Motivation Archives

Staff Motivation

Imagine trying to get someone to run fast while attached to an open parachute. Its hard.  So how do we motivate this person to run faster? If you said “Get rid of the parachute” you would be wrong. While eliminating the obstacle will make the job easier and they probably will be able to run faster, but it does not mean we have increased the motivation of the runner.

A very common misconception is that in order to motivate employees you need to identify the de-motivators and then eliminate them. While this is always helpful, it does not always lead to a motivated workforce. A better way to think of de-motivators is to imagine them as rocks in everyone’s shoes when they are climbing a mountain. The pebbles make the journey a lot more difficult. Removing them will definitely create a more satisfying environment but does it increase your motivation to climb the mountain? Probably not.

The first person to make this distinction between motivators and de-motivators is a psychologist by the name of Frederick Herzberg. By studying workplace motivation, he made a profound discovery that is still talked about more than 40 years later. Herzberg found that the things which satisfied and motivated people at work, are different in kind from the things that make them dissatisfied. Things like low salaries, uncomfortable workspaces, stupid processes, annoying bosses, and dysfunctional teams, lead to job dissatisfaction. Herzberg called these Hygiene Factors as they were mostly related to the environmental factors surrounding a job, rather than the work itself. Herzberg’s research also found that people are more motivated by achievement, recognition, increasing responsibility, growth, and the work itself.

In order to increase motivation, we cannot only focus on eliminating these so-called “Hygiene Factors,” but must also find ways to enrich the jobs themselves, so employees can experience achievement, recognition, increasing responsibility, challenge and interesting work. So our goal should be to reduce sources of employee dissatisfaction while striving to increase motivation through enriching the jobs themselves. Herzberg’s theory is called the Motivation-Hygiene Theory, also known as the Two-Factor Theory.

Practical Application

Make your own list of Hygiene Factors (rocks in everyone’s shoes) that are currently lowering job satisfaction. Try and figure out which of them are the most prevalent and see if you can proactively begin to eliminate the problems. Secondly, take a long hard look at the work which each of your direct reports is required to do each day. Within their job functions, ask yourself if there are ample opportunities to experience achievement, recognition, challenge, responsibility, and interesting work.

Below are a few ideas on how you might enrich someone’s job in order to increase their motivation.

-       Introduce new and more difficult tasks not previously handled

-       Remove some of the controls and give them more freedom in how they accomplish their role

-       Grant them additional authority in their role

-       Help some of your staff specialize and become experts in certain niche areas

-       Let employees be able to touch a project from start to finish increasing their sense of achievement

-       Make sure employees have specific feedback which helps them see their progress

-       Make sure employees are regularly recognized for achievements

Reducing Hygiene Factors as well as increasing job enrichment are both essential for creating a  motivated and satisfying workplace.

Want to learn more about Employee Motivation. Don’t miss the webinar. Click Here.

Three Words

What will define you in 2011? Specifically, I am talking about your leadership. What will it mean to be led by you over the next 12 months? Its a great question to ask because it forces us to look at things from our employee’s perspective. This is the foundation of Autonomy Supportive leadership.

To move beyond a rhetorical question however, lets get practical. I’m going to give you a powerful exercise.

1. First write down one paragraph detailing what you want it to be like for people who are under your leadership. When people ask your employees what its like to work for you, what do you want them to say.

2. After you do that I want you to summarize your entire paragraph in only three words. What three words are going to define your leadership in 2011? Will it be Inspiration, Fairness, and Excellence? How about Visionary, Innovative and Creative? Or maybe Execution, Results, Caring. You pick your three words that you want to define your leadership this year. To help, imagine one of your employees at the end of the year chatting with a friend who asks “What’s your boss like?” and after pausing a moment they sum you up in three words. What are they going to be?

3. For each of the three words write down 10 practical applications. For example if one of your words was Visionary then you want to write down a list of ten possible ways you might demonstrate this quality. Maybe its how you will conduct your team meetings, or telling one employee each month how much you believe in them, or creating a unique scoreboard to measure your progress, or learning to speak in a more compelling and visionary way.

This exercise is very powerful and it helps you take what are sometimes nebulous concepts, and put them into practical action.

To finish, find a creative way to print out your three words and post them somewhere you will see them on a daily basis.

Download the worksheet below to walk you through this exercise.

