Instructions Put yourself in the position of an instructor. Develop a presentation that teaches the audience about high-performance teams and leading a global team. Answer the following questions: How

march/april 2021 25

Motivating high-performance teams

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Managers can help motivate employees through various methods and help them grow within an organization.

Employees can grow by means of communication, by taking on different roles, and by learning and

understanding their role within a team. Constructive criticism and team dynamics emphasize the strengths

and weaknesses teams can experience. Managers can link individual motivational methods to teams and

use performance management to inform employees and teams of the highlights of their performance and

the areas that could use improvement. They can learn the motivational drivers of employees and how to elicit

responses from employees when they give feedback. In this way, managers can motivate employees to work

together cohesively in teams to improve organizational success.

BY ERIC MOZ AND BRIAN H. KLEINER

26 Industrial Management

It is very

important for

managers to

understand

the link

between

motivation

and

performance

among their

employees.

Research shows that organizations

can achieve ongoing success by

having highly motivated employees.

Therefore, it is very important for

managers to understand the link

between motivation and perfor

mance among their employees. It

is just as important for managers

to know how to compensate their

employees properly for exceptional

performances. Managers should also

consider compensating employees in

various ways such as salary raises and

increased recognition.

Getting employees to work in teams

can be vital to success. For organiza

tional goals to be achieved, several

aspects of teamwork are indispensable

that leaders need to implement.

We will start by discussing motiva

tional theories and then continue

by discussing how teams can be

motivated to work together to help

organizations succeed.

Motivational theories

Many motivational theories created

by a variety of theorists discuss the

aspects of motivating people. The

first theory created by Victor H.

Vroom states that employees have

the belief that high levels of effort by

an individual or team lead to higher

performance levels. In turn, the

individual or team will then achieve

desired outcomes through higher

levels of effort and performance.

Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of

Needs” is another motivational theory

stating people need to fulfill five basic

needs, which include physiological,

safety, belongingness, self-esteem and

self-actualization needs. These needs

are ordered in a pyramid from most

basic to least basic. Thus, only lower

level needs can be met before meeting

higher level needs within the pyramid.

Another motivational theory is

Frederick Herzberg’s “Motivator-

Hygiene Theory,” which states that

two factors occur at the workplace.

First, employees tend to meet basic

expectations. Examples of employee

expectations include having good

relationships with co-workers,

satisfying compensation, effective

leadership from managers and a

comfortable environment in which to

work. Furthermore, employees’ expec

tations being met ultimately leads to

higher performance levels. In addition

to meeting basic needs, additional

motivational factors contribute to

higher performance. These include

employees being recognized for their

accomplishments and opportunities

for growth and advancement within

the organization.

An additional motivational theory

is David McClelland’s “Needs for

Achievement, Affiliation and Power.”

It defines achievement as people

having a strong desire to perform well;

affiliation as people having strong

interpersonal skills; and power as the

extent to which people desire control

or influence over others.

The “Equity Theory” by John Stacy

Adams, revolves around peoples’

perception of fairness based on their

inputs and outcomes that result from

their effort. People have the tendency

to compare their efforts with others.

People who feel that their effort is

underappreciated and are under

compensated will feel the situation

is unfair. However, if people feel that

their accomplishments are appreciated

then they will feel satisfied. Moreover,

a sense of accomplishment can make

people more motivated and perfor

mance levels can increase.

Ed Locke and Gary Latham created

the goal-setting theory that states

that employees need to be motivated

so that organizational goals can be

met. It is suggested the main reasons

for increased employee motivation

and performance is that goal accom

plishment is rewarding. Lastly, these

goals should be quantitative and

challenging. (“Motivation in Today’s

Workplace: The Link to Performance,”

HR Magazine

, 2010)

Highly motivated staff

There are several benefits that result

from having a highly motivated staff.

Highly motivated employees tend to

have fewer absences from work, deliver

higher levels of performance and work

harder when necessary. They also tend

to be more loyal to the organization,

resulting in lower staff turnover. Lastly,

highly motivated employees deliver

higher levels of customer service,

which results in higher customer

retention. Thus, there will be several

topics discussed describing ways in

which employees can become highly

motivated.

Team communication.

Commu

nication is a key part of succeeding

as a team. Managers who commu

nicate with team members clearly

and honestly can help them feel more

valued and part of the team. Managers

should let them know their input is

valued. Team members should be

given the opportunity to suggest their

own ideas during projects. As a result,

managers will welcome and value

each of these suggestions and will

determine which suggestions will be

implemented.

