FINDING THE WINNING EDGE

To keep people focused when the company anthem doesn't inspire them anymore, narrow the focus of loyalty.  Military leaders have long known that the smaller the unit, the easier it is to feel allegiance to it;  the regiment, the platoon, even the squad, can arouse deeper fidelity than more abstract concepts like cause and country.  Just the goal itself may be enough.  Give people the chance to win a championship or design the widget that change that changes to world, and you'll get all the loyalty you need.

Getting people to "give a damn" means harnessing their concern about the future to your advantage.  The promise of the workplace is no longer the testimonial dinner and the plaque, but the change to improve skills and become more valuable in the marketplace.  I've coached short-term players who knew they were going to be around only one or two seasons.  But they realized they had an opportunity to leave the team better players than when they arrived and made real contributions.

Bill Walsh from "Finding the Winning Edge"