I've written before about how to motivate your team -- specifically about the value of encouragement and how being a critical thinker doesn't mean you're necessarily critical.
And now, I'm not so sure. Here's why.
Everybody needs a cheerleader
Like I mentioned last year, I think of encouragement and recognition like a gas tank. Your team members start their engines each time they arrive for work, using past encouragement to get through their day.
But eventually, after a dry spell of encouraging words, they run on fumes.
They've been ignored, insulted, criticized -- and now, they lack the motivation to keep going, to pursue the "always make it better" objective.
People need to hear what they're doing right, they need to know they're respected, and they need to know that they're of value.
You also need a critic
As much as we need somebody cheering us on, we also need an impartial critic. And here's where I separate a bit from last year's position.
It's great getting positive reinforcement from team members. But when one of them offers constructive crticism, suddenly sides are formed, feelings are hurt, and defenses are raised. Sometimes politely, mostly not.
It's perfectly normal to be offended by criticism; nobody (immediately) likes it.
So instead of relying on criticism from within your team, designate somebody outside of it.
As an outsider, his sole responsibility is to criticize and find holes in your project. He's not responsible for positive reinforcement, instead, he's burdened with a critical objectivity. He doesn't feel guilty for constantly criticizing, being critical is his job; his criticism is protecting you from possible threats.
The external "no" guy doesn't take sides, he's impartial. He doesn't have any past relationships with the team members, nor does he care to attend your social gatherings.
I'm a visual person; I see this guy trapped in a closet -- content to be there, happier to criticize your work. You walk your work to the "no" guy, he looks up at you, snatches your work from your hands, and tears it apart.
And you thank him for it.
Welcome the criticism
I can't count the number of times I've received constructive criticism on a project. At first, it's an irritant, because obviously my work is perfect.
So I take a walk, I think about the criticism, I stop taking it personally, start receiving it constructively, and after the revision is made, I end up being grateful to the person for giving me feedback that ended up making the project better.
The external "no" guy is an investment. He's an advisor, warning you of pitfalls you're too excited or busy to see yourself.
The external "no" guy is great for teams who all share the same personality, but even better for the freelancer working to build his business, but who lacks a lot of social interaction. Inherently, freelancers work by themselves; a "no" guy is as important to freelancers as their hipster gadget is.
What do you think? How could you use a "no" guy?
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