do team members give credit where credit is due?     

5. Do team members go to the source to resolve their own conflicts?    

6. Do team members stay out of the gossip circuit?     

7. Do we value different team member's personalities and work styles?    

8. Do we hold brainstorming meetings to resolve issues?    

9. Does our team enjoy working together?  Do we celebrate successes? 

10. How would other internal and external team members respond to these questions?

If you want to produce motivated and self-directed teams, the above best practices need addressed. This anonymous quote says it best, "Initiative is an attribute to be sought after.  The person who can think ahead and do what he or she sees needs to be done is an asset to the employer, saving him or her time, stress, and probably money."