Cheering for Your Team

By Ray Pelletier

At a Sunday afternoon pro football game, the stands are filled with enthusiastic fans cheering on their favorite team. They wake up Monday morning with scratchy throats and hoarse voices, still replaying their favorite moments in their minds.

Consider how much more successful a business would be if its teammates were as enthusiastic as those football fans. Unfortunately, sports enthusiasts probably invest ten times more energy into cheering on their favorite athletes than they do encouraging their co-workers and their company.

The enthusiasm of a crowd creates an energy and momentum that pushes a team forward. It works the same way in a business. Fill your ranks with teammates who are excited and positive and you'll have a winning business. When workers spend their time with fellow teammates who love what they do, they can't help but spur each other on to do their best.

The challenge is that most teammates have difficulty showing enthusiasm for their company because they've never tried it. So set a positive example and show your team that it's okay to be proud of where they work and what they do. Be a coach; encourage your team to bring their enthusiasm to the surface.

Here are some tips to help your team members cheer on the home team and drive your company to win the championship:

1. Create a positive physical environment

Working in a supportive physical environment creates a foundation for greater motivation. Try posting motivational signage that reinforces who your company is and what you do. Encourage teammates to put up family pictures on their office walls or cubicles. Also let them put up pictures of items that inspire them or lists of goals they want to attain. Insist that they use a positive and motivating screen saver. Encourage your teammates to listen to tapes or read great business books. You could even purchase a few and start a lending library. The investment will be worth it. Give your teammates the tools they need to develop the winner's edge.

2. Celebrate winning

Winning breeds enthusiasm. Just as in sports, where a team will cut nets down to celebrate a victory, corporate teams should celebrate victories too. Recognize your teammates. Let them know in advance that if they meet a department goal, they will be rewarded with a prize. Let them anticipate the victory. The celebration doesn't have to involve lavish office parties or expensive luncheons. Celebrate the small stuff too. Hold meetings where company leaders highlight the successes of the organization and acknowledge any teammates who have gone above and beyond. Make celebrations a regular part of your corporate culture.

3. Take pride in your company

Take a minute to list reasons why you are proud to work for your company. If you can't think of any, you may need to rethink your career choice. Why waste your life on something you can't believe in? Don't use the excuse of, "I've been with this company for 25 years. How can I walk away?" A lot of corporate employees asked themselves the same question before being handed their severance package. Do some soul searching and ask yourself if your product and company are something you really believe in. If not, start looking for something else that you can be enthusiastic about.

4. Praise your teammates

Write down the names of the people in your organization who could use some positive reinforcement of what a great job they are doing and how much they are appreciated. Just as an athletic coach cheers on their team, so does a great business leader. Keep in mind that it's often easier to appreciate and praise people most like yourself, and it's harder to do the same with people who work differently from you. Don't concentrate on how that person annoys you or is different from you. Recognize his or her contribution. Make a gratitude list. Write down why you're grateful they're on your team and in your life. What do they bring to the mix? Who are they? What makes them special? Then be sure to tell them. Sincere praise is a great motivator.

5. Care about your teammates and your customers

You can't be an inspiring leader if your heart is not in it. You need to care about every person you interact with in the course of a business day. Provide your teammates with the tools they need to do their jobs effectively and a work environment that shows you care. Often today, people lose a sense of caring for the company they work for. They may have low expectations, worrying that they may be downsized or right-sized or stuck in the same job forever, never receiving recognition for their accomplishments. In order to truly shine, people need to know they are valued. Always make the other person feel more important than you. Thank your teammates in a meaningful way. A tangible gift may help show that you care, but only if it's part of an ongoing process of appreciation. And it has to be sincere. If you're only caring in order to get something back, then shame on you.

6. Wear your logo

Today, people spend an incredible amount of money on team jerseys, sweaters, NASCAR jackets, etc. People pay a lot of extra money to display their brand name on a famous person's chest. Is your company missing a free advertising opportunity because you don't have your own people walking around in your company's logo wear? Logo wear continues to build your brand while at the same time reinforces the pride and enthusiasm within your company. Get polo shirts printed up with your company logo and hand them out to teammates.

7. Start loving your company

Don't be embarrassed to love your company. Look to today's sports coaches as role models. Coaches have a passion for the game, a passion for people and a passion for success. Coaches want to take what they know and share it with another individual to help that person achieve his or her full potential.

Business leaders need to have the same mindset. Working is not practice; your company is on the playing field and every moment counts. So love the game. Do your very best every single day at the position you are playing. Long-term advancement goals are fine, but don't lose sight of today's game.

By implementing these seven tips, the enthusiasm within your company will grow, creating a more dynamic work environment. Your team members will be happier, more productive and more supportive of each other. Your customers will pick up on their enthusiasm. And just maybe your teammates will start losing their voices after company meetings from cheering on their co-workers instead of their favorite sports teams.

Learn more about team development at these AMA seminars:

• Coaching and Counseling for Outstanding Job Performance
• Successfully Managing People
• How to Build a More Positive Work Environment
• Leadership and Team Development for Managerial Success
• Managerial and Team-Building Skills for Project Managers

AMA On-site: Every one of AMA's 170+ public seminars can be delivered on-site. This flexible, money-saving option allows you to train ten or more people, when and where you choose, at a low cost per participant.

Author Bio: Ray Pelletier, CSP, is the founder and president of The Pelletier Group and is the author of the best-selling book Permission to Win. Contact him at 1-800-662-4625 or info@raypelletier.com.