What is a good team motto?

A good team motto is six words or fewer, easy to say out loud and true of how the team already works. Examples: “Team over ego.” “Many hands, one finish line.” “The team is the plan.” “Be the teammate you would want.”

What are some inspirational team mottos?

Try “We are each other's head start.” “Our best work is shared work.” “Different strengths, one direction.” “No one carries it alone.” “Proud of the work, prouder of the team.” This page has 30 inspirational mottos, each with a copy button.

What are some short phrases about team spirit?

Two to four words is enough: “All in.” “Built on trust.” “Own it together.” “Same side, always.” “Shoulder to shoulder.” “Play for each other.” Short phrases fit on a shirt or a sticker and are easy to remember.

What is the difference between a team motto and a slogan?

A motto is for the team: a short line about how you work and what you value. A slogan faces outward and sells something to customers. A chant or cheer is a motto you shout together. Most teams only need the motto.

How do you write a team motto?

Ask the team what they want to be known for, collect three words from each person, group them into themes and draft a line of six words or fewer in pairs. Read the drafts aloud and vote. The 15-minute workshop on this page walks through it minute by minute.

What are some catchy team chants and cheers?

Call and response is the easiest: the leader shouts “Who's got this?” and the team answers “We've got this!” A huddle break also works: hands in, then “Team on three: one, two, three, TEAM!” Keep chants to a few words so nobody has to memorize anything.

What are good customer service slogans?

Good customer service slogans promise something a customer can feel: “Fast is good. Fixed is better.” “We don't transfer problems. We solve them.” “Kind first, fast second, right always.” “We stay until it's solved.”

Can KraftyLab help launch our team motto?

Yes. A hosted game show is an easy place to unveil it: teams play under their names and cheer under the new motto. Our hosts run games on Zoom, or on Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request, and at your office in 17 US cities. Send your date and headcount to get a free quote.

200 team mottos, slogans and phrases about team spirit

Original lines to copy for a kickoff slide, a team shirt or a channel topic. Sorted by tone and by team, with 20 chants and a 15-minute way to write your own.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated Oct 202611 min read

A team motto is one short line about how your team works. The good ones are easy to say out loud and true on a hard day. We wrote all 200 team mottos, slogans and phrases about team spirit on this page ourselves, so none is a company tagline or a famous quote, and every teamwork motto here is yours to copy.

Inspirational team mottos

For the wall, the kickoff slide and the days when the work is hard.

1
We are each other's head start.
2
Our best work is shared work.
3
Many hands, one finish line.
4
Stronger with every voice.
5
Going far is easier in good company.
6
Do your part like someone depends on it. Someone does.
7
Every role matters. Every person counts.
8
Nobody here has to ask twice for help.
9
Trust first. Results follow.
10
Shared goals, shared wins.
11
When one of us wins, we all move forward.
12
Show up, speak up, lift up.
13
The hard weeks are why we have a team.
14
We build each other up, then we build everything else.
15
Different strengths, one direction.
16
Ask for help early. Offer it earlier.
17
The team is the plan.
18
Progress is a group project.
19
We make each other better.
20
Start strong, finish together.
21
No one carries it alone.
22
Good people, good work, in that order.
23
Hand it on better than you got it.
24
One goal, every hand on it.
25
Be the teammate you would want.
26
Big goals need all of us.
27
Our standard is each other's best.
28
We win as a team and learn as a team.
29
Credit is shared. So is the load.
30
Proud of the work, prouder of the team.

Short phrases about team spirit

Two to four words each. Short enough for a shirt, a sticker or a channel topic.

