The single biggest mistake that management makes is failure to communicate. Your company doesn't have to be an open book to all employees, but sharing goals and intentions gives employees a sense that they are a part of a larger team working toward a specific purpose. In order to work as a team, people need to be treated as one. Start each project with a team conference to define and refine goals. Hold regular team meetings where team members can report progress and delays so that no one feels left out of the loop. Recognizing achievement is important to reinforcing the team feeling; an unexpected recognition can be very potent. If you want your staff to believe that they're a team and function as a team, then you have to treat them as a team - and yourself as an important member of it.

Patrick S. Frazier, CBC Five Star Performance, LLC Patrick.S.Frazier@comcast.net http://coachingauthority.net (574) 286-1123

Do you want a highly motivated team who doesn't take time off work, doesn't keep looking for other jobs, and makes a positive contribution to your business?

If the answer is "yes," then there are three steps you need to take with each member of your team.

Step 1 - Spend some quality time

I didn't say "quantity time" I said "quality time." One or two minutes of quality time on a regular basis are far more productive than a one hour review every year.

You need to get to know each member of your team better and each team member needs to get to know you.

This will help you build a positive relationship with each team member. You'll gain a much better understanding of the individuals on your team and how they're handling the job.

It will also give the impression that you care about the individual and show that you're there to help with problems both personal and business.

Spending quality time will encourage opinions and ideas to flow from individuals and allows you to explain the company's mission. It gives them a feeling of being in on things, which is a huge motivator.

It will also help you build an "early warning system" of any problems both business and personal. Finally, it builds team spirit and morale.

Step 2 - Give feedback and coach

You need to regularly tell each member of your team when they're doing well and when not so well. I read some recent research that suggested 65% of employees in the US received no recognition at work in the past year. My experience tells me that it's much the same throughout the world and much worse in some countries.

Some managers still believe - "Why should I praise people when they're only doing what they're paid to do." If you want a happy and motivated team then you need to tell them when they're doing well.

It's also important to tell people when they're not performing well. There are too many managers who either ignore poor behavior or come down on the person like a ton of bricks. There are particular ways to give feedback and coach.

Step 3 - Be a believer

We're now getting into the area of "Empowerment" which was first introduced in the 1980's and became a bit of a management buzzword. However, I believe that it's one of the most promising but least understood concepts in team motivation today.

I'm a fairly down to earth practical sort of person. I'm not big into motivation theories unless I can see the benefits for me - I see a great deal of benefit for managers and team leaders in Empowerment.

Empowerment is about utilizing the knowledge, skill, experience, and motivation power that's already within your people. The majority of people in teams and organizations throughout the world are severely underutilized. Your team has probably more to offer in terms of skill, knowledge, and experience.

Put this to the test right away - implement these steps, motivate your team, and achieve your business goals.