Teams are not presented with stimulating challenges every day. So the question becomes how to provide challenges to the team at more frequent intervals. An additional criteria for a challenge is the level of difficulty . If a challenge is too difficult, perhaps perceived as impossible, then team members may give up before they start. However, the same result may occur if the members perceive the challenge as too easy.
Little energy is required to accomplish something so easily obtained.
So for ongoing teams, periodic stimulation in the form of a worthy challenge is another method of maintaining motivation. In 1983, I was managing a work group for a large construction organization. My work group heard about the idea, however, and asked to take on this assignment. There was enormous interest in conducting this event within the workforce, so with much support, my group planned and successfully coordinated an open house that ultimately attracted over 10,000 people. I don't suggest by this example, that every work group take on such a formidable task, but simply think about the implications of taking on a new challenge periodically.