Business:
The Ultimate Resource Introduction by Daniel Goleman
Published by Perseus Publishing
August 2002; 0-7382-0242-8
Motivating Your Staff in a Time of Change
Checklist
This checklist is designed for managers with responsibilities
for managing, motivating, and developing staff at a time when organizational
structures and processes are undergoing continual change.
In today's turbulent, often chaotic, environment, commercial
success, depends on employees using their full talents. Yet in spite of the
myriad of available theories and practices available, managers often view
motivation as something of a mystery. In part this is because individuals are
motivated by different things and in different ways. In addition, these are
times when delayering and the flattening of hierarchies can create insecurity
and lower staff morale. Moreover, more staff than ever before are working part
time or on limited-term contracts, and these employees are often especially hard
to motivate.
Definition
Twyla Dell writes of motivation, "The heart of motivation is to give people what
they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they
want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity,
quality, and service." (An Honest Day's Work (1988))
Advantages A positive motivation philosophy and practice should improve productivity,
quality, and service. Motivation helps people:
achieve goals;
gain a positive perspective;
create the power to change;
build self-esteem and capability,
manage their own development and help others with theirs.
Disadvantages
There are no real disadvantages to successfully motivating employees, but there
are many barriers to overcome.
Barriers may include unaware or absent managers, inadequate buildings,
outdated equipment, and entrenched attitudes, for example:
"We don't get paid extra to work harder."
"We've always done it this way."
"Our bosses don't have a clue what we do."
"It doesn't say that in my job description."
"I'm going to do as little as possible without getting fired."
Such views will take persuasion, perseverance, and the proof of experience to
break down.
Action Checklist
1. Read the Gurus Familiarize yourself with Herzberg's hygiene theory, McGregor's X and Y
theories and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Although these theories date back some
years, they are still valid today. Consult a digest to gain a basic
understanding of their main principles; it will be invaluable for building a
climate of honesty, openness, and trust.
2. What Motivates You?
Determine which factors are important to you in your working life and how they
interact. What has motivated you and demotivated you in the past?
Understand the differences between real, longer-term motivators and
short-term spurs.
3. Find Out What Your People Want From Work
People may want more status, higher pay, better working conditions, and flexible
benefits. But find out what really motivates your employees by asking them in
performance appraisals, attitude surveys, and informal conversations what they
want most from their jobs.
Do people want, for example:
more interesting work?
more efficient bosses?
more opportunity to see the end result of their work?
greater participation?
greater recognition?
greater challenge?
more opportunities for development?
4. Walk the Job
Every day, find someone doing something well and tell the person so. Make sure
the interest you show is genuine without going overboard or appearing to watch
over people's shoulders. If you have ideas as to how employees' work could be
improved, don't shout it out, but help them to find their way instead. Earn
respect by setting an example; it is not necessary to be able do everything
better than your staff. Make it clear what levels of support employees can
expect.
5. Remove Demotivators
Identify factors that demotivate staff -- they may be physical (buildings,
equipment) or psychological (boredom, unfairness, barriers to promotion, lack of
recognition). Some of them can be dealt with quickly and easily; others require
more planning and time to work through. The fact that you are concerned to find
out what is wrong and do something about it is in itself a motivator.
6. Demonstrate Support
Whether your working culture is one that clamps down on mistakes and penalizes
error or a more tolerant one that espouses mistakes as learning opportunities,
your staff need to understand the kind and levels of support they can expect.
Motivation practice and relationship building often falter because staff do not
feel they are receiving adequate support.
7. Be Wary of Cash Incentives
Many people say they are working for money and claim in conversation that their
fringe benefits are an incentive. But money actually comes low down in the list
of motivators, and it doesn't motivate for long after a raise. Fringe benefits
can be effective in attracting new employees, but benefits rarely motivate
existing employees to use their potential more effectively.
8. Decide on an Action Having listened to staff, take steps to alter your organization's policies
and attitudes, consulting fully with staff and unions. Consider policies that
affect flexible working, reward, promotion, training and development, and
participation.
9. Manage Change
Adopting policies is one thing, implementing them is another. If poor motivation
is entrenched, you may need to look at the organization's whole style of
management. One of the most natural of human instincts is to resist change even
when it is designed to be beneficial. The way change is introduced has its own
power to motivate or demotivate, and can often be the key to success or failure.
If you:
tell -- instruct or deliver a monologue -- you are ignoring your staff's
hopes, fears, and expectations;
tell and sell -- try to persuade people -- even your most compelling
reasons will not hold sway over the long term if you don't allow discussion;
consult -- it will be obvious if you have made up your mind beforehand;
look for real participation -- sharing the problem solving and decision
making with those who are to implement change -- you can begin to expect
commitment and ownership along with the adaptation and compromise that will
occur naturally.
10. Understand Learning Preferences
Change involves learning. In their Manual of Learning Styles (1992),
Peter Honey and Alan Mumford distinguish four basic styles of learning:
activists -- like to get involved in new experiences, problems, or
opportunities. They're not too happy back, observing, and being impartial;
theorists -- are comfortable with concepts and theory. They don't like
being thrown in at the deep end without apparent purpose or reason;
reflectors -- like to take their time and think things through. They don't
like being pressured into rushing from one thing to another;
pragmatists -- need a link between the subject matter and the job in hand.
They learn best when they can test things out.
As each of us learns with different styles, preferences, and approaches, your
people will respond best to stimuli and suggestions that take account of the way
they do things best.
11. Provide Feedback
Feedback is one of the most valuable elements in the motivation cycle. Don't
keep staff guessing how their development, progress, and accomplishments are
shaping up. Offer comments with accuracy and care, keeping in mind next steps or
future targets.
Dos and Don'ts For Motivating Your Staff in a Time of Change
Do
Recognize that you don't have all the answers.
Take time to find out what makes others tick and show genuine
caring.
Lead, encourage, and guide staff -- don't force them.
Tell your staff what you think.
Don't
Don't make assumptions about what drives others.
Don't assume others are like you.
Don't force people into things that are supposedly good for
them.
Don't neglect the need for inspiration.
Don't delegate work -- delegate responsibility!
Thought Starters
People don't mind being in a rocking boat so much if they know
where it's headed.
Staff want a sense of direction, not directiveness.
Your morale infects others, whether you like it or not.
Trust your staff to perform 25 percent better than you expect.
From Business: The Ultimate Resource Copyright 2002 - Bloomsbury
Publishing Plc. All Rights Reserved. This [excerpt] may not be reproduced,
copied or distributed in whole or in part, in any manner, or by any means,
without the prior written permission of Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, MA.
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Business:
The Ultimate Resource
