Inspiring Workplaces 
The Way Work Ought to Be!

#1,032 - July 31, 2024

From my gluten-free book, Small Moments, Big Outcomes, here are eight ideas to inspire and motivate the troops to cross the finish line on a team project.     

1. Leverage the "IKEA Effect," which suggests that when people invest time creating something at the very beginning, they are more invested in the final outcome, so involve everyone right at the start in a meaningful way.

2. Take the time to officially launch the project in a fun way, integrating the launch with a fun team building activity. Building trust and creating a psychologically safe environment for open and honest communication is critical and a well-planned team event can make a huge difference.

3. Decide on some fun awards that people can earn as the project proceeds: A Houdini Award for whichever team member magically made a big problem disappear or a Swiss Army Knife Award for the best multi-tasker.

4. Create a visible scorecard where everyone can easily see and track the progress and celebrate the small milestones along the way. 

5. If the project takes at least several months, then use the Wheel of Change framework to check in with everyone, once per month or once a quarter, with the four questions: What's one thing we need to learn to live with?; What's one thing we need to start doing?; What's one thing we need to keep doing?, and What's one thing we need to stop doing? 

6. Hold a halftime show. Okay, you don't have to invite J-Lo, but you should plan a fun celebration as close to midway through the project as possible to recognize how far you've come and to create some momentum to help propel you to the finish line.

7. Hold a “We are SO close we can smell it re-energizer” at about the 80 or 90% mark, recognizing this is often when momentum starts to flag.  

8. Finish with a bang! You absolutely have to plan how you are going to celebrate when you cross the finish line and recognize everyone for their hard work. There's no excuse not to celebrate the end of a big project in a fun, meaningful way. A Toronto ad agency created Guybrush Days in honor of the employee who suggested that after a major project is completed, employees should be allowed one day off to celebrate the end of the project.