How can you apply team motivation theories to your career development plan?

1 Maslow's hierarchy of needs

One of the most well-known team motivation theories is Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which suggests that people have five levels of needs that must be satisfied in order to reach their full potential. These are physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs. As a career-oriented professional, you can use this theory to identify your own needs and prioritize them accordingly. For example, if you are looking for a new job, you might focus on finding one that meets your physiological and safety needs first, such as salary, benefits, and security. Then, you can look for opportunities that fulfill your social and esteem needs, such as recognition, feedback, and collaboration. Finally, you can pursue your self-actualization needs, such as creativity, learning, and growth.

2 Herzberg's two-factor theory

Another influential team motivation theory is Herzberg's two-factor theory, which distinguishes between two types of factors that affect people's motivation: hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors are the basic conditions that prevent dissatisfaction, such as salary, working environment, and policies. Motivators are the aspects that increase satisfaction, such as achievement, responsibility, and advancement. As a career-driven professional, you can use this theory to evaluate your current job and identify areas of improvement. For example, if you are dissatisfied with your job, you might look for ways to improve the hygiene factors, such as negotiating a raise, requesting more autonomy, or changing your work schedule. If you are satisfied with your job, you might look for ways to enhance the motivators, such as taking on more challenging tasks, seeking more feedback, or applying for a promotion.

3 Hackman and Oldham's job characteristics model

A more recent team motivation theory is Hackman and Oldham's job characteristics model, which proposes that five core job characteristics influence people's motivation, performance, and satisfaction. These are skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. According to this model, the more these characteristics are present in a job, the more likely people are to experience three psychological states: experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results. These states, in turn, lead to positive outcomes, such as motivation, performance, and satisfaction. As a career-minded professional, you can use this model to design your own job and make it more motivating and rewarding. For example, if you want to increase your skill variety, you might seek opportunities to learn new skills or work on different projects. If you want to increase your task identity, you might try to complete a whole piece of work from start to finish. If you want to increase your task significance, you might think about how your work contributes to the organization's goals or the society's needs.

4 Tuckman's stages of group development

A team motivation theory that is especially relevant for professionals who work in teams or lead teams is Tuckman's stages of group development, which describes the four phases that teams go through as they form, storm, norm, and perform. Forming is the stage where team members get to know each other and establish roles and expectations. Storming is the stage where team members experience conflicts and disagreements over goals and methods. Norming is the stage where team members resolve their differences and develop norms and rules for working together. Performing is the stage where team members work efficiently and effectively towards their common objectives. As a career-oriented professional, you can use this theory to understand and manage your own team dynamics and performance. For example, if you are in the forming stage, you might focus on building trust and rapport with your team members and clarifying your team's purpose and goals. If you are in the storming stage, you might focus on resolving conflicts constructively and embracing diversity and feedback. If you are in the norming stage, you might focus on reinforcing positive behaviors and values and fostering collaboration and communication. If you are in the performing stage, you might focus on celebrating achievements and supporting continuous improvement and innovation.

5 Locke and Latham's goal-setting theory

A team motivation theory that is widely used and supported by research is Locke and Latham's goal-setting theory, which states that specific, challenging, and attainable goals lead to higher motivation and performance than vague, easy, or unrealistic goals. The theory also suggests that feedback, commitment, and task complexity are important factors that influence the effectiveness of goal-setting. As a career-focused professional, you can use this theory to set and achieve your own career goals and help your team members do the same. For example, if you want to advance your career, you might set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) that align with your values, interests, and skills. You might also seek regular feedback from your managers, mentors, or peers to monitor your progress and adjust your actions if needed. You might also demonstrate your commitment to your goals by creating a plan, taking action, and overcoming obstacles. You might also consider the complexity of your goals and break them down into smaller and more manageable sub-goals if necessary.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?