Management: Creating a Winning Team
Mentality

A winning mentality can play
a vital role in the success or failure of any project or task.

As a manager you can
be instrumental in creating a winning mentality that ultimately ensures the success of you and your team.

Here are some key points
to consider for creating a winning team mentality.

Be Results Driven

A great way to keep
your team focused on winning and being successful in all they do is to make sure they do not lose sight of their goals.

If you are working on
projects that are broken up into smaller or more arduous tasks, keeping a focus on the desired end result and the big picture is the best way to keep employees positive and motivated.

Regularly remind your team of
the overarching goals in meetings, reviews and conversations.

Be Goal Driven

If your organisation provides incentives,
such as targeted bonuses or internal competitions, don’t be afraid to keep your team focused on them.

Obviously bonuses aren’t everything –
but incentives like these are designed to motivate employees; so mentioning them alongside team goals in one-on-one or (if appropriate) group meetings can be highly effective in driving your team towards their goals.

Keeping individuals focused on their
personal incentives can keep them motivated on what winning means to them – leading to better results for the wider team.

Set an Example

The attitude of a manager
can be extremely influential on that of their employees and team members.

It is really important for
any manager or leader to convey the attitudes and behaviours that they expect to see from their team.

Display a positive attitude, with
a strong work-ethic in meetings and let your team see that you take the tasks you are focused on seriously.

Acknowledge Contributions

Ensure that your team’s contributions
and talents are recognised.

Take the time in meetings
to acknowledge the contributions of one or two individuals.

It is important to focus
on those who have performed particularly well, but you should also try to give everyone equal recognition over time.

Letting people know that their
contributions are appreciated is a great way to keep them motivated and performing at a high level.

Assess and Review

Work with the individuals in
your team to find out what challenges they are facing and to assess how they are succeeding – or if not, what you can do to improve their performance.

By regularly reviewing the work
of those you are managing, you can avoid any problems building up that could have a negative effect on their overall attitude.

Providing support and opportunities for
two-way communication can be the best way to do this.

Consider Team-Building Exercises

Team spirit can play a
big part in instilling a winning team mentality.

Team building exercises come in
many forms, but they can be a huge factor in ensuring that your team works together and that they all share a common positive attitude.

Try to understand what is
most effective for the individuals within your team, an activity that is fun and provides your employees with opportunities to work together.

Celebrate Accomplishments

Success as a team should
be celebrated as a team.

As manager it is likely
that you’ll want to celebrate when you and your team hits a project milestone, or achieve a major collective accomplishment.

These should be celebrated collectively.
Whether this means celebrating in the workplace or outside of work hours as a group, you should be willing to celebrate and to reward your employees for their accomplishments!