Motivating partners, employees, and teams of all kinds is hard, but a single word can make a big difference.
Getting the best effort from individuals – or teams – sometimes feels like trying to solve the Times Sunday crossword. You sift through dozens of cryptic clues, and then try to find an answer that fits. It’s tough to figure out what moves people to deliver effort and excellence.
Well, here’s a clue we can all bank on. David Rock, founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute, has identified relatedness – feelings of trust, connection, and belonging – as one of the five primary categories of social pleasures and pains. 
But the fact remains: most of our work – even when we are on a team – still gets done alone.
So if we all truly work alone, how can we cultivate the feeling of relatedness to drive motivation? New research by Priyanka Carr and Greg Walton of Stanford University have proven you can do it by simply saying the word “together.”
Here’s how they proved it. Research participants were gathered into small groups and then sent off alone to work on difficult puzzles. Some were told they would be working on their task “together” (even though they would be working alone.) For the other participants, there was no mention of “together.”
Just the simple mention of the word “together” had a profound impact on performance for individuals in that test group. They worked longer and achieved more correct answers. They also felt energized and enthused by the exercise, rather than tired or depleted.
“Together” is a powerful social cue for the brain. It gives us confidence and calmness. It makes us want to do our best.
Make sure to get your team “together.”
Have a great week.
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