Morale

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing." 

~Dale Carnegie

And yet, when sitting in an interview and asked what I feel is one of the most important aspects of creating a team of individuals who will be solid performers I always get a dirty look when I include morale as a needed aspect to a productive team.  You know, it worked in the Army and it works in corporate environments: a happy worker is a productive worker.  When you brow-beat and micromanage people find reasons to not perform to their utmost ability but rather they visit Facebook, Twitter how they hate their jobs and take longer breaks.

I'm not saying managers and employers have to acquiesce to the needs of their employees, but a little morale goes a long way.  Something simple like catering lunch once in a while, doughnut days or something equally simple but morale building. 

Of course, a day of laser-tag or another random act of kindness doesn't hurt either.