Teams: Contributors and Those Seeking Validation.
As I read various discussion boards, I notice something not at all unusual. Some people repeat what has already been said--repeatedly.
Other people give evidence of not having read comments posted by others.
As with the Twitters and Emails to News People, some people just want to say something whether or not it is worth anything. Except, perhaps, for the therapeutic effect. Case in point: I blog because I can't sing and I'm not cute.
We learn to acknowledge what someone has said, provide some response to it, sometimes ask for amplification, and solicit comments from others. (Of course, I learned that when majoring in elementary education.)
Employees will find satisfaction for contributing something of value--as evidenced by others in the group responding to it as if it were valuable. This is different from positive reinforcement and other "techniques".
Employees who do not contribute something of value will not be satisfied. Team mates may say nice things, but the absence of value in the contribution will become evident.
One thing that may help is to have the challenging members of your virtual team track his or her own development, advancement, improvement to achieve a higher quality of input.
A second is to give the bright ones more challenging assignments; to tell them that it is a more challenging assignment; and letting them know that achievement is the issue. If they fail to pass muster, they must do a self evaluation, find the flaw in their contributions, and fix the problems so the quality of their contribution rises.
Ownership of a project too often causes its own set of problems. People tend to become territorial, possessive, defensive, and hyper-sensitive. Actually, that can be said better. Let me say instead, "people tend to become attached to the project. They may resist change due to that attachment." Much better.
Sometimes we can have brain-storming sessions, do the fish-bone thing, do consensus building, find a shared vision; however, other times it is necessary for a boss to implement a change--Quickly!--in order to get the project moving again. Despite what some people have to say about the last suggestion, That does have a powerful effect of energizing the whole team and the project. People still do like leaders.
[The Constitution declares the President of the United States to be the Commander-in-Chief of the US Military. It does not declare the President to be the Chairman of the Committee--in-Chief of the Military.
Regards,
Slim
PS. If you find anything here to be helpful, please don't hesitate to send me
a really tricked-out Mac Book and to tuck a few dollars into the envelope along
with the thank you note. Sincerely, Slim.
Bob Asken
Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072
slimfairview@yahoo.com
Copyright (c) 2011 Bob Asken
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