Motivation and the Art of Getting S*** Done

What Makes a High Performing Team?

At one of my first client engagements, we were under massive pressure and timelines to deliver on a new website implementation and content management system build out for a major nationwide organization. The days were long, the task was daunting, but somehow it was the most rewarding and exciting experience I have had in my career. A major aspect of this was our team mentality on getting shi* done. We worked with a large team in a closet of a conference room, and on the corner of a white board was in big letters - "GSD" (Get Shi* Done).

Reflecting on why that experience was so effective, there are a number of consistent themes that I think were critical to our success and are important to incorporate when building teams and aligning delivery programs.

Crystal Clear Goals and Outcomes

First, above all else we had incredibly clear goals. We knew what we needed to get done and by when, and we knew the team that we had to get it done. We embraced agility in delivery, but the ultimate goal was crystal clear.

Empowered Individuals

‍Our whole team was empowered to make decisions and speak to all people regardless of seniority. By allowing individuals to have a sense of autonomy and control over their work we more effectively made decisions that contributed to the success of the project. The ownership we felt gave our team a sense of empowerment and self motivation to get things done.

Incremental Delivery Successes

Throughout defining scope and delivering on our features, we focused on breaking down the project into incremental and achievable chunks that we could build on daily. By doing so, we got used to getting things done, and we were able to build rapport and support for our work because the organization saw results daily. That momentum creating a culture of achievement on our team.

Leadership Recognition

‍Leadership played a critical role in supporting our team by helping us on clarity and decision making, and also recognizing team members on a consistent basis. Our team was asked to showcase and was recognized for our achievements. Our main stakeholder and executive made an effort to be engaged and a part of the delivery process, acknowledging our contributions, providing constructive feedback, and offering appropriate rewards.

Meaningful Outcomes

Maybe this was To everyone involved, the work we did felt meaningful. We kept a focus on our customers and the impact this work would have on our different users. That helped us find meaning and fueled our motivation. Knowing that the work we were doing would be used by millions of users created a purpose greater than our individual desires. Not all projects have that kind of meaning, but we were able to build a deep care for the outcomes we were working on, and we wanted the project to succeed.

Continuous Learning Mindset

Between the challenges of the project and the skills of the people around me, the work helped me grow and expand my skills, knowledge, and capabilities. As I learned and solved new problems, I grew personally and professionally daily. Finding roles where I can continuously learn has been crucial to my happiness in a role.

Not every minute of the project lead to the "GSD" flow state and mentality, but when we were able to unlock that level of success, our motivation and commitment to our outcomes was paramount. When I think about the most joyful experiences I have had working, these themes are consistently present!

Reflection

Reflect on your current work initiatives or previous projects:

• How would you rank your team's success and motivation day in and day out? Why?
• What do you think contributes to your motivation at work?
• What has been detrimental to your motivation at work?

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