31
All in.
32
Together, forward.
33
Built on trust.
34
Bring someone along.
35
Help comes standard.
36
Own it together.
37
Heads up, hands in.
38
Calm, clear, together.
39
Worth doing well.
40
Show up. Follow through.
41
Team over ego.
42
Better every week.
43
Ask. Listen. Act.
44
Earn the trust.
45
No loose ends.
46
Everyone pulls.
47
Same side, always.
48
Nobody just watches.
49
Details matter here.
50
First to help.
51
Kind and capable.
52
Finish what matters.
53
Sharp minds, kind words.
54
Credit goes around.
55
Shoulder to shoulder.
56
Quietly excellent.
57
Count on us.
58
No small roles.
59
Play for each other.
60
Bring the energy.

Funny team mottos and sayings

Jokes about meetings, snacks and spreadsheets. Never about a person.

61
Powered by coffee and group chats.
62
We put the “we” in “weekly meeting.”
63
Our out-of-office replies are works of art.
64
We came, we saw, we scheduled a follow-up.
65
Making it look easy since Monday.
66
Our spreadsheet has a spreadsheet.
67
Teamwork: because someone has to know where the file is.
68
Mostly organized, fully committed.
69
We run on trust and calendar invites.
70
If it works, we planned it that way.
71
Small team, large snack budget.
72
We don't have a plan B. We have plans B through F.
73
We meet deadlines. Sometimes we even greet them.
74
Professional problem solvers, amateur comedians.
75
Our love language is a clear agenda.
76
Great minds think alike. Ours also double-check.
77
One team, forty-seven open tabs.
78
Winning quietly, celebrating loudly.
79
Unmuted and unstoppable.
80
We agree on everything except the lunch order.
81
We read the whole email.
82
The meeting ended early. That was us.
83
Slightly over-prepared, by design.
84
We brought snacks and a plan.

Rhyming team slogans

Rhymes stick. These are the ones people still say a year later.

85
Side by side, we turn the tide.
86
Many minds, great finds.
87
Name the goal, play your role.
88
Hand in hand, we meet demand.
89
Give your best, trust the rest.
90
When we unite, the work goes right.
91
Share the load, own the road.
92
Think as one, get it done.
93
Stay in sync and never sink.
94
Heads together, any weather.
95
All in, all win.
96
Team in gear, goals are near.
97
Share what you know, watch us grow.
98
Trust the crew, see it through.
99
Listen well, then excel.
100
Lend a hand, grow the brand.
101
Clear the way, win the day.
102
Calm and steady, always ready.
103
Show some heart, do your part.
104
Every voice, better choice.

Mottos for teams, by department

Twelve each for eight kinds of team. Planning a kickoff for the sales team? Pair the motto with the games and agenda in our sales kickoff ideas.

Sales team mottos

For the kickoff, the leaderboard and the wall next to the bell.

105
Every no is practice for the next yes.
106
We don't chase quotas. We outrun them.
107
Listen first, sell second.
108
Pipeline full, promises kept.
109
Solve the problem, earn the deal.
110
Ring the bell for each other.
111
Our best pitch is a kept promise.
112
Trust is the long game. We play it.
113
Ask better questions, close better deals.
114
Hit the number, help a teammate hit theirs.
115
Call back when you said you would.
116
Follow up like you mean it.

Customer service slogans

For support, success and anyone who answers when a customer calls.

117
Every customer leaves better off.
118
We answer like it's our name on the door.
119
Fast is good. Fixed is better.
120
Listen, own it, solve it.
121
Kind first, fast second, right always.
122
No ticket is just a ticket.
123
We don't transfer problems. We solve them.
124
Patience is part of the product.
125
Treat every question like the first one today.
126
We stay until it's solved.
127
Make it right, then make it easy.
128
Clear answers, real people.

Engineering team mottos

For product, engineering and IT teams.

129
Ship small, learn fast.
130
Simple first. Clever only if needed.
131
We test so you can rest.
132
Break it here, not in production.
133
Built to last, shipped to learn.
134
Read the error. Then read it again.
135
Good code is a team sport.
136
Review with kindness, merge with confidence.
137
Measure twice, deploy once.
138
Document it like you'll forget it. You will.
139
Small commits, big trust.
140
Automate the boring, own the important.

