How to Increase Team Member Commitment for Successful Teams

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

The depth of the commitment of team members to work together effectively to accomplish the goals of the team is a critical factor in team success. The relationships team members develop out of this commitment are key in team building and team success.

You need to answer a series of questions to assess the commitment level of team members to work on a team.

• Team Choice: Do team members want to participate on the team? Do they perceive that they had a choice about working on a particular team?Tapping into an employee’s commitment is much easier if they are participating by choice. When possible, I recommend voluntary team participation. On all social teams and work teams that are ancillary to an employee’s core job, employees should choose to participate.

  Even participation on a mandatory team garners more commitment when the employees on the team are empowered to set direction, establish goals, and make choices.

• Work Is Mission Critical: Do team members believe the team mission is important? Are members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected outcomes?Team members want to feel as if they are part of something bigger than themselves. They need to understand where their team mission falls in the bigger organizational scheme, the overall leadership vision. Team commitment comes from team members knowing the expected outcomes and where the outcomes fit in the whole organization’s strategic plan.
• Team Members Feel Valued: Do team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers? A double win is accomplished if team members find themselves valued by the organization and also receiving ancillary benefits. These can include growing and developing their skills and career by participating on the team. Making new contacts and perhaps, finding new mentors who are committed to their growth is a plus, too.
• Challenge, Excitement and Opportunity: Are team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity? If so, the chances of their commitment to the process and the outcomes is magnified.
• Recognition: Does your organization have a track record of providing recognition for successful teams and their projects. Almost everyone likes some form of recognition. Make sure recognition is available at successful milestones, too.

Pay attention to these areas and to the additional recommendations in all of the components suggested for successful team building. The more you can foster the appropriate environment for team success, the better your teams will perform, and they will wallow less in dysfunctional behavior.