Team building and common interests

Reza Hossein Borr

You can only succeed in building a team when you can bring the contrasting interests and turn them into common achievable interests. If the members of a potential team find out that their interests will not be achieved when the mission is accomplished, they will not give sufficient input into the functioning of the team. It is even likely that they may obstruct the smooth functioning of the team as well. It must be mentioned that the preservation of interests becomes more important than collective achievement if the collective achievement does not guarantee the preservation of individual interests.

When few people are chosen to work as team to accomplish a mission, the question of the individual interests must be somehow addressed before they begin working as the team. They must be assured that their interests will be understood and recognized by the leader and appropriately rewarded after achieving the task. Nobody would be engaged in any kind of activity without knowing that his fair share in action would be acknowledged and recognized. When few people work in an organization it may be considered that the salary they receive at the end would be considered as the reward. This is an illusion. In addition to salary, people need specific rewards for achieving specific objectives. The rewards maybe the recognition of their endeavours or some financial gift.

Nobody knows exactly what kind of rewards and interests each individual may request. The best way is to talk to them individually and discover what kind of reward motivates them to go for the collective achievement. Individual achievements are usually recognized. The collective achievements are not recognized in the way that members of a team feel satisfaction. The art of finding what kind of reward satisfies each individual is the responsibility of the team builder. The team builder can achieve this goal by asking a series of questions about how the achievement of the task collectively can satisfy that individual need. What may motivate one person may not motivate another person.

Recognition of individual interests is the most important step in facilitating team functioning. Once I was talking to a client. Whenever my statement about an issue was raised, he asked me this question, "what is there in it for me?" I tried to define the issue from various aspects, but each time he asked me the same question, "What is there in it for me?" This was the first time that my attention was drawn to focus on the interests of other people when it comes to any kind of negotiations with them. If there is something in what we do for them they will participate. If there is nothing indeed for them, whatever we do and say, will not affect them.

If we want the cooperation of others in achieving something we have to make clear for them what will be their reward.

Reza Hossein Borr is an NLP Master Trainer and a leadership consultant and the creator of 150 CDs and 14 Change management models. He is also the author of Manual Success, Manual of Coaching and Mentoring, Motivational Stories that Can Change Your Life, and a New Vision for the Islamic World. He can be contacted by email: sarawani@aol.com www.rezaaa.com