Do you remember the last time you were standing in front of the door of a popular club? Do you remember that annoying tone of indifference when the bouncer said No to you?
No access equals frustration. Not only at the door of a popular club, but also in your company. No access to the boss and team leader equals frustration and demotivation.
If you sell a product or service, scarcity is a value driver. It’s a basic economic rule: Low supply and high demand result in raising prices. But – as a leader and motivator you are not a product or service. As a leader and motivator you are a human being. And human beings don’t always follow economic rules.
Wikipedia says that, Accessibility is the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the “ability to access” and benefit from some system or entity.
As a leader and motivator you want to increase the level of accessibility. Only then your team can benefit from your leadership. One strategy is to use rules and rituals.
At the Brose Baskets, one of Germany’s leading basketball teams, they implemented the 15-second rule. Head coach Chris Fleming explained the 15-second rule during a talk on motivation I saw in February 2013.
At every training session of the Brose Baskets, Fleming makes sure that he dedicates at least 15 seconds to each individual player. Fleming said that sometimes it could be a private conversation in his office; sometimes it’s non-verbal communication only. Whatever form of interpersonal communication – his players love this extra effort. Spending quality time with each of the players is one of the six pillars of motivation in that successful pro sports team.
How can you increase your level of accessibility? Do you spend 15 seconds with each team member every time you’re in the office? If you have team assistants in your department, are they door openers or bouncers?
Remembering all those times I was rejected at club doors, I know what doesn’t motivate me at all: no access!
Do you want to have intrinsically motivated people on your team? Then increase your level of accessibility!
.