Point out others’ contributions

For the past two weeks, the 2-Minute Tip has discussed creating a culture of team results over personal results, including announcing group rewards, highlighting sacrifices for the good of the team, and taking personal responsibility when things don’t go well.

Today, we’ll discuss my favorite technique to build a team culture where individuals put the needs of the team ahead of their own needs (like promotions, bonuses, or their department budget).

It’s very simple.

Encourage your team members to point out the contributions and achievements of others as part of their day to day.

Maybe you already model this behavior but are struggling with getting your team to do it among themselves. Here’s an idea.

One CEO I know has a small plastic trophy. At her weekly executive team meeting, whoever has the trophy has to give it to someone else and explain what that person did to support the team.

Then the recipient gets to display it on their desk all week while thinking about who they will give it to next week.

The key here is that the trophy goes not to someone who did a great job, but to someone who put the team’s needs ahead of their own.

What I like best about this is the effect this has on the team – because the team is doing it for each other while reinforcing the desired behavior.