My grandfather, Alfred Wayne Maddox, who served in the Navy
for 6 years, including 2 years of service on the U.S. Naval vessel Shangri La, instilled
in me that effective leaders provide purpose, motivation, and direction. As a
teacher and a basketball coach, I have seen the value of creating a motivational
environment to optimize performance and well-being. Whether it’s for a team or
a unit, well-being, resilience, and performance can be improved through
enhanced leadership that supports autonomy, fosters
belonging, and encourages
competency.
Some big-name athletic coaches and leaders preach things like,
“You’re responsible for bringing your own energy, for motivating yourself, for
bringing the juice.” And in a few high-level, high-functioning team settings
with a longstanding tradition, culture, or members, this might be
possible.
But what happens when teams don’t bring their own energy or motivation?
If leaders are responsible both for the people they lead and for accomplishing the
task at hand, they are also responsible for the motivation it will take to get
there. Motivation doesn’t have to sound like yelling louder or look like pushing
harder, but when done in a more meaningful way, it can improve an individual’s
well-being and the performance of the team as a whole.
When leaders apply Self-Determination Theory (introduced by psychologists Edward Deci and
Richard Ryan), they work to create and foster a climate that
motivates and addresses the basic psychological needs of its members: autonomy,
a sense of belonging, and competency. Before setting out on this journey toward
better health and better results, however, it’s important to consider
the strengths and needs of your team. What are your unit’s greatest strengths
and capabilities? How can you best cultivate these
strengths? What is a key issue that your unit must address to increase
motivation and goal achievement? What holds you back? Consider these important
questions as you plan and evaluate the journey towards a motivational environment.
Address your unit’s basic psychological needs
Self-Determination Theory holds that people are inherently
wired to improve and achieve goals. This drive is supported, or thwarted, based
on a person's perceived fulfillment of the 3 basic psychological needs:
autonomy, belonging, and competence. These are the basic elements needed for
team members to pursue and achieve goals. Leaders can address and nurture these
needs to help move individuals toward a more intrinsic source of motivation—one
in which team members engage in an activity for satisfaction derived from the
activity itself. This type of motivation can withstand adversity and continue
efforts despite changes that might occur due to shifting goals or
circumstances. Here are 3 ways to address those basic needs.
1. Support autonomy
The first basic need is the sense of autonomy. or the
independence and freedom to self-govern when it comes to performance or
achievement, particularly in the context of a team setting. Autonomy is evident
when a person acts with decision and willingness. Their voice is heard and
valued within the context of the team.
To allow for autonomy,
leaders can acknowledge their team members’ thoughts and feelings and encourage
choice, self-initiation, and regulation of behavior. This minimizes pressure
and the demands to control others. Leaders demonstrate their support for
independent behaviors by:
- Providing choices
- Offering reasoning for decisions
- Acknowledging a team member’s thoughts, feelings, or opinions
- Supporting and encouraging the learning process
2. Foster belonging
The second basic psychological need leaders should work to
satisfy—to increase intrinsic or autonomous motivation, according to Self-Determination
Theory—is a sense of belonging. This is the most accessible need, and it’s easy
to spot as a leader, identifying both the need for, and experience of, team
cohesion.
Leaders who support team relatedness can be characterized by
sincere respect, unconditional acceptance, and genuine care for team members.
Leaders don’t just look at what each individual can do for the team, but
who they are. Leaders foster a sense of belonging for team members by:
- Building high-quality relationships
- Building trust between the leader and team members as well as among team members
- Being available for conversations, questions, and assistance
- Being present and caring when things go wrong
3. Encourage competency
The third way for team members to experience an increased
sense of well-being and improve their performance is for a leader to satisfy
the need to see how their behaviors are effective. In order to achieve this,
leaders can offer opportunities to complete a task with a high degree of
success and give specific feedback to boost a team member’s confidence and help
them improve. Encouraging feelings of competence is a multi-faceted endeavor in
which leaders need to consider goal setting, the nature of their feedback, optimism,
and coping strategies. To encourage these feelings of confidence and ability,
leaders can:
- Provide clear feedback in regards to performance using effective praise
- Express confidence
- Outline clear and consistent guidelines for team members
- Ensure that goals are appropriate
Leaders who consider the needs of their team open the door to
greater well-being and better performance, increased skill, and the motivation needed
to successfully complete tasks. Working toward a motivational environment with
these needs in mind is an effective way to encourage a team that can overcome adversity
and will grow in pursuit of increasingly difficult goals.
To learn more, read HPRC’s articles on 3
strategies to build motivation and how
you can create good habits to achieve your goals even when
motivation runs low.
About the Author
* The opinions and
assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the
official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are
the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions,
or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military
Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, individuals, or
organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has
no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
