Skills-motivation Matrix

Effective team leaders understand that the way they manage the team and individual team members is strongly influenced by the degree to which team members are skilled and motivated (figure above). In some instances, team members may not have the necessary skills or may not be properly motivated to work on the team. When team members are neither skilled nor motivated, team leaders may be wise to drop them from the team because the challenge of building their skills and motivating them is simply too daunting. When team members are skilled but not motivated, the team leader’s role is largely motivational one. WE have found that empowering skilled team members with greater responsibility for team tasks and performance can be an effective way to increase a team member’s commitment to the team and its goals. Naturally, it is preferable if team members are intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated. In fact, when selecting someone for the team, try to determine to what extent the person has a passion and love for this kind of work and to what extent she or he is committed to the team goals. Finding people who are passionate about the work and internally committed to the organization’s goals can save team leaders headaches down the road. However, in some cases, it may be necessary and desirable to motivate through increased pay, rank, or other perks. The key, of course, is to understand what motivates the particular team member to give his or her best effort for the team.

Provide training and develop skills

Share power and responsibility

Low

Provide incentives and use motivational techniques

High

Low

Team Member’s Skills: Technical and Interpersonal

High

Drop from team