Top-Performing Team: The Motivation Curve
Do you have a new hire on your team who struggles to keep pace with the rest of the team – maybe you even doubt the hire altogether? Puzzled about how to motivate your high performer who seems to lose interest after years of top-notch results?
That’s normal. Learning and skill acquisition are not linear processes; they follow an S-shaped curve. Research suggests that it's only after about 3 to 6 months in a new role that individuals are ready to accelerate their performance and ride the S-curve wave with increasing ease and enthusiasm.
However, what happens when individuals become masters of their craft? They reach the peak of the curve and may suddenly find themselves feeling bored. The thrill of discovery and learning has waned, and they crave new challenges. This is a natural progression, and it's crucial for managers to understand this dynamic within their teams.
So, how can managers ensure that every team member remains highly motivated, and the team consistently achieves top results? Research by Whitney Johnson, Top #10 Business Thinker by Thinkers50, suggests an optimal team composition with a 15-70-15 ratio.
About 15% of the team should be positioned at the lower end of the curve, where they are exposed to fresh ideas, engage in intense learning, and experience significant growth, setting the stage for high performance.
Approximately 70% of team members should find themselves on the steeper slope of the curve, progressing rapidly, enjoying their journey, and continually gaining motivation and competence for a duration of around 3 years.
However, it's essential to keep a close eye on team members who are approaching or have reached the end of the curve. This is where the risk of stagnation sets in after initially mastering their roles. Today's top performers may need to transition to a new S-curve to maintain their motivation and performance levels.
Human motivation is deeply tied to the pursuit of mastery, as emphasized in the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) by Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan. Personal and professional growth are fundamental human needs, particularly in knowledge-based work.
So, what can you do to help your team members embrace a new S-curve of personal and professional growth? It doesn't always involve climbing the corporate ladder. Think about helping them to join innovative projects, explore new teams or departments, and reshape their existing roles to include more significant responsibilities.
These are all pathways to help individuals on your team discover a new, motivating S-curve, renew their motivation, and continue their growth journey.