Teamwork Sayings ...
How to Use Quotes for Team Motivation

Rudyard Kipling said: “Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

This page gives you ideas for how to harness the power of quotes to build more effective teams in the workplace.

When you're ready to put these ideas into practice, see our full collection of team building quotes.

Use to acknowledge, recognize and reward the team

Encourage stand out performance from a colleague, team or team member with

• A Teamwork quote inscribed on some type of memento or gift.
• An e-card. There is no shortage of e-card sites around. Some provide blank cards so you can customize your own message. For e-cards related to teamwork, achievement and success, check out SaveATree.com.

Use them to inspire yourself.

There's a famous quote by Gandhi which goes something like: “be the change you want to see in the world”. Inspire yourself to do greater things and magical things will happen around you!

Put the teamwork and inspirational quotes anywhere you'll see them – on the computer, the fridge at home, on a post-note at your desk. Having powerful positive thoughts around can be a great way to adjust your attitude at any time.

Memorise & use in conversation when appropriate

Most leaders and effective team members know the power of the right words at the right time.

There are some quotes that are relevant to a wide variety of team and workplace situations. Memorise a few quotes you really like and use them when an opportunity arises.

This can add impact and credibility to what you say. For an example, look back to how I used the Gandhi quote in idea #1.

Sharing quotes in conversation can spread positive vibes throughout your workplace. Negative thoughts are destructive to team environments, so dropping a few pearls of wisdom occasionally can be more powerful than you might think.

Display Quotes Around the Workplace

For a wider impact, find ways to display your favourite quotes at work. Consider a framed teamwork poster to keep positive messages always in your environment. If this isn't possible, perhaps you can post a new quote on a bulletin board in the coffee area, or on the door to your work area.

If the quote is relevant to the group and positive, it will usually be appreciated.

Use as a Discussion Starter or Icebreaker

A team leader of a small team in my company starts each of his weekly meetings with a 'value moment'. He says it's a very simple and quick method to encourage team members to share insights and get to know each other better. And this, of course, builds team spirit and starts the meeting on a positive note.

The idea is that team members come to the meeting with a brief story or item which they think may be of value to the rest of the team. It can be anything … maybe something they've recently learned or something which made them think differently about an everyday issue. A team quote could be perfect as this kind of discussion starter.

Liven up your presentations, speeches and employee meetings

Use inspirational quotes with larger groups to really make your words memorable.

The right quotation can make presentations and speeches more persuasive and interesting. People tend to listen more intently when you use quotes in presentations because you're borrowing credibility.

Quoting Henry Ford or Michael Jordan makes your message about teams in the workplace more powerful. People become more receptive to what you say.

A good quote can also give you a focus around which to build your talk. Perhaps you find it hard to come up with the right words of inspiration, humour or sentiment. Team building quotes can help you convey feelings and emotions.

And if you want to add humour to speeches but you're not a comedian, humorous quotes are for you!

This video of inspiring quotes is the perfect starting point for any team meeting or training program.

You can buy it here along with bonus matching powerpoint slides and handouts.

Note: YouTube video is a sample only - and does not represent the high quality of the download version.

Run an automated presentation of inspiring quotes 'in the background'

It was Dr Joseph Murphy who said that “our subconscious mind can be compared to a garden – if we leave it unattended, the weeds will grow wild”.

One way to tame the weeds is to look for opportunities to feed the subconscious with positive material.

For example, your team may have recently participated in a team building event. Why not hold a follow-up morning tea in a conference room with a big screen?

Prepare an automated slide show of photos from the team building activity to run in the background while everyone is relaxed and socializing. If you combine the photos with some inspiring teamwork sayings, you'll multiply the power of the activity.

Create your own powerpoint presentation simply and easily with ReadySetPresent. They have a fantastic set of tools to make your presentations look super-professional….slide templates, audio, etc.

Spice up business newsletters or other company writings

Famous and inspirational quotes also work well to spice up your writing. They make an impact on the reader, and add credibility to your message.

Using a famous quote in a newsletter or letter to staff can remind you and your team of time-tested principles of effective teamwork and success. Often these get forgotten in the heat of the moment, or in the day to day routine.

A few other reasons quotes work well in writing …their structure means they grab the eye. And because they are like dialogue, they bring your writing to life.

Use in your email signature

One of the administrative support employees in my team has a message at the bottom of all her emails which says “Music is life. Be a player”.

Why not sign off your emails with a quote which is thought-provoking, funny or that expresses a personal belief or value?

This can give others the opportunity to think about the quote without any extra effort on your part.

Motivate, support or encourage an individual team member

When you want to encourage or challenge an individual employee to excel, you'll find a famous quote can serve your purpose well.

Quotations and sayings can be a powerful way to shift attitudes and get your point across because people are more prone to listen to people they consider an authority. The credible third party voice of a quote can generate less defensiveness.

Of course, you'll need to keep in mind who the quote is for. Think about how well you know them. Select a particular quote which is relevant and targets their individual success.

There are several ways you can present the quote:

• In a handwritten greeting card;
• as an e-card;
• In any printed form which showcases the sentiment.

BONUS Ideas for Using Teamwork Sayings!

If you like the idea of a presentation of quotes, but don't have the time to prepare a customized version, download pre-prepared slides of team building quotes here.

Another Bonus Idea

If you're a professional team building consultant, or perhaps just someone who wants to deliver a professional presentation on teams and teamwork, check out the team building collection on ReadySetPresent. It has a collection of more than 100 professionally prepared slides that you can use over and over again, royalty free. It costs a few hundred dollars, but looks very 'schmick' and will save you countless hours putting something similar together yourself! See the sample below...

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