Furthermore, managers need

to communicate honestly. They

should let team members know the

immediate and long-term expectations

regarding team projects and keep the

team up to date regarding changes that

the organization makes. Managers

should also hold team meetings to

give members the opportunity to

raise questions or issues they may

have regarding projects and any other

general questions or issues within the

organization. Managers should also

hold one-on-one meetings to give

team members the opportunity to

discuss more personal and sensitive

topics.

Boosting team morale.

Team

morale and employee motivation

complement each other. When

managers boost morale, team

members will become more enthu

siastic and more committed to help

each other accomplish goals. There are

many other ways managers can boost

morale. First, they can encourage

team members to collaborate when

march/april 2021 27

Tasks that

are too

difficult can

lead to team

members

feeling

stressed and

demotivated.

working on various tasks and projects.

Secondly, managers can hold regular

team-building exercises to provide

members the opportunity to bond and

work together more efficiently and

effectively.

Thirdly, managers need to conduct

regular temperature checks to help

establish the mood of team members.

These include face-to-face meetings

between managers and team members

individually to provide insight into

team morale.

Lastly, managers should organize

social occasions among employees,

such as an occasional lunch and night

out each week. Doing so will allow

team members to spend time together

and to get to know each other away

from the working environment.

Team member growth.

Managers

helping team members to grow and

develop is another key component of

motivation. When managers provide

team members with opportunities

to grow, develop and use their skills

in new ways, they ensure motivation

levels remain high.

It is important for managers to

assign tasks that are appropriately

challenging but not too difficult to

accomplish. Tasks that are too difficult

can lead to team members feeling

stressed and demotivated. Therefore,

it is important for managers to spend

time with each person to figure out the

types of tasks, challenges and respon

sibilities each would like to develop.

There are several ways managers

can support these objectives. First,

they can set realistic, challenging and

achievable goals for team members

looking to develop their skills.

Managers can also motivate employees

by giving them more responsibilities

to improve their job enrichment.

Furthermore, managers must ensure

team members are not overworked

since this could lead to job dissatis

faction and lower morale. They should

give employees challenging and inter

esting tasks that are more enjoyable.

These tasks should be challenging

enough to match their skills and

allows employees to grow. Managers

following these guidelines are likely

to see long-term improvements in

attitude and performance.

Secondly, managers allowing team

members to take on different roles

28 Industrial Management

Managers

should review

progress

regularly with

their team

members

working on

long-term

projects.

can help them grow and boost team

morale. For example, managers can

allow each person to lead different

projects. As a result, they can signifi

cantly grow and develop skills they

may have not realized otherwise.

Thirdly, managers should step

into coach, mentor and train. Team

members learning and gaining

experience through managers can

improve team dynamics and allow

teams to be more organized.

Lastly, job rotation can help improve

employee motivation and lead to

organizational success. This rotation

involves creating a wider array of jobs

for employees in the workplace. A

job rotation system seeks to achieve

several different goals: Enable

employees to learn their own interests

and identify their own skills; allow

employees to learn several aspects of

how the organization functions in a

shorter period; and allow employees to

learn and immerse themselves within

the different cultures of the organi

zation.

Job rotation also looks to place

employees in foreign environments

(other countries) to help them under

stand different customs and cultures.

Additionally, organizations use job

rotation to reduce stress and increase

productivity. These goals prepare

employees to become future managers.

Ultimately, each of these topics are

relevant to employee growth, which

can improve team dynamics.

Employees understanding their

role within a team.

Managers need

to realize it is important for employees

to understand their role on a team.

According to Helena Mann, opera

tions manager at Crunch Accounting,

an online accountancy service, a

team management’s success involves

identifying the needs of individuals.

Once managers have identified the

needs of individuals, then managers

can form teams with people who

have complementary personalities.

Managers must continue to follow up

on their employees to ensure that team

dynamics are high. If team dynamics

are not going well, managers need

to follow up and reorganize team

members accordingly.

Mann states that her company

encourages teams to work together by

setting goals to accomplish. She also

states that all team members are given

a role in which each accomplishes a

monthly goal.

It is also important for managers

to be skillful in handling different

personalities. One skill they can

implement includes the ability to

empathize with employees. As a

result, team members can accomplish

and even exceed goals. This example

reflects the importance behind

managers setting goals for their

employees. (“How To Motivate Your

Team,” Richard Pagett, 2015)

Praising success.

