Team Motivation

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Business, Management
Year 1
Team Motivation
Hi,
Let's read the article by Grazier first (attached below for easy referencing), and then apply two principles to the Tylenol crisis, and relate them to effective management principles.
I. Grazier has identified six key ingredients that must be present to create highly motivated teams. Read his article entitled Team Motivation.
They are:
• Purpose
• Challenge
• Camaraderie
• Responsibility
• Growth
• Leadership

Response addressing the following issues:

1. Select two principles found in the Grazier article, and discuss whether or not they were employed by Tylenol, when this crisis occurred. Then discuss your opinion of how they reflect good concepts for effective management.

2. Describe some specific techniques used by Tylenol that helped to diffuse the crisis. Explain how these techniques are consistent with the principles you selected.

*Please cite any references used.
Teambuilding Inc_ Article - Team Motivation.htm View File (attached below)
TYLENOL.htm View File

Bid Credits: 3 Deadline: October 28, 2006, 7:45 pm EDT

Please read the article below:
Article: Team Motivation
By Peter Grazier
Motivation. We hear the term often. Generally we associate the word with human behavior, meaning, a state of mind that moves us to action. And even though few of us have had formal training in it, it's one of those characteristics of life that seems to fit the old adage, "I know it when I see it." For most of my years working in the field of workplace collaboration, this word has held a place of stature and importance, because it has been, perhaps, the most significant outcome of worker involvement. As the collaboration trend, and more specifically, the use of employee teams continues to grow, one question that is taking on greater importance is how to keep the team motivated over the long haul.
What are the ingredients or characteristics of teams that seem to sustain high levels of motivation?
I posed this question to a group of people recently and found that it tapped into some deeply held beliefs about what makes us do what we do. So for those of you working with teams, here are some thoughts that might help:
What Makes Us Do Anything?
Probably the first question to be answered in a discussion of motivation is "What makes us do anything?" Why am I writing this article? Why are you reading it? Why did you get out of bed today and go to work? Why did you join that volunteer organization last month? Why did you drop out of the other one? Each day brings with it an endless list of decisions to be made. The process of making those decisions is driven, in large part, by the hope of a benefit or the fear of a consequence. For example, I truly enjoy coffee and donuts from Dunkin' Donuts. I pay them money for the benefit of enjoying the taste and filling a void in my stomach. However, I limit my intake of these donuts for fear of the consequences of too much sugar and fat in my diet.
Literally, every decision we make is filtered through this process. The industrial psychologists have taken this further by defining these consequences as needs. Our needs for sustenance, safety, security, belonging, recognition, and a sense of growth and achievement become strong drivers (motivators) of behavior.
The subject of motivation is, at once, simple and complex. Simple, in that it explains much of what we see happening in human behavior, yet complex when it poses contradictions.
For example, the need to nourish ourselves is strong, and hunger will drive us to extreme actions, particularly in the case of extreme hunger. However, how does one explain a hunger strike? How can you explain the actions of someone who has died because they chose not to eat? The psychologists will say that a higher level need took over....perhaps the need to make a point about an issue that, to the person, was larger than life itself.
So as we attempt to understand motivation, we need to appreciate the subtleties that exist in human behavior, and focus our attention on general principles of motivation that have wider application. At least if we can understand some of these principles, we might be better prepared to lead or facilitate a long-term, highly motivating team experience.
Why Be Part Of A Team?
You've been asked to participate on a team to accomplish some task. Immediately your decision-making process begins.
What is the purpose of the team?
Is it a topic that interests me?
Who will be on the team with me?
What kind of authority will we have?
Is it important to management?
What is the reward for participating?
What is the risk (perceived as punishment) for not participating?
How long will it run?
Will I be better off as a result of my participation?
These are some of the questions we ask ourselves when faced with an invitation to participate in some kind of team. Are they typical questions?...of course. Do they relate to our motivation to participate?... certainly.
Sometimes, however, we are not given the opportunity to refuse ...