HOW TO MOTIVATE TEAM IN CRISIS SITUATION

How to Motivate Team in crisis situation

Introduction -“All organizations are concerned with what should be done to achieve sustained high levels of performance through people.” (Armstrong, 2001, p.155) Motivation theory is one of the most important theories in Human Resource Management (HRM). It explains what organizations can do to encourage people to apply their efforts and abilities in ways that will further the achievement of the organization’s goals as well as satisfying their own needs (Armstrong, 2001, p. 155). There are a number of methods to motivate people such as rewards, punishments, actions to satisfy needs, psychological processes, etc. 

“A team is a collection of individuals who are interdependent in their tasks, who share responsibility for outcomes, who see themselves and who are seen by others as an intact social entity embedded in one or more larger social systems (for example, business unit or the corporation), and who manage their relationships across organizational boundaries.” (Cohen and Bailey, 1997, p. 241)  However, it was also found that people who work in teams sometimes lack of enthusiasm and sufficient cooperation. Sequentially, such a phenomenon might have a negative impact on a business and hold back an organization. Accordingly, it is necessary to find out some effective measures for solving such problems so as to take advantages of teamwork.

Benefits of Teamwork -Teamwork is the key to staff development (Beal, 2003). Teamwork can be smartest strategy for growth (Krotz, 2003). Teamwork can influence performance results and organizational objectives (Brown, 1995). Teamwork can improve social relations to overcome the sense of separation and low trust syndrome (Jin, 1993).  Teamwork can make people share the same goals and responsibilities for outcomes, namely, the common objective of an organization. Teamwork can also enhance effectiveness and productivity of a company, which would gain an organization more profit

Motivation Theory- According to Armstrong, a motive is a reason for doing something. Motivation is concerned with the factors that influence people to behave in certain ways. Motivation theory examines the process of motivation and explains why people at work behave in the way they do in terms of their efforts. It also describes how to encourage people to apply their efforts and abilities to achieve the organization’s goals as well as satisfy their own needs. (Armstrong, 2001, p. 155-156)

Teamwork in Crisis- Although significant benefits can be gained from teamwork, there might be some problems when companies face tough decisions and challenges. At a time of crisis, team-players may not want to face up to reality, which can lead to frustration, flat sales growth and lower profits (Ober, Yanowitz and Kantor, 1997).

                                               

How to keep the team motivated in this crisis situation/Sours:www.youtube.com

Be honest and open to maintain credibility. Approach the situation with empathy. Put yourself in your constituents’ shoes to understand their anxiety. You will sometimes get it right, and you will often get it wrong, but it is still better to be as transparent as you can.(Harward business review,2020)

Create a Team for Centralized Communication Decentralized communications is understandable and even desirable in large, complex organizations.

Communicate with Employees- Employees are your most important constituency and function as ambassadors to the community. If they aren’t informed and don’t understand what is going on, communications outside of the organization will be more difficult. The company needs to demystify the situation for employees, put everyone’s mind at ease, and provide hope for the future.

Studies have shown that leaders, in particular, have a special role reducing employee anxiety.  study of crisis communication after 9/11, many employees described how important it was to hear the voice of the leader, whether live or through email, phone messages, or social media. When the coronavirus crisis hit the Tuck School, the MBA program leadership team camped out in a central location to ease everyone’s anxiety and provide updates regularly.(Harward business review 2020) 

Reference

Armstrong, M. (2001). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Eighth Edition, Bath, The Bath Press. Beal, B. (2003). Teamwork – The Key to Staff Development. Career Development International, 8/5, pp. 235-240. Brown

Cohen, S.G., and Bailey, D.E. (1997). What Makes Teams Work: Group Effectiveness Research from the Shop Floor to the Executive Suite. Journal of Management, Vol.23, No. 3, pp. 239-290

Gordon, J. (1992). Work Teams: How Far Have They Come? Training, (October): 59-65

 

Jin, P. (1993). Work Motivation and Productivity in Voluntarily Formed Work Teams: A Field Study in China. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 54, pp. 133-155

 

Brown, D.I. (1995). Team-based Reward Plans. An International Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1

Krotz, J.L. (2003). Reward Your Employees for Teamwork in 2003. Marketing Intelligence

Arjent,PA,2020 Communicating through the corona virus crisis,Harward business review,P63