Managers should

focus on praising and celebrating team

members’ success. This is one of the

most effective ways to inspire team

members to continue performing well.

Those who offer praise each day by

saying “Thank you” or “Good work”

can boost motivation. Additionally,

team members will feel reassured that

their efforts have been noticed by their

manager, which can boost morale.

However, managers need to follow

certain guidelines when praising and

celebrating success. First, they need

to be specific and let people know

why they are being praised. Managers

who point out specific aspects of

performance from team members that

are exceptional is ideal. Ultimately,

team members will know exactly the

areas of performance in which they

perform well, and which could use

improvement. It is a great way for

managers to keep team members

informed.

Furthermore, managers should

review progress regularly with their

team members working on long-term

projects. By recognizing progress and

success on the project, they will help

make team members feel satisfaction

and boost morale. In addition, it is

important for managers to recognize

long-term accomplishments. This

can leave team members feeling

very satisfied and very fulfilled with

their accomplishments within the

workplace.

Furthermore, managers should let

the entire organization know about

the team’s success. Managers can

make announcements at management

meetings, on the company website

or write an article in a company

newsletter. Letting an entire organi

zation know about such success can

motivate and boost morale among

other teams. Lastly, managers should

also consider rewarding the team and

individuals based on outstanding

performances.

How to deliver constructive

criticism

Constructive criticism can help

managers build teams that work well

together and display team morale.

Whether the feedback is positive or

negative, there are several elements

to implement. Feedback should be

specific, timely and consistent. It is

more ideal for constructive criticism

to be made in an individual setting

to avoid anyone feeling singled out,

which can lead to destructive criticism.

Managers should also ensure

meetings with employees do not

catch them off guard and be sure they

are not personal. They should give

employees ideas to help them make

improvements. Managers should also

encourage employees to converse with

them so they understand each other,

what they are doing well and ways to

improve.

Managers should also focus on

consequences that arise from lower

performance levels. There are times

when negative feedback is necessary

to avoid negative consequences.

Managers need to converse with

employees privately to avoid embar

rassment, express their intent to help

and explain concerns they have. They

also need to show their commitment

to helping employees improve.

However, managers should emphasize

the positive feedback to show praise

march/april 2021 29

Follow-up

feedback will

help establish

accountability

as employees

will need

to show

improvement.

and encourage teams. Additionally,

focusing on the positive will help each

employee understand how they are

doing and where improvements could

be made.

Managers should follow up and

provide feedback to employees and

teams accordingly. Follow-up feedback

will help establish accountability

as employees will need to show

improvement. Managers should first

let employees implement suggested

improvements and afterward give

appropriate follow-up feedback.

Managers should recognize employee

achievements to improve encour

agement.

Lastly, managers should let

employees know whether they are

on the right track and whether any

areas of work still need improvement.

(“Giving Constructive Feedback Is the

Key to Building a Team. Here Are 5

Steps To Get It Right,” Unito Team)

As discussed, managers are

advised to give positive feedback and

constructive criticism. However, it

is also very important to encourage

employees to provide feedback in

return, when necessary. Ultimately,

employees are the ones who know who

is contributing to the team and who

is not. This is vital information for

managers and is the reason feedback

from employees is encouraged.

Managers can then continue to praise

success of team members who have

been pulling their weight and criticize

those who need to perform better.

(“Motivation in Today’s Workplace:

The Link to Performance,” 2010)

Motivational drivers

Managers must identify individual

drivers to improve motivation. There

are a number of theories that discuss

the relationship between motivation

and performance. McClelland

researched this particular relationship

and came up with the “Three Needs

Theory” that suggests people are

guided by a mixture of factors that

include achievement, power and

affiliation. Achievement consists of

a sense of doing a job well and being

recognized for it. Power involves

having control over one’s actions.

Furthermore, power involves having

influence over others’ actions and

outputs. Affiliation involves feeling

part of a team and having a social

connection with colleagues.

Researchers have found certain

things will motivate a person to a

certain extent while others require

additional effort. Thus, a work

environment that consists of a wide

range of motivators that can result

in improved and sustained perfor

mances. Some motivators that can be

implemented include opportunities

for job enjoyment and achievement

by giving employees the freedom to

work in the way they like, known as

Tips to rise above COVID-19

Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (

hbswk.hbs.edu

) offers these tips to help managers

lead their businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Guide your team to create new norms, protocols and purpose. Leaders should hold a “working

from home” relaunch to revisit their shared purpose, reassess resources, understand members’

constraints and re-establish norms.

