You and your executive team have been working hard—too hard—the last several months and you’ve been together a while. There’s no drama, internal or external, and performance metrics are on track. You’re beginning to wonder whether this is a good thing or will complacency set in? So, you’re looking for ways to recognize and/or re-ignite your executive team. Here are 3 suggestions that usually do the trick:

1. Re-connect to the purpose of your work together. Ask the team why they are together in the first place? What is the greater good that comes out of the mission of the organization and this team?
2. Find a new challenge and master it.  What “small win” can be gained in a relatively short period of time? What new (and short term) team goal will make a difference to the team or to employees?
3. Grant some autonomy, allowing for creativity.  Provide your team a free afternoon (or perhaps a free 24 hour period) of time to think about a work challenge and find some new solutions.  They can work alone or with other members of the team.  They can do anything and the only requirement is that they report on what they thought about or did at the next meeting.

Why these three things?  In Daniel Pink’s YouTube video, The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us it is precisely these things (meaning/purpose, challenge/mastery and autonomy) that provide the most leverage for individuals to excel and succeed.  More than rewards, more than recognition, it’s the opportunity for individuals to find a purpose greater than themselves, learn something new that leads to a sense of mastery, and allow a period of freedom from the day to day that leads to some of the best individual results.  It is not carrots (e.g. raises and bonuses) or sticks (e.g., a negative performance assessment) which increase motivation.  As CEO, it is your job to use whatever leverage you have to inspire and lead your executive team to align and execute, and do it over and over.  This requires taking the time and having the discipline to take your team away from the day to day routines periodically, let them check in with themselves about what they are accomplishing and why and how they are doing it.

Your executive team deserves a break today, a break that will be sure to re-ignite and re-energize each individual, provide team alignment and ensure success. If you need help getting your team re-energized and re-motivated give The Bailey Group a call today at 763-545-5997.