Motivation

Providing 360 degree feedback, employee surveys & leadership training since 1995

National Learning Institute established 1995

Are Your Employees Motivated?

Employee Feedback Surveys are the Key to Employee Motivation

This article may be freely published electronically. It may be reprinted for individual use in hard copy but may not be reprinted in hard copy for commercial purposes.

When was the last time you felt excited, motivated and extremely keen to be at work? Chances are when you had a job that really interested you, had control over what you did and how you did it, and you didn’t have any worries about “zealous boss” interference or job security. It’s a great feeling - we can all probably tell stories of when we were most “motivated” at work.

As managers, do we try to provide this same level of motivation for our employees? Or, are we fixated on striving to achieve the deadlines, budgets and targets that are set for us (and that seem to be getting tougher and tougher and placing more and more stress on us and our people), and forgetting what it was really like when we worked in an environment that was truly “motivational”.

My challenge to managers, is to think back to when they were most motivated at work and identify the reasons why (list them on a sheet of paper as dot points). Then, set about implementing these same conditions for their own people. (Draw up your own list now and see how it compares with mine)

I’ve issued this challenge to managers over the last 20 years in management development forums and invariably their “motivational conditions” they identify are:

· Autonomy – the chance to take control over a complete project or unit of work in which I am really interested

· Responsibility – for setting goals and targets and being accountable for achieving them

· Recognition – for achieving meaningful results

· Development – of my skills, knowledge and capabilities to their full potential

I then ask them to identify the things that really irritate and annoy them and (often) change what could have been a motivating workplace into a drudgery. They list:

· Bosses who do not give recognition, or worse still, take the credit themselves

· A lack of feeling of “team”, ie., we are in this together

· Constant implied or implicit threats of demotion or dismissal

· Insufficient salary (by comparison to others in the firm or in the industry)

If these sound familiar, then you’re right! Frederick Herzberg in his classic article http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/ developed two similar lists nearly forty years ago that he called “Motivators” and “Satisfiers”.

Do they hold true today?

Research into turnover rates for young employees (20 – 30 yrs) shows that in some industries, the turnover rate of young employees is as high as 25% due to lack of perceived career development and training, and limited opportunities for involvement in other areas of their profession. These younger people:

· Are more opportunistic in taking new jobs.

· Are more mobile.

· Have greater expectations.

· Are easily bored.

Andrew Heathcote http://www.brw.com.au/stories/20040226/21726.aspx in answer to this challenge suggests that managers need to:

· Be honest during interviews.

· Be serious about performance reviews.

· Do more career mapping.

· Create a forum to develop a greater spirit of involvement.

· Provide more job rotation.

· Provide more rotation between offices.

· Develop specific training.

· Introduce variety.

· Develop forums for social interaction.

· Consider providing sabbaticals (so they can travel without resigning).

· Increase the availability of unpaid leave.

Richard Layard www.pfd.co.uk/clients/layardr/b-aut.html suggests that work plays a very important part in our happiness and that a lot of our happiness actually comes from the work we do. And the job that we do is affected by how we are allowed to do it!

(Managers this is your cue!!!!)

Firing Someone

– Does it have to be painful, for them and you?

This article may be freely published electronically. It may be reprinted for individual use in hard copy but may not be reprinted in hard copy for commercial purposes.

The need to write this article came about through the recent experience of two of my friends. Both had been fired. One for supposed poor performance (although she had never been counselled and at the time was in fact on sick leave) and one because the start up facility she was employed by, suddenly closed down. Both were senior managers. Both were loyal, hardworking employees but are now very angry and taking legal action against their former employers. Why are they so angry? One could say it’s because they have lost their jobs and this would be quite understandable. However, the main action that has triggered their anger and catapulted them down the legal pathway (in both cases), was that they were informed of their dismissals by emails. Yes, that’s right by email! They were never given the courtesy of a face to face discussion.

Many managers, when faced with the challenge of firing someone, forget, or are unaware of the emotions that are experienced by the person being fired. Nor are they aware of the behaviour that most often results from these emotions. It has been well documented that the death of a loved one, a marriage or long term relationship breakup and the loss of one’s job, have an equal and similar impact on one’s emotions. Think for a moment about the loss of one of your dear relatives or friends through death – how did you feel? That’s exactly the same feeling that people have when they suddenly and unexpectedly lose their jobs.

The psychologists tell us that there are 5 stages that people go through in this “grief cycle” – Shock, Resistance (often manifested as anger), Acceptance (of the current situation), Exploration (of new opportunities), Commitment (to a new future). Can any of these emotions be managed via email?

I can well recall the first time as a manager I had to fire someone. It was for poor performance and I was scared. I did not sleep the night before wondering what I would say and what would be her reaction. I carried out the interview in the morning with great fear and trepidation. I was not sure how the interview went, but was relieved when it was over and then took a break for lunch, but was unable to eat. I did not know about the “5 stages” at the time, I only knew that I had to do the right thing by the organisation and by the employee. I arrived back from my break to find a box of chocolates on my desk with a very nice note from the employee saying how much she appreciated my courtesy and kindness. I guess, intuitively I must have got something right.

