A Team Motto for Success…
5 Reasons Your Team Needs a Powerful Motto!
A Team Motto? … you probably think I am crazy. Well, a little bit, maybe. But I have always believed in team-building solid tools. Therefore I came up one day with 5 ‘inspiring’ words that became the motto of my various teams.
It helped the team understand in which direction we were growing as a team; it also became my answer to an employee who wondered what they had to do to rise to the next step.
Probably for many of you, this is the first time you have thought about the possibility of introducing a motto for your team. The critical reasons for having one are:
A motto can facilitate you and your team to change a habit.
A personal motto can remind your team of who they are, and what the team stands for, and wants to achieve.
A motto can increase your and your team’s productivity.
A motto can jog one’s conscience, remind one of their values, and even teach character strengths.
A motto adds some pleasure, fun, and humor to life. And this we all need!
Since I am an open book, here is my Teams’ Motto:
Communication - this has always been key to me. If we stop communicating, we cannot succeed as a team. If you need to talk, know my door is wide open, no matter if the topic is personal or professional. Don’t hold back.
Curiosity - this is an interesting one, but I have always shown my teams how important it is to be curious to develop this desire to learn and understand new and existing things. Don’t just accept what you are told to do or what is put in place a certain way. Express the appetite to acquire facts and knowledge and understand why things are done.
Creativity - having a creative team means having an engaged and motivated team, a team with a feeling of belonging as they have been building the present and shaping the future. Some employees need some guidance, but this can be a powerful tool.
Initiative - many team members are waiting, waiting to be told what to do next. That does not happen in my operations. From day one, employees are coached on how they may take the initiative to help our team and Spa succeed. I believe that a Spa can only operate at a world-class level when all team members are actively on board and contribute.
Reflection - is another unusual one, you may think. Reflection means that an employee should reflect each time they are doing something: if what they do is in line with the How-Tos, if what they do makes sense, if they are satisfied with their results, and if the guest or management team will be happy.
Once, a new Assistant Manager joined us from a sister property. After a few weeks, I asked her what she had enjoyed most. Her answer was: “How the team is a team.” A Team Motto is undoubtedly just a little piece in getting there but is essential for me.
I would love to hear if you have a Team Motto in place. If so, please share with us so for some inspiration.