Healthcare team mottos

For nursing units, clinics and care teams.

141
Care for patients, care for each other.
142
Ask twice, assume never.
143
Skilled hands, steady hearts.
144
Compassion on every shift.
145
Listen like it's family.
146
Calm in the room, care in the details.
147
Safe care starts with speaking up.
148
One team around every patient.
149
Here for the hard days.
150
Hand off with care.
151
No one works a hard shift alone.
152
Gentle with people, exact with details.

Operations team mottos

For the people who keep everything else running.

153
Steady beats rushed.
154
We make it run.
155
On time, on spec, on us.
156
When it breaks, ask how, not who.
157
Quietly keeping everything moving.
158
Done right is done once.
159
Every handoff counts.
160
Find the bottleneck, free the team.
161
Checklists beat heroics.
162
Behind the scenes, ahead of schedule.
163
Reliable by design.
164
We sweat the details so nobody else has to.

Leadership team mottos

For managers, and for the promises a leadership team makes to everyone else.

165
Lead by going first.
166
Listen more than you speak.
167
Serve the team that serves the customer.
168
Give credit loudly, give feedback carefully.
169
Clear goals, then get out of the way.
170
Decide, explain, adjust.
171
Our job is to remove obstacles.
172
Grow people, and the results follow.
173
Ask before you answer.
174
Own the miss, share the win.
175
Say the hard thing kindly.
176
Make it safe to bring bad news.

Project team mottos

For a team that exists until the launch, then celebrates and disbands.

177
Scope is a promise, not a suggestion.
178
One milestone at a time.
179
Know what done looks like.
180
Say it early, fix it cheap.
181
No surprises on launch day.
182
Fewer meetings, clearer notes.
183
Risks named are risks tamed.
184
Small updates often beat big updates late.
185
Everyone knows the next step.
186
Launch together, learn together.
187
Deadlines kept, friendships intact.
188
Decide once, write it down.

Remote team mottos

For teams that share a calendar but not a kitchen.

189
Miles apart, on the same page.
190
Different time zones, one team.
191
Distance is just a detail.
192
Close in every way but the map.
193
Write it down, share it wide.
194
Cameras optional, kindness required.
195
Over-communicate, then say it once more.
196
Trust travels well.
197
Async by default, there when it counts.
198
No desk in common, everything else shared.
199
Log on, lean in.
200
Remote, never distant.

20 catchy team chants and cheers

A chant is a motto you shout together. Keep it to a few words so nobody has to memorize anything, and let people clap along if shouting isn't their thing.

Call and response

One person calls, everyone answers. Run it three times, louder each time.

1
Leader: “Who's got this?” Team: “We've got this!”
2
Leader: “One team!” Team: “One goal!”
3
Leader: “When I say all, you say in. All!” Team: “In!”
4
Leader: “How do we win?” Team: “Together!”
5
Leader: “Who do we work for?” Team: “Each other!”
6
Leader: “Ready?” Team: “Always!”
7
Leader: “What's the plan?” Team: “Help each other, hit the goal!”

Huddle breaks

Everyone puts a hand in the middle, or claps along if you would rather not touch hands.

8
Hands in. Team on three: one, two, three, TEAM!
9
Together on three: one, two, three, TOGETHER!
10
Hands in. Goal on three: one, two, three, [your goal]!
11
Clap it in: one clap, two claps, three claps, GO!
12
Three cheers for the crew: hip hip, hooray!

Rhymes and spell-outs

Say it in rhythm. Clapping on the beat helps the shy half of the room.

13
We plan it, we do it, there's really nothing to it!
14
Give me a T! Give me an E! Give me an A! Give me an M! What's that spell? TEAM!
15
Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? [Name]! [Name]! Yay, [Name]!
16
Up top, down low, this team is good to go!
17
Ready, set, here we go, [team name] runs the show!
18
Monday, Friday, all week through, there's nothing this team can't do!