Now, from years of experience, I know two things about firing someone:

· Firstly, the person at all times must maintain his or her self esteem. This is one of the most basic and important needs that all people have (emailing someone, or even worse as I heard since starting this article, texting, sends a clear message that they are not worthy of a face to face discussion)

· Secondly, it is vitally important to realise that all people will go through the five stages of the grief cycle (quite often at different paces) and as a manager, it is our role and responsibility to help them progress through these stages, particularly the first two that are likely to occur when they are still with us.

How do you do this? Well, in my usual style when writing an article such as this, I did my web research. Sad to say there was not much there. Under “firing someone” there seemed to be a plethora of articles about the legal requirements and many about the steps to take. For example, one article suggested the following steps: Give warning, Document, Document, Document! Time it right, Prepare the paperwork, Don't go it alone (ensure you have someone from HR there), Ensure privacy, Be brief, Watch your tone, Seek feedback, Give a good send-off. Few of these steps would address the 5 stages of grief. Many could probably be done by email with the same impact and result! If these steps were followed, I wonder what “feedback” the manager would receive – would there in fact be a “Good send-off”?

I’m not suggesting that we don’t have to address some of these. For example, you must cover all of the documentary and legal responsibilities pertinent to your country and organisation’s requirements. But keep in mind that the fired employee is first and foremost a person just like you with feelings and emotions that must be managed.

Here are some suggestions (assuming of course that you have fulfilled all the other requirements) for the next time that you have to fire someone:

· Before taking any action, ask yourself: “How would I feel if my boss came to me today and said – you’re fired!” Write down a list of words that describe your feelings.

· If you were in the situation of being fired, how would you like your boss to handle it? What would you like him/her to do and to say? Jot down some of your thoughts.

· Now write down a list of the words that best describe your feelings about having to fire someone. Review all the words you have scribbled down so far and pick out the two or three strongest. Also keep in mind how you would like to be handled in similar circumstances.

· Script the start of the conversation using the two or three words you have discovered. e.g. “This is really difficult for me. I feel apprehensive and worried that I won’t get it right.”

· The next part of your opening script will depend on the circumstances. For example in a “lay off” situation, it might go something like; “I have been advised that I have to terminate the employment of a number of people. I am really sad to say that your name is on that list”. Or, for a non performance issue, it could be something like; “We have discussed my expectations about your performance and unfortunately they are still not being met. It now really saddens me (or whatever your feelings are) that I will have to terminate your employment”.

· Be careful. You can only script the opening few lines, but they are important because they set the scene for the entire interview.

· It is most likely that during the remainder of the interview, the employee will travel backward and forwards between “shock” and “resistance”. Give your reasons for the termination clearly and succinctly, but do not get into a discussion about justifying yours (or your employer’s) reasons. Doing so will keep the employee fixed in either of the first two stages and will not help them to progress. Only sincere listening and clear questioning (not reasoning) will help the employee progress to the acceptance stage.

One factor that is often overlooked when firing someone, is that the way it is done can have as much impact (positive or negative) on the people who remain. They will be watching (and will invariably get a first hand report from their colleague) about how well or otherwise the process was managed. The people who remain in the organisation, and whom I assume you want to keep, get a good look at both the manager’s and the organisation’s real people management skills when under the stress of firing someone. They’ll most certainly ask “Could this happen to me?”

Five Of The Worst Mistakes Managers Can Make And How To Avoid Them

This article may be freely published electronically. It may be reprinted for individual use in hard copy but may not be reprinted in hard copy for commercial purposes.

I well remember the first time I was “corrected” by a manager. I was a young bank clerk and had received a transaction that was incorrect, from a much more senior person (a manager) in another branch of the bank. I sent the transaction back with a note asking for it to be corrected. Next thing I hear was my own manager shouting at me from his office. Apparently, I had upset his “good colleague” and I must now go and apologise in person! There was no discussion as to whether I was right or wrong about either the transaction or what I did – just “Go immediately and apologise!” I decided then and there that when I got to be a manager, I would treat my staff differently. Do you have some horror stories about being managed? Here are five that have been related to me by colleagues and friends and for those of you who are managers, some suggestions on how to avoid similar mistakes.

1. Jane worked as a waitress in a classy café. Her boss would not allow her or any of the other staff to talk to one another unless it was directly related to work. In fact if they did, they were often chastised in front of customers. As a further measure, he installed cameras supposedly for security, but which were used to monitor staff interaction. When Jane and her colleagues picked up their pay, they were always lectured about what they had done wrong during the week – there was never any praise. As you might expect, staff turnover was very high.

