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THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES
He was late twice last week. Yesterday, you asked him for an update on his project, but you haven't gotten it yet. This morning, he sat in a staff meeting and looked bored. He never said a word. You tried to get him to tell you how things are going with his work, but his one word answers don't tell you much. What is going on with this employee? How can you inspire him to boost his productivity and behave more like a team player? While the answer to this question will depend on the specific employee, several different issues are commonly at the root of such behavior. Once you have identified the problem, a course of action can be developed. THE UNINITIATED WORKER A surprising large number of workers do not know what behaviors are desired and rewarded by employers. If you think about it, this is not taught, unless you are seeking a business degree. While many people are able to deduce what is expected, others do not tune into this on their own. This orientation to work can be described as "paycheck driven" as opposed to "career driven". Unfortunately, this attitude can become infectious and this "minimum standard" is adopted by others in the office. Possible solutions Management may have to play an educational role for the uninitiated employee. A formal orientation after hire, that addresses both expected and desired work behaviors is critical. While most larger organizations conduct such formal orientations, some do not provide include detailed, behavioral guidelines. Smaller companies often skip this step entirely. It is also helpful, during this orientation, to help employees grasp the "bigger picture" of the ways that their performance and team attitude can the company to thrive, and in turn, allow the company to reward them more fully For those who have never had a work mentor or do not recognize their role in contributing to the success of their company, assigning a work buddy, who is motivated for success, can help an unitiated employee to learn the behaviors that are most helpful on the job. Some other approaches may be even more effective. Peer group can be powerful force -- even during our adult years. If possible, one can try to position the employee (by both physical proximity and project assignment) around more enthusiastic and motivated staff. Perhaps others' more positive work attitudes can be as infectious as the unsophisticated employee's negative attitude has been. Another strategy may be to assign direct, tangible rewards to each assignment that the unsophisticated employee completes. These rewards should be small but should convey "appreciation", so they are not perceived to be a financial bonus (as this would perpetuate the "paycheck driven" orientation). Perhaps a book that reflects a personal interest of the individual, a lunch coupon, or a cup or figurine for their desks. Of course, one must think of all the employees that do their jobs without need for recognition at this level, to make sure that they do not feel penalized. Perhaps some other types of rewards for higher functioning employees (such as an achievement lunch in their honor) would keep them feeling well rewarded while giving the less motivated employee additional rewards toward which they can strive. THE SCATTERED EMPLOYEE The employee who has difficulty managing her time and prioritizing tasks may feel little hope for succeeding in her career. Therefore, motivation may be low. This worker continually spins her wheels. Her work product most likely reflects this lack of clear direction, and she may not be able to give much of a response when asked about her project's progess. Scattered employees are often overwhelmed. Possible Solutions Such individuals may benefit greatly from time management and organizational skills training. This training can be provided at the work site, or employees can be enrolled in workshops offered in the community. However, for such training to make a difference, these new skills must be practiced and refined on an on-going basis. Follow-up seminars are highly recommended, so that employees have additional tools to assist them in making these changes more permanent. Management will be key in providing in reinforcing the new work habits, by providing employees with clear feedback about the ways that the new skills are increasing job performance. An additional approach, if time permits, is for the direct supervisor of the employee to create a schedule of projects and due dates, to provide an "example" of ways that the job can be managed. However, it's important only to try this with employees who are likely to gain from this strategy in a brief period of time and then take over this structure themselves. Otherwise, the supervisor is at risk of getting into too much on-going micromanagement, which will not be cost effective. THE EMPLOYEE WITH CHRONIC PERSONAL CRISES These are the employees who can especially pull at the "heart strings" of management. Those that are in the throes of divorce, who are having serious problems with their children, who have chronically ill or aging family members, or serious financial problems (etc., etc.), can find it hard to concentrate at work. They also may be making a multitude of personal calls on work time and have frequent absences from work. You may want to be supportive of them -- but on the other hand -- you need their work completed and you don't need other staff resenting their time off. What to do? Possible Solutions If such an employee will acknowledge their personal struggles, you can suggest that they utilize the company's Employee Assistance Program or health insurance benefits to consult with a professional counselor. It is strongly recommended that you do not try to act as their lay counselor, as this can compromise your role as supervisor/evaluator. Also, a professional counselor may be able to recognize emotional patterns and offer resources to which you do not have access. Another strategy sometimes used by management is to give the employee a few days off work (paid or unpaid), to make arrangements that will reduce the frequency of personal interruptions to their work day. When this solution is activated,management must set the expectation that the employee will be more prepared to focus on their work upon his return from this leave. In all cases, managers must remember that while they can empathize with the troubled employee and provide referrals for assistance, a supervisor's primary role is insuring that the employee is fulfilling the requirements of his/her job description. After all, the company cannot thrive without productive employees. An additional note about unmotivated and scattered employees: While professional counseling is clearly indicated for the employee with personal problems, the unsophisticated employee may also be in need of counseling. Sometimes, this employee has issues with trust and/or authority, which leads to the covert expression of anger (i.e., through lack of effort at work and attempts to verbally undermine the employer). Similarly, the "scattered" employee may be experiencing significant emotional difficulties as well, that go far beyond a lack of time management and organizational skills. It may be worth considering recommending counseling for these individuals as well, especially if they are not responding to trainings and the positive reinforcement of supervisors. MANAGEMENT COULD ALSO BE THE SOURCE OF EMPLOYEES' LACK OF MOTIVATION Organizations must be willing evaluate themselves as seriously as they evaluate their employees. Managers and management groups are made up of human beings, who are not immune to having their own difficulties. The types of problems that can occur within management runs the gamut, as is true with employees. The non-responsive employee, utilized as an example at the beginning of this article, may be signaling a serious lack of communication (or trust) between employees and management. Some managers are experts in their technical area but need assistance in learning constructive ways to interact with their staff. Other managers may be under their own performance pressures and pass their anxieties on to supervisees. Yet other members of management may have their own life distractions, which makes them less accessible to others and leaves some of their employees floundering without adequate direction. Whatever the case, managers are well advised to encourage employees to provide them with feedback at regular intervals and to assure that there will be no negative repercussions for doing so. It is important also for upper level management to be vigilant of the climate at work, so that team functioning can be reviewed in an objective manner from bottom to top and top to bottom. Sometimes, the unraveling of problems at the management level are best handled by a management consultant. This process often takes the form of the consultant spending time on site, both observing and interviewing managers and their supervisees. Recommendations and a plan of action can then be developed. The consultant may or may not continue to be involved with the execution of the plan, depending on the complexity of the specific situation. IN SUMMARY We are all aware that businesses must have a viable service or product to thrive. We also know that employees with talent and experience in their respective fields are necessary for a business to succeed. It is equally important that the members of the organization be prepared to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Otherwise, the most brilliant business concept and all the professional talent in the world can be undermined by day to day operational difficulties, which are a product of the behaviors of members of the workgroup. With attention to the behavioral and interpersonal functioning of employees and work teams, many problems can be prevented or resolved before reaching critical levels. Conversely, the organization with motivated, cooperative and dedicated employees has the best chance of reaching its goals. Copyright 2002 Roberta Cohen For trauma/critical incident response, please dial (281) 433-1660 now. For non-emergency inquiries about our CISM services, please e-mail us at: info@path2solutions.com. |
