Analyzing Motivation Trends in Teams

After nearly 2 decades in elite sport, I’ve found a simple framework that helps me understand: • Team dynamics • Current culture • Performancd pressures It’s the foundation of the work I do with any organization. Here’s a breakdown of the framework and how you can use it: Team culture work goes in phases. 1. Observation. 2. Assessment. 3. Analysis. 4. Action. Now that you know the phases, here’s what I typically look for: Trust and Team Dynamics All of my consultation starts with network mapping. I want to know: • Who is a leader (formally or informally) • Where are there silos • Where is there successful integration This gives me a sense of how well the team is working together and gaps that might cause problems. Environment The environment is a huge factor in individual behavior. Here I’m looking for: • How is the space set up? • What policies are there? • How is the culture represented visually? These help me figure out how well the space promotes the behavior the team is after and what could make it more impactful. Motivational Climate Mindsets are made through feedback. The motivational climate determines how feedback is given. Do people: • Talk about individual or team success (or both)? • Have clarity on what’s rewarded? • Understand what isn’t welcomed? Answering these questions lets me determine the attitude coaches and athletes bring to the building. Performance Pressure Every team comes into the season with expectations. Those expectations influence how people show up and what success or failure looks like. I’m assessing for: • Competition-related pressure • Internal team dynamics (athletes and coaches) • External expectations (media or otherwise) This helps me grasp how the team will respond to failure and what they need to sustain success. Organizational Culture The last aspect is understanding leadership and “how things get done”. This includes: • Leadership styles and preferences • Decision-making processes • Role clarity • Team values • Standards and norms This aspect of the system is where I start my assessment. It helps explain the rest of the dynamics. These also represent some of the highest-leverage places to intervene. Once I’ve gathered this data, I make a plan and present to the leadership team. That plan includes 30, 60, and 90 day interventions, rank-ordered by what would be most impactful. If I only get one shot to make a difference, I do something that can demonstrate real value. Lastly, every consultant I know is asked how to measure success. Here are some metrics I use: Short-term: • Team engagement • Improved communication • Greater role clarity Long-term: • Trust in me and sport psych • Reduced conflict • Better performance This system has helped me build trust across pro teams and elite college programs. If you want to read more about it, drop me a comment below. If there’s enough interest, I’ll publish a full-length treatment in my newsletter.

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲? If I asked your team why they come to work every day— could you answer for each person? Because it’s not always money. Sometimes it’s: 💡 Time flexibility. 💡 Camaraderie and belonging. 💡 Career growth. 💡 Recognition. 💡 Stability. 💡 Or just wanting to do something they’re proud of. As leaders, we tend to assume their “why” matches ours. That’s where we get it wrong. If you don’t know what fuels each person, you can’t lead them effectively. Here’s how to fix that: 1️⃣ Ask early—and often. Don’t wait for the annual review. Ask in 1:1s: “What motivates you most right now?” “What does a great workday look like for you?” “What are you hoping this role helps you achieve?” 2️⃣ Listen without judgment. If someone says, “I’m here for the paycheck,” don’t dismiss it. That honesty tells you how to connect performance to tangible rewards. 3️⃣ Adapt your leadership approach. Motivated by growth? Offer stretch goals. Motivated by time? Provide flexibility and trust. Motivated by connection? Create team rituals or peer recognition. 4️⃣ Revisit motivations often. People evolve. So should your understanding of them. What drives a new hire may shift once they have kids, a house, or new goals. Leaders who understand why their team shows up don’t need to push them forward— they help them pull themselves forward. When you do, your position becomes more rewarding, and you can focus on why you are really here. 💬 What’s the most surprising motivation you’ve ever uncovered on your team? #LeadershipDevelopment #Motivation #EmployeeEngagement #TeamCulture #LeadingTheFront 🔔 Check out my profile --> Matt Antonucci for more ways to lead and motivate your team. 