What’s the management principle that is being abused here? Well, there are many, but the key one is “Treat Staff As Entire People, Not Just Work Resources”. Worklife and life outside of work cannot be separated – the person is the same person, no matter where they are. As a manager, you employ the entire person, not just their mind and body during working hours. In fact, it is probably because of who they are as an entire person that they were originally hired. It’s often amazing what people can become if they are allowed to. Chances are, that the most memorable restaurant experience you have ever had was in a restaurant where Jane and her colleagues were allowed to be themselves, i.e. the full person.

2. Rob worked as a qualified, but junior physiotherapist in a busy hospital. He along with three of his colleagues were asked by their manager to discuss amongst themselves how they would like their rosters to be organised (i.e. who would do what shifts etc.) and put forward their proposal. Rob and his colleagues were very happy with their final choices as they had considered all of their personal and professional needs and felt that their decision was the best for all. A day before the new rosters were to start, Rob found out by rumour during his lunch break that their roster recommendations were not to be implemented. Worse still, the rosters decided on by their manager did not suit any of the four. This decision by their manager resulted in a severe lowering of morale within the team and created a culture of mistrust with management. In future, they would be very wary of any suggestion from management.

”Give People Responsibility for Managing Their Own Work” is the key management principle that Rob’s manager needed to apply. Obviously, the manager started out this way, but took back the responsibility very quickly. One of the five intrinsic motivators that all people have is “Responsibility” (these motivators are covered in detail in my article “Are Happy Employees Motivated Employees” (http://www.nationallearninginstitute.com/index_files/EmployeeFeedbackandMotivation.htm ). Once performance expectations have been set and agreed, giving people the responsibility as to how they will achieve these expectations can be highly motivating.

3. Can the “Responsibility” principle be taken too far? Take the case of Emma, another professional person who worked in a team with a very relaxed boss. Emma’s manager gave everyone a lot of freedom in how they managed themselves. For example, the manager introduced an informal “time in lieu” system that allowed people to take time off when they had worked extra hours without claiming overtime. On the surface, this sounded like a great idea and was popular with all the staff. However, one of Emma’s colleagues started to abuse the system to the extent that she actually did private work within work hours that enabled her to build up her “time in lieu”. Emma became very agitated and demotivated by the actions of her colleague. What could Emma’s manager have done to prevent this?

The key to ensuring a scheme like this works, is to cover all the bases at the start. For example, when setting the groundrules for the scheme, ask the staff to consider and recommend “What should happen if one of our colleagues abuses the system? What will we do? What will we say (to our colleague and our manager)? What action should the manager take?” Using this approach, the manager still holds true to the “Responsibility” principle, because he/she is ensuring that the staff take responsibility for both their actions and the consequences of their actions.

4. Andrew was a long term (10 years) professional in a team of highly qualified people who were given the responsibility of managing their own work. People enjoyed their work, they enjoyed the freedom, they enjoyed the challenges their roles brought. Andrew and his colleagues were highly motivated. They were highly respected by management. Andrew’s manager was obviously good at managing the “Responsibility” principle – it was in another area of management that she suddenly (and unexpectedly) fell down. Because of the challenging nature of the work and the range of experiences that were available within Andrew’s team, management decided to send all the new graduates to Andrew’s manager for training and development. The manager grasped the opportunity and immediately started to give all the new recruits the most interesting and challenging work. The old timers (such as Andrew) were relegated to the mundane. Within five months, six of the very experienced people had resigned.

What went wrong within this highly motivated team? Andrew’s manager lost sight of one of the other five intrinsic motivators – “The Opportunity for Growth and Development” (see “Are Happy Employees Motivated Employees” (http://www.nationallearninginstitute.com/index_files/EmployeeFeedbackandMotivation.htm ). No matter how long a person has been in the role, they still look for opportunities to expand their self knowledge, skills and competencies – they need to be challenged. Andrew’s manager certainly applied this to the new recruits, but forgot to keep applying it with her long term staff.

5. To finish, here’s another restaurant case. Margaret was one of a team of five people employed in a restaurant where all tips were shared amongst the staff at the end of each shift. Staff members took it in turn to count and distribute the tips. Sometimes, mistakes were made which made the others annoyed. Instead of trying to correct the mistakes, management decided to take over the responsibility for calculating and distributing tips. Suddenly, the amount of tips went down (considerably). Apart from dishonesty on the part of management, what is the management principle that is being abused here?

”Tips” are a form of recognition from customers that they have received good service. I appreciate that in some countries, tips are part of the service fee. However, even where this is the case, the amount of tips depends on how well customers perceive the service they have received. “Recognition for Achievement” is a further one of the five intrinsic motivators. If this is taken away, people tend to only perform to a certain standard (that enables them to keep their job), not above and beyond what one would normally expect. You can find out more about “Recognition” and its impact by visiting my article “Have You Been Appreciated Lately?” (http://www.nationallearninginstitute.com/index_files/EmployeeFeedbackandMotivationLeadership.htm)

I trust that these five cases have been useful for you in clarifying some of the key management principles that help people remain motivated. If you are a manager and would like to discuss how you can further implement some of these, please email me via www.nationallearninginstitute.com.au