• Use COVID-19 as a time to reflect. Make time for introspection and personal growth.

• Attend to your own physical and mental health. Leaders need to model self-care for their teams.

• Cultivate the seven “C” attributes shared by effective leaders: Calm, confidence, communication,

collaboration, community, compassion and cash.

• Small talk works big wonders. Create opportunities for informal conversations.

• Learn from what other managers are doing successfully. Businesses try to learn from noisy signals

and quickly adapt their activities to newly emerging information.

• Confront unknown unknowns in your strategic planning. Effective leaders promote mindsets that

overcomes volatility by planning and embracing agility.

• Protect the core business and pivot to new opportunities. Consider leveraging cross-functional

teams, employing creative exercises, adjusting expectations and deliverables, supporting an agile

enterprise and generating customer insights.

• Tailor your brand stories to the new reality.

• Reward your loyals.

• Use technology to scale your organization to current conditions. Use this as an opportunity to

experiment where technology can deliver service or enable more flexible work arrangements.

• Expand your information sources.

• New employees need rapid connections to key people.

• Shorten selling cycles.

• Determine if COVID complications affect career development in your organization. In particular,

address the concern COVID-19 is taking an unexpected career toll, particularly on women.

30 Industrial Management

For Grateful and

Great Engineers,

Support IISE

Donate to the IISE Scholarship Fund

The IISE Scholarship Fund helps tomorrow’s

research fellows and workforce today, recognizing

industrial and systems engineering students’

academic excellence and campus leadership. Last

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Visit

www.iise.org/PlannedGiving

make a

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The next generation of ISE superstars will

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The scholarship

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appreciated financial relief

and for allowing me to continue my doctoral

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for vehicle routing and defense-related

applications. I am grateful to IISE for their

recognition and support so that I can further

my interest in supplying decision-makers

with quantitative support for complex,

real-world applications.

- 2020-21 Gilbreth Memorial Fellowship

Joshua T. Margolis, Ph.D. candidate, Clemson University

Managers

need to

be sure

employees

in teams are

competitive

but not too

competitive

with one

another.

autonomy. Additional motivators that

can be implemented include opportu

nities for promotion; improved status/

power; letting employees take on more

responsibility; allowing employees to

build a strong affiliation with their

colleagues; and managers recognizing

employees’ performance and contri

bution.

The last group of motivators

managers can implement includes

rewarding money or materials

goods, giving employees flexible

work schedules and allowing them

to achieve personal and professional

growth. Thus, managers must realize

that everyone has different drivers

that motivate them. As a result, they

need to come up with different ways to

motivate each individual. Therefore, it

is very important for managers to have

conversations with each team member

to understand what motivates each

person.

Managers should communicate

with their employees through perfor

mance management. Managing

performance consists of setting expec

tations. Managers should commu

nicate with employees to set goals

that are SMART: specific, measurable,

attainable, realistic and time-based.

Ultimately, managers will have more

success if they create goals that are

realistic. They should also be sure

to place emphasis and importance

on these goals and expectations for

employees to view them as important.

Managers need to continually

update employees through perfor

mance appraisals. The theory of such

appraisals states that motivating

individuals can ultimately lead to

accomplishing goals. However, some

theorists, including Peter Drucker,

dismiss this theory. Some dismiss

this performance appraisal theory

because it involves employees

competing with one another in teams

at the businesses’ expense. Therefore,

managers need to be sure employees

in teams are competitive but not too

competitive with one another. Perfor

mance appraisals will let employees

know the progress that they have

made.

Additionally, managers should

discuss any issues to resolve them and

improve morale.

Managers who regularly update

employees on performance before

appraisals will make employees feel

supported. Furthermore, managers

need to inform each employee of

the goals set by the organization.

Managers should discuss the progress

made with each person regarding their

performance and their contribution

toward these goals (Wayne Deming,

2018).

Ultimately, motivating team

members is an important aspect

to succeeding as a manager and a

role that requires a lot of attention.

Managers need to be observant in how

well their team members perform and

get to know their team members better

through conversations. As a result,

managers can properly motivate each

team member to accomplish goals in

the organization.

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