Why One-on-One Motivation Is Important for Your Firm
When a colleague goes down, it can be painful for everybody close enough to experience it.
Gordon Haywood, the professional basketball star, is a good example. He suffered a horrific injury on the opening night of the season, and both teams, the crowd, and television viewers felt it.
It's an unavoidable fact of life and a lesson for team motivation: you have to take care of individuals first.
One-on-One
It takes a leader to motivate others, and a good boss will do it with compassion. It starts with looking after those who need it most.
If a co-worker is having trouble, that's the best time to help. Approach colleagues with respect, listen to them, and offer meaningful feedback.
Amy Larson, writing for Above the Law, says listening is key: "Listening does more than make employees feel valued; it's also the best way to find out what is actually going on in the firm."
By helping the individual, a leader can lift a law firm. That's because team-building is done one-on-one.
A Cohesive Team
Susan Heatherfiled, writing for the Balance, says that team-building is "the process of turning a group of individual employees into a cohesive team."
It doesn't require a conference or a class on how-to work together. It can be a group picnic, delivered pizza, or an office party. The list goes on here.
Whatever the method, the motivation comes from giving people individual attention. The "Employee of the Month" could become your next team leader.
Related Resources:
- 3 Ways to Earn Your Employees' Respect (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
- Are You Getting State Bar Referrals? (FindLaw's Strategist)
- What to Save When Your Office Is on Fire (FindLaw's Strategist)