The Perfect Christmas Card

Holidays are coming and you know it is customary for you as a manager to send greeting cards to your staff. The problem is you hate the whole process. I am going to show you how to create a holiday greeting card like they have never laid eyes on before.

In our virtual world of email and text messaging, the hand written card has been placed on the endangered species list. The good news is that with rarity comes great value. I want to encourage you as a manager to redefine the holiday greeting card. I want you to create something that will actually move your staff emotionally. What we have to get away from are the usual cards everyone writes each year. You know, the one’s where we sign our name and maybe write the words “Seasons Greetings” if they are not already included on the card. I am talking about a new standard, a human resources work of art. Imagine for a minute that this year, your employees will actually keep the card you write them. Imagine that they actually take it home and show their family, and that they even bring it back to work in January and keep it in their desk to read every time they are feeling discouraged. Imagine that they auction it off on eBay for a ton of money as “Best Card Ever Written…” Ok, now we are getting carried away.

We have become numb to the mechanical expectation of exchanging cards, and the good news for you and me is expectations are at an all time low. Employees do not expect their greeting cards from their managers to say much. So if you are willing to spend a little extra time, you can make a big impression on your employees this holiday season. Here are some ideas how.

Don’t assume Hallmark can say it better than you.

In fact go and buy the Cards that are blank on the inside. This forces you to write something yourself. Now what do you write?

Personalize it

In the card you want to write more than just ‘Happy Holidays,’ or ‘Thanks for all the great effort.’ Use the card to inspire, thank, recognize and uplift the employee.

Praise the past

Include a memory detailing one of their specific accomplishments during the year. “Bob, I’ll never forget how in March you organized that meeting when tensions were high and you set everyone at ease. That was pure magic. You set an example for us all.”

Comment on their growth

Let each employee know how much you have seen him or her grow this year. “Sara, I am so proud to see how much you have grown as an up-and-coming manager. I remember how at the start of the year you used to get a bit stressed about the paperwork and now you handle it with ease which has freed you up to use that Midas Touch you seem to have with the rest of the staff.”

Let them know they are integral to the team

People want to feel they are needed. Let them know specifically how the team relies on them. “Joe, I hope you realize how important you are to the team here. Not only are you the one that cheers everyone up, but your knowledge base continues is incredible and continues to grow. When anyone in the office needs to know something it’s always “Go ask Joe.” I don’t know what we would do without you.”

Point out where you have learned from them

This is huge because people want to feel respected by you as a boss. If they feel like you have learned something from them, it will communicate a huge amount of respect from you. Whether it is something big or as little as how someone handles customers on the phone, the key is to let them know they have value. “Kelly, you may not realize it but I have learned a lot from you this year. I see how patient you are when training the new hires, and it has made me begin to imitate that quality in you. Because of your example I have become a more patient manager, thank you.”

Acknowledge Tough Times

If an employee suffered from something during the year, maybe an illness, death of a family member, or trials with home life, you can also comment on how you admire them for persisting in tough circumstances and that your thoughts will be with them this holidays. The key here is to be sensitive and really care. This will mean a lot.

If you follow even a couple of these ideas, it will make your greeting cards stand out. Your staff will not bother comparing cards to see if you wrote the same thing in everyone’s card because they are all so individualized. Remember the key is it has to be genuine and from the heart. This is not just a way to manipulate your staff into staying with you longer.

I know what you might be thinking, how on earth will you have time to write a card like this to everyone of your employees? That’s why I am sending this to you in November. The secret is to start now. Do not wait until December, because December is the busiest month of all. Write one a day, or one a week depending on how many direct reports you have. In the end it is a small thing to do that goes a long way. All you need to do is start early and you will be amazed at how many employees warmly thank you for the card at the company Christmas party. You may even here “It’s the nicest card any boss has ever given me.”

One more thing. In light of this year’s economic tough times, it is things like these that make a huge difference. Many people are heading into one of the most stressed Christmases they have had in years. Do not underestimate the nice touch this will add to your staff.

How To Motivate On Boring and Tedious Tasks

Watch this short video below and download the motivation blueprint.

So next time you need an employee to do something that is not a lot of fun remember these three things.
1. Start with their P.O.V.

2. Give them a reason why (Try and link this to something larger like purpose, people or the larger picture)

3. Try and give them as much choice in how or when they carry out the task

Download the Motivation Blueprint