Cheers for video calls

Audio lags on a call, so keep it to one word or one tap.

19
Everyone unmute. On three, shout the motto: one, two, three!
20
Chat cheer: on “go,” everyone sends the same emoji at once. Go!

Latin mottos and what they mean

Latin sounds serious on a crest or a trophy. These ten are well known, and the translations are the standard ones.

E pluribus unum: Out of many, one.
On the Great Seal of the United States and on US coins.
Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno: One for all, all for one.
The traditional motto of Switzerland.
Citius, altius, fortius: Faster, higher, stronger.
The Olympic motto. In 2021 the word communiter, “together,” was added to it.
Semper paratus: Always ready.
The motto of the US Coast Guard.
Semper fidelis: Always faithful.
The motto of the US Marine Corps.
Per aspera ad astra: Through hardships to the stars.
Kansas uses the same words in a different order, Ad astra per aspera, as its state motto.
Acta, non verba: Deeds, not words.
The motto of the US Merchant Marine Academy.
Labor omnia vincit: Work conquers all.
The state motto of Oklahoma.
Esse quam videri: To be, rather than to seem.
The state motto of North Carolina.
Festina lente: Make haste slowly.
A classical proverb: move quickly, but with care.

How to write a team motto in 15 minutes

Run this at the end of a team meeting. You need sticky notes or a shared doc, a timer and everyone on the team: a motto the team wrote gets used, and one handed down gets ignored.

Minutes 0 to 2: ask one question. Write it where everyone can see it: “What do we want other teams to say about working with us?” Everyone thinks alone, no talking yet.
Minutes 2 to 5: three words each. Each person writes three words or short phrases on sticky notes, or in a shared doc if you are remote. One idea per note.
Minutes 5 to 8: group the notes. Put similar notes together and name each pile. Keep the two biggest piles. Those are what your team already believes.
Minutes 8 to 12: draft in pairs. Each pair writes one motto of six words or fewer from the two themes, using one of the patterns below.
Minutes 12 to 14: read aloud and vote. Say each draft out loud twice. Everyone gets two votes. The line with the most votes wins, and ties go to the shorter one.
Minute 15: test it and set a date. Ask if you would say it on a hard day without rolling your eyes. If yes, it's yours. Put a date in the calendar to review it in a year.

Five patterns to draft from

This over that. Name what you choose when two good things compete. Example: Team over ego.
Three verbs. Three actions in the order you do them. Example: Ask. Listen. Act.
Two halves. A fact about you, then what you make of it. Example: Miles apart, on the same page.
A rhyme. Two short lines that end on the same sound. Example: Share the load, own the road.
A promise. One thing people can always expect from you. Example: We stay until it's solved.

Stuck for words in the first five minutes? Start from our list of words to describe company culture. If the team still needs a name to go with the motto, the team name generator has 300.

Where to use your team motto

The first slide of every team meeting, for the first month.
The topic line of your team channel or group chat.
A shirt, mug or sticker, once the motto has lasted a quarter.
The new hire welcome doc, with one sentence on what it means.
The name of a monthly award for the person who lived it best.
The last line of a kickoff, said out loud by everyone.

For the chat itself, see our group chat names. For the shirt or the mug, our company swag ideas cover what people keep, and KraftyLab’s custom logo gifts put your branding on a gift people would want anyway. Allow about 4 weeks for custom work.

Launch the motto at a team event

A new motto sticks once people have said it out loud together. A hosted game show gives you that moment: teams compete under their own names, a live host keeps score for about 60 minutes, and you can let the winning team lead the first cheer. Book about 2 weeks ahead, or get a free quote with your date and headcount.

Hosted game shows, two ways: on Zoom for remote teams (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request), or live at your office in 17 US cities. Live prices below, or see every virtual game show.