Every business needs team members who show up ready and willing to perform, ready and willing to cotribute. Not all people do. Some show up with their hands, but their hearts and minds are not really in it.

Some come to work on autopilot and save the best of themselves for their personal life. That's a shame, because through our work we develop the best within ourselves. And those that contribute more, inevitably gain more.

"Motivation is an inside job. A manager can't single-handedly motivate people, just as a gardener can't force plants to grow. Believing that we have the power to motivate other people is a common conceit – and any attempts to do so are rightly seen as manipulative. Strong leaders, on the other hand, recognize that their role is to create the conditions that lead to self-motivation." -- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Motivation is an Inside Job" Read the full article...

Some people have grown accustomed to the dynamic of management pressure. They've gradually become passive and may demonstrate "learned helplessness" or play the victim role. They expect someone else to keep telling them what to do and how to do it. Yet, they may also resent this subordinate role and develop a habit of covert non-compliance.

"Oh, the holiness of always being the injured party. The historically oppressed can find not only sanctity but safety in the state of victimization. When access to a better life has been denied often enough, and successfully enough, one can use the rejection as an excuse to cease all efforts." -- Maya Angelou

Jim Clemmer states, "The Victimitis Virus is the deadliest disease in society today.
It's the poor-little-me-syndrome - a state of hopelessness and powerlessness to do anything about my problems." Read the full article...

High maintenance people need to be managed, directed, encouraged and supported every step of the way. Eagles get things done because they contribute and deliver, even with minimal support and supervision.

What makes you a winner? There are winners and whiners, and the choice of which to be is yours. What extra do you bring to the table? No one wants to be ordinary, yet what makes you special, indispensable, and highly valued?

Everyone wants to be part of a winning team, and everyone wants the rewards that come with it. But the question remains – have you got what it takes to be part of a winning team?

Just doing your job, and just being nice – that's plenty enough for some places. Well, not here at RYD.

Contribution is a fundamental team value. It's about service to team versus service to self - the extra you bring to the table, and the extra mile you're willing to go.

It's a willingness to give the best of yourself to the team. It means showing up with your heart, mind and hands fully engaged and ready to deliver your best. As with our morning cheer – showing up with elegance, excellence, and enthusiasm each and every day.

It's a willingness to embrace a team vision and champion a set of team values. That means finding the courage to face continual change and to accomplish something worthwhile together.

It's a willingness to let go of self pride and embrace team pride – to seek shared victories over personal victories, and take pride in achieving meaningful results together.

It's a willingness to take the harder road together, rather than the easy path alone. Are you willing to pay the price for the prize?

Contribution takes some sacrifice of self for the good of others, and in today's ME-first world, fewer are willing to give of themselves. Many people prefer just to fly solo. “You do your job, I'll do my job and we'll leave it at that.” Sound familiar?

Real teams embrace the value of contribution. They're emotionally committed and are wiing to endure whatever it takes to win together. They work together and encourage excellence from each other. They elevate each other's performance and share joy in their victories.

"Many people pay lip service to change. Some can even get quite passionate about the need for improvement. But only a handful make the leap from lip service to lifestyle change. There are canyon-sized gaps from saying to doing to being. The depth of our passion and commitment determines the intensity of our involvement." -- from Jim Clemmer's article, " A Burning Commitment to Our Cause" Read the full article...

How much do you care? Your emotional commitment level makes an enormous difference. Someone can say they care, but their actions may speak otherwise. Being lukewarm on the caring means you probably won't stick things out whenever the going gets tough.

"The key leadership word is "care." When we care about our work, we will often be harder on ourselves than anyone else would dare to be. When we really care about the customers we serve, we'll go out of our way to ensure that each "moment of truth" (contact with customers) is as positive as we can make it. When we care about making our organization successful, we'll go above and beyond our job to do whatever it takes to be part of a winning team. When we care about our products or services, we'll do whatever it takes to continue feeling proud of what we do." -- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Leaders Foster Individual Passion for Change" Read the full article...

Your contribution level determines your status on the team. It's like an invisible currency – the more you deliver, the more investment you accumulate in your account with other team members. Respect, credibility and influence all stem from contribution. Some people want those things just for showing up, but it doesn't work that way. You must earn them.

What makes you a star? It's more than just putting in hours. It's about your level of game. If you're giving your best but it's not amounting to much, then gain some skills and grow your game.

On professional teams, those in the game have earned their playing time. They bring their years of experience and skills with them onto the playing field. What's makes them valuable is their ability to deliver superior results. When their performance drops, they don't get to play any more.

When someone underperforms, the whole team suffers. When someone can't deliver, they get replaced. There are players waiting on the bench for their chance to contribute.

Star players elevate their contribution by continually elevating their own game. They seek mastery, building their skills and then bring that much more to the team. They understand that it takes more than individual performance skills – it's also about attitude, team skills, and life skills .

Having the goods but not bringing them is the same as not having them. For example, you could be a terrific speaker with great ideas, but if you don't speak up and contribute, those skills are not relevant. You're not going to get credit for the great person you are inside. You only get credit for your actions and results – for the level of game you actually play.

Star players also expand the scope of their game. They contribute on a higher level versus sticking to a small contribution in a small role. In Las Vegas terms, their game graduates to the high-stakes table.

Exceptional players don't just deliver individual excellence – they elevate the performance of their teammates. They connect to each other's strengths and compensate for any weaknesses.

Coasters try to get by on minimal skills and keep to small roles. They're paycheck players – delivering the expected, if that. They shy away from challenges, and before long, they can transform into “turkeys.”

Eagles offer solutions and deliver results. Turkeys offer complaints and give excuses. What will your contribution be?

When evaluating talent in the hiring process, contribution is a key factor. What is the level of this candidate's performance? What will they bring to the team? Are they willing to play team ball? Many talk team, but only fly solo. Hiring on potential is very risky – everyone has terrific potential but no all can access it. It's much safer to go with a proven track record along with a great attitude.