because everyone thinks their team problems are unique and really they're all just stale memes.
This book has helped us a lot to think about the team, management and studio dynamics. I would recommend it - it doesn't matter that it isn't game industry specific, nor how big your team is. https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756
There's a great leadership book out there called "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team."
This little presentation I found goes into the dysfunctions at a high enough level that you may not need to buy the book: https://osa.uark.edu/pdfs/five-dysfunctions-of-a-team-ldl.pdf
Basically, you need to start at a foundational level of trust because everything else in this chain relies upon trust. One recommendation I have, and something that Cisco (2022 Fortune Magazine #1 Place to Work) implemented in lieu of annual performance appraisals (though you may have no control over that) is a weekly meeting with each individual team member. In the meeting, your direct report will tell you what they did last week, what they will do this week, something that went really well, and are required to mention something they "loathed."
What this does is establishes a level of trust, accountability, and commitment while keeping regular tabs on results. What will happen is that your direct reports will either really appreciate the process, feedback, and sense of empowerment (by you giving them the opportunity to suggest what THEY think is most important) or they will shrink under the spotlight, knowing they can't skate by anymore and leave of their own accord (which is the best thing for you, your team, and the business).
Another important piece of advice that took me way too long to figure out? Don't answer questions. Don't tell them how to do their jobs. It isn't your job to tell someone how to accomplish their tasks. Instead, be a coach. Tell them where you need to be and let them figure out how to get there. If they have questions, ask them what they think and/or how they could figure that out.
I think about it like this; if my wife wants me to do laundry? I'm going to do laundry my way. I may do a separate load of whites in hot water while she thinks underpants and socks, regardless of color, go in the hot wash (because she's crazy). I'm the kind of person who follows the directions on the labels while she has a whole different system. Who really cares so long as the laundry gets done and everything comes out clean?? If my wife tries to tell me how to do the laundry, I just get frustrated and go mow and let wet clothes sit in the washing machine overnight because screw that. That's my allegory and why I don't micromanage. Because *I* hate it! lol
And a self plug for me book. I honestly tried to put in a lot of leadership things I learned into a sci-fi story
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a great read! It really helped me better understand how teams truly can work together. http://www.amazon.com/The-Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership/dp/0787960756
>How do you motivate someone who has everything; financial security, fame and power?
Time, Attention, Money, Mastery, Purpose. Pick the ones that work figure out what that means on a personal level to that individual. Yes, a team is made up of individuals. You will need to treat them individually if you want results.
Did you ask them? Just fucking talk to them and figure it out. "Man I am having such a hard day today, what keeps you coming into work?"
>Fear is sometimes seen as a negative thing. But can it be used effectively as a motivator towards optimum performance and how does it compare to a positive motivation?
External Fear is a poor motivator, in fact it is usually counter productive, I will quit any job before being pushed around, actually I will show the gross incompetence of anyone hiding behind those tactics before I quit. You're desperate if you resort to this and anyone worth employing (read: Not Desperate for Work and Intelligent) will see right through this.
Internal Fear is much more powerful, but in someone highly internally motivated, you will be trying to break down a brick wall with a feather.
>It is believed that performance increases respectively with motivation or incentives. But is there an extent where motivation possibly lowers performance?
We've covered motivation already. Yes it's better but only if you're sincere.
Do not try to "incentivise" people. If they are worth employing at all they will see right through your actions and will hate you for it, or worse, think that you have no idea what you are doing. Which you probably don't based on the questions you are asking, but hey we all start somewhere.
You should start here:
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
Ask yourself a question: "Would I rather be led by a manager or managed by a leader?"
Those two books above will not make you a leader, but it will give you an idea of the shit leaders go through to get better performance from their teams, and how those individuals see themselves within a larger organization.
From my point of view, the culture thing is never finished. In some ways it gets harder as you grow...in other ways it can become automatic if your regular activities reinforce your desired culture. It's not about a once-a-year team-building-via-ropes-course-and-trust-fall activity.
Here's my advice, not knowing the details of what you're facing:
You're at the front end of some big change - that calls for good communication. I think there are a few things that help make this happen.
Setting up routines. You should have 1:1 time with each of your direct reports. It doesn't have to be a set time each day or week, but it does have to be a deliberate effort. The same goes for the team as a whole. Basically, try to create the times and places to make information flow freely.
Sharing quality information. If you are honest and direct, others will follow that lead. Compliment people publicly when they provide good information or insight. Coach people privately when they need help.
Building trust. Basically, trust is the oil in the management communication machine. As the CEO, you can do a lot to build an environment that helps people trust one another. For example, you have an opportunity to establish a culture where failure, when accompanied by good intentions and effort, is OK. Hell, it's almost as good as success (at least you know what DOESN'T work now). You can acknowledge what you suck at and have others do the same. You can share personal history with each other and make it a priority to treat each other with respect, calling people out when they don't. If you have kids, you'll recognize that this sounds like parenting advice. That's not really surprising when you think about how much trust exists in families. A team member that trusts and feels trusted is going to be much more likely to tell you what they think and what they need. They will ask for help when they're in over their heads...and offer help when they see where it's needed.
These three things work together to drive, high-quality information being shared on a regular basis without a lot of bullshit.
One other thought: As the company grows, and you add more employees, your management team may begin to feel that the group they lead is their "team". Push back on this. Their first team is the management team. You can help reinforce this by celebrating team wins, not individual player stats. The ugliest corporate politics that I have seen exist when people are looking out for the groups they lead rather than the company (which is really represented by the management team).
Finally, here's a book recommendation. It's short, entertaining and powerful. After you read it, you may want all of the members of your management team to read it as well.
Five Dysfunctions of a Team - http://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433771484&sr=1-2&keywords=five+dysfunctions+of+a+team
Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have a specific situation that you'd like to discuss.
I'll take a different angle with my response. There's good advice in other comments about how to be a better programmer. Here's some about how be a better team member/leader.
While giving advice to other business leaders, our CTO often asks the question:
If you had 2 bags of magic dust, and one would make all your programmers type twice as fast, and the other would make them communicate twice as effectively, which would you choose?".
The response 100% of the time is the latter. Communication is paramount to good teamwork. Having good technical skills is a good and obvious foundation for a programmer team. Having the ability to effectively communicate what you're all trying to build together is another cornerstone. Don't be afraid to admit what you don't know, people generally want to help.
Here are some books you might find helpful, and don't deal with programming specifically, but they still apply:
Being effective in a team of programmers (or any team) requires a specific set of skills. Those skills can only be gained by practice, the same a writing code. The more you practice, the more mistakes you make, the more you will learn. Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
You guys need to read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.