~~ A message from my keynote: 

AWESOME Living!

~~ A lesson from the

“Get Out of Bed and Go to Work!” Philosophy

An endeavor in Team Building is basically like dating. It is essentially an interview process that will lead to finding a lifelong partner.

It is okay to find, attract and be attracted to a lot of people, but you only want to commit to those who will provide a long term and mutually satisfying relationship. In that way Team Building is better than dating because you are EXPECTED to do it with a lot of different people!

When I was a young man, my mother sat me down to talk about the birds and the bees. (My Dad was basically absent, so I often got a woman’s perspective on these valuable life-lessons; something for which I will be forever grateful). She started by telling me “you only get in life what you are willing to give.”

She then gave me her Rules of Dating.. There were THREE:

1. Always look your best.

2. Smile at everyone.

3. Be Honest and Faithful

And here are the Rules of Team Building::

1. Be Attractive to the type of people you want to attract.

2. Be Receptive to them when they respond.

3. Be True to the methods used to attract them.

This can be summarized as Team Building: The Selection Process.

Now you are ready for the "Fundamental Four" Steps to Building Loyalty by Creating a Feeling of Membership.

I have studied great teams that have developed great loyalty and sustained growing membership. Among them are both formal and informal teams: Fan Clubs of sports teams; Local Civic Organizations; Self-Help and Awareness Groups; Online Dating Services, etc…  But one thing they all have in common are the “Fundamental Four”

Here they are:

"Fundamental Four" Steps to Building Loyalty by Creating a Feeling of Membership.

1. Make it hard to join.

"I don't want to belong to any club that will have people like me as a member." Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (1890 – 1977) – Comedian, Actor

Never fall into the "warm body" syndrome. It is a trap from which you will never escape. It is like stepping into a bear trap; you can survive but not without losing a limb!

When you hire a "warm body" you are telling the people already on your team that you do not think very much of THEM! They would rather work short and be treated to a free lunch than feel like they are buying a lazy co-worker's lunch (and dinner for his or her family) every day through the extra effort they need to apply to carry the dead weight of an additional "warm body."

2. Give discounts and benefits.

Membership has its privileges! Yes, if you have truly built a worthy team than simply being on the team is a reward. But it is not enough! Ironically, in lean and stressful times it is enough; but when the rough waters of our work-a-day world calm down it is time to put your team on a luxury cruise!

This doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition. A well stocked break room; meals available in-house at a discount (they save money and you keep them in the building); membership to SAMS Club or discounted membership to a fitness club. Anything that you can pay for once to benefit the entire team that promotes a sense of belonging and personal wellbeing (physical, psychological or financial).

3. Constantly remind everyone they are on a team.

Have T-Shirts made now! Create a goofy name and identity that allows everyone to laugh at themselves yet be serious about your collective efforts.

Not long ago my “team” was facing a significant Union “de-certification” campaign that came with the threat of a strike at the end of the month. At the same time we were invited by the local Boys and Girls Club to participate in their annual Bowl-a-Thon fund raiser. Every year we struggled to put together a team of four bowlers. One of the perks was that each team got free T-Shirts with their team name on the back. When we decided to name our team the “Strike Force!” we quickly had to modify it to: “Strike Force 1, 2, 3, and 4” because without any pressure twelve people signed up to bowl. We had one of our best and most enjoyable efforts ever, and low and behold; the feared vision of a picket line on the street in front of our building disappeared as quickly as ten pins get sent to the gutter when a 12-lb bowling ball hits the sweet spot.

4. Demand that they pay Dues.

Membership has its privileges; it also has its costs. If you are a fan and want to attend a game you must buy a ticket. If you want to join a fitness center you must pay a membership fee. Even civic organizations require that you pay your dues.

The cost of membership on your team is that team members must always deliver, and you must always demand their genuine effort! Wess Roberts, PhD, in his New York Times Best Selling book, Leadership Secrets of Atilla the Hun, tells us, “Never reward the Hun’s undeservedly!” This is extremely important! By rewarding a team member for less than excellent effort you will diminish the value of all future rewards in the eyes of his or her team members. Keep in mind we are talking about effort; not outcomes.

Your father, and his father, and his father were all right when they said, “you gotta pay your dues!” In today’s internet-based and fast-paced world you can jump to the top overnight. As the saying goes, its lonely at the top because you still “gotta pay your dues” to be a member of a team.

So there you have it; “The Fundamental Four” Steps to Building Loyalty Through Membership.

Lon Kieffer, author of Get Out of Bed and Go to Work! Speaker, Consultant and expert on Workplace Culture Change and Generational Conflicts, gives seminars, keynote and plenary addresses, runs annual sales meetings, and provides Common Sense Consulting at: www.LonKieffer.com. He can be reached at 888-466-2379or e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it