We've got the relationship between motivation and team performance all wrong. Most of us grow up believing that motivation drives performance: “If you’re motivated enough, you’ll succeed.” But decades of research, starting with some of Marvin E. Shaw’s experiments with false feedback to more recent studies in Self-Determination Theory show that the relationship is often inverted. In one of Shaw’s classic experiments, teams were given false information about how well they were performing. The results were remarkable: >> Teams told they were doing well became more motivated and more cohesive even if they weren’t actually performing better. >> Teams told they were doing poorly lost motivation, even when their actual performance was good. The results impacted discretionary effort, satisfaction metrics and performance outcomes. The lesson? People draw motivation from their sense of competence. The belief that you have some skills and they matter to the task at hand comes from clear, credible evidence of progress. It does not come from internal willpower elicited from the magical leader. Self-Determination Theory tells us that competence is a fundamental psychological need. We thrive when we feel effective. Motivation and competence feed each other in a loop: We see progress → We feel competent → We get more motivated→ We get some recognition → We perform even better Leaders and teams who understand this can design work to make progress visible, to celebrate real wins (however small), and to build authentic belief in the team’s ability to succeed. And yes → sometimes this will look like hope. Want to boost motivation? Don’t just tell people to “try harder.” >> Show them, authentically, that they’re getting somewhere and that their contributions made a difference. #Motivation #Competence #Confidence #Leadership

Many organizations start off with good intentions when they set out on making changes. Why is it that most struggle to achieve their goals? It's often because leaders apply a one-size-fits-all strategy, lack proper communication, and fail to consider how employees' unique skills and individual readiness levels will impact success. What It Takes to Drive Successful Transformation Initiatives: 𝟏) 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐬. 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Begin by thoroughly evaluating whether your organization is positioned to innovate and embrace risk-taking or if the priority should be on enhancing and optimizing existing processes. Consider market trends, customer feedback, and internal performance metrics to guide this decision. 𝟐) 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬' 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐬 Take the time to analyze and determine the motivational styles of your employees. Are they individuals who thrive on opportunities for growth and innovation? Do they tend to value caution and stability in their work? Or do they seek a balanced approach that incorporates both growth and risk management? Consider using surveys or one-on-one discussions to gain deeper insights. 𝟑) 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐬 Once you have a clear understanding of the motivational styles present within your team, strategically assign tasks that align best with these preferences. This customization not only boosts employee satisfaction but also enhances overall productivity by ensuring that individuals are engaged in work that resonates with their motivations. 𝟒) 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 When communicating changes within the organization, tailor your messaging to resonate with each employee's motivational style. For those who favor growth, emphasize the opportunities that change brings. For those who value caution, stress the measures in place to mitigate risks. And for those seeking balance, present an integrated approach that highlights both the potential benefits and the planned safeguards. #OrganizationalChange #ChangeManagement #Leadership

Spoiler: Pizza parties aren’t a strategy. And another trust fall exercise? That’s a no from HR and your spine. Want to know what actually works? Let's look at the evidence: ✅ Google’s Project Aristotle studied 180 teams. ✅ Gallup surveyed 2.7 million workers. ✅ Harvard tracked motivation for decades. They all point towards the same pattern: Real motivation doesn’t come from perks. It comes from psychology. Here are 7 proven ways to motivate your team: 1. Turn Mistakes Into Growth Moments → Make it safe to fail by focusing on learning, not blame → Share your own mistakes first to model vulnerability → Ask “What did we learn?” not “Who’s to blame?” 2. Give Them Ownership, Not Just Tasks → Let them design the solution, not just execute yours → Connect their work directly to business outcomes → Trust them with real decisions (before they’re “ready”) 3. Share the “Why” Behind Decisions → Explain how their project impacts the bigger picture → Show them customer feedback and real results → Connect daily tasks to company strategy 4. Recognise Effort, Not Just Results → Praise specific behaviours you want repeated → Recognise the process: “I saw how you tackled that problem” → Make recognition immediate, not quarterly 5. Align Tasks with Strengths → Map individual talents before assigning projects → Let people volunteer for work that energises them → Rotate roles to help them discover hidden strengths 6. Remove Barriers, Don’t Just Add Pressure → Ask “What’s blocking you?” in every one-to-one → Fix the small irritants (slow laptops, clunky processes) → Shield them from organisational noise 7. Give Real-Time Feedback → Share observations within 24 hours, not at year-end → Make it specific: behaviour, impact, next step → Balance correction with recognition (3:1 ratio works) At the end of the day, motivation isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about small, science-backed actions that say: You matter. Stack enough of those, and you’ve got a team that brings their best. Every day.  Even on Mondays.  Even without pizza. What's worked for your team? Drop it below 👇 ♻️ Repost for your network (and look ridiculously clever while doing it.) Follow 👋 David Meade Keynote Speaker for science-backed strategies you can use this week.