Recently I was working with a client, Bob, on a problem he was experiencing at work. He’s a VP for a high-tech company who has gone through more re-orgs, mergers, acquisitions and other corporate changes than I could possibly begin to remember.
But Bob is quite a guy. In fact he’s managed to survive quite nicely through all of the insanity. Bob came to a recent session with a big problem. His troops are getting restless (and unmotivated and disgruntled) because they haven’t received their usual yearly performance increase. It was supposed to happen in January.
Oops… It’s true – lots of companies are holding off on raises these days. At least salary freezes are better than layoffs, right? And if this salary freeze stuff is communicated clearly and honestly by company officials, most employees really do understand. They understand what’s going on with our economy. So they get it – times are tough all around. They don’t like it, but they get it. But Bob’s company made a critical error…they cried wolf. And more than once. You see Bob’s company told employees in January that the raises would come in March. And in March officials claimed the raises were coming in May. And in May…you can guess what happened. May came and left – no raises. But the employees did get another empty promise. Just two more months, guys. But alas, it’s November 1 and still no raises.
These days the company officials have stopped crying wolf. In fact, they aren’t saying anything at all. First make a bunch of empty promises and then clam up. Brilliant strategy. So what does this stroke of management communication genius mean for Bob? It means that he’s stuck with an apathetic staff who really doesn’t want to work hard for a company run by a bunch of liars. Bob’s problem is a common one – how do you keep your staff motivated when company officials make such bad decisions? Well, it’s really hard! It takes an incredible amount of dedication and hard work to pull it off. But it can be done. It has to be done. And as a manager it’s up to you to re-energize your staff and create a department where communication, teamwork and fun are seamlessly integrated into daily life. And it’s so worth it. Not only does doing this impact your success in your own job and the company’s bottom line, it helps you have an impact on other people’s lives.
Just think about the difference your employees will feel going from working for a company that they don’t really trust to working for a manager who is creating a fun, productive fulfilling environment. Big difference, huh? So what’s the plan of attack? Well, it’s a going to be a lot of hard work, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to start off this adventure with a declaration of commitment. I mean there will be times when you just want to throw in the towel and manage your staff like everyone else does. So to ensure that this won’t happen, you must stand firm in your beliefs that your new energized department is worth the effort. Make this commitment to yourself in whatever way is meaningful for you. Some of you need to simply tell yourself that you are committed to doing this. Others may need to write it down or tell a friend.
Whatever the case is, make a formal commitment and you’ll have a better chance of sticking to the program. Action Step for Success Are you feeling somewhat un-motivated yourself? Work through any issues you may be personally experiencing that are keeping you from committing to this department re-energization plan. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you control your own attitude. No-one else. So choose to get committed to the plan! You’ll be glad you did!
So…are you guys all revved up and ready to go? Are you committed to doing whatever it takes to motivate your staff and create a super-charged, mega-energized department?? As we discussed last time, your attitude and motivation level is absolutely critical to the success of your department re-energization plan. This plan just cannot work if you are anything less that 100% committed and motivated to make it happen. It’s up to you to model your work ethic and attitude to your staff. Now I’m not saying all of this to put undue pressure on you. I doubt you need any more of that. I’m just trying to over-emphasize it so that you will never lose sight of the importance you play in all of this.
On those days that you find yourself discouraged or un-motivated, remind yourself that YOU are the key to your department’s success!!! Okay, enough of that, let’s get onto the fun stuff. Uh, let me re-phrase that…Let’s get onto the stuff. Or should I re-phrase it yet again, perhaps a bit more formally this time…Let us proceed with the discussion of employee motivation techniques which, when implemented consistently over a period of time, will significantly enhance the attitude, motivation levels and therefore productivity of one’s staff. Nah, I like let’s get onto the stuff better. But what is this stuff? Well, there are six parts to this stuff.
1. Let them know your plans. As you may have heard me say before, communication is KEY. Especially when you are dealing with a situation like our current one. In our situation we are presuming that employees are de-moralized and de-motivated because Senior Management has been less than truthful or communicative. It’s up to you to assure your staff that you DO believe in telling them the truth and that you plan to keep them in the loop as much as you can. So tell them you are sorry that things have been especially tough and tell them that you are committed to turning things around so that your department can be a functional AND fun place to work. Announce that you are launching a plan to make your department the BEST and ask for their input. Ask them for ideas as to how you can work together to accomplish your goal of creating the “super-department.” Make sure to impress upon them that you are totally committed to the effort and that it is NOT just some B.S. cheerleading meeting.
2. Be involved, be visible and be around. Now more than ever before it’s really beneficial for you to be in your department. This shows your staff that you are involved in the daily departmental issues – you’re not just a figure-head sitting in your office reading the WSJ. So get out there. Help your employees out. Walk around and ask them how things are going. Be available for questions or consultation. Show them that you are part of the team and are there to help them be successful. And while you’re out there, spread good vibes. Don’t seem to be walking around just looking for problems (although you do want to keep an eye out for those). Be an upbeat, positive role-model for your employees. They need it!!
3. Clarify your expectations. To get this ship running smoothly, you’ll need to let your crew know exactly what they need to be doing. Now I’m not talking about micro-managing here. You don’t need to hover and hand-hold to make sure that things are getting done to your liking. What I do mean is clarifying expectations in a more general manner. Pull out those job descriptions and review them. Are they current? Are your employees performing functions that aren’t really even necessary? Since you are spending more time in your department now, it should be easy for you to get a handle on who’s spending their time doing what. Again, ask for their input. Ask them about how they see their role in the department and what they feel their most important responsibilities are. Action Steps for Success Now that the first three steps, or should I say “stuffs” have been outlined, it’s time to make them work for you. In order to let the team in on your department re-energization plans, schedule a really fun meeting. Put on your best “rah, rah team” hat and write up an outline of the things you are going to discuss and the kinds of questions you are going to ask to get people involved.
To set the tone, have food and drinks available. But try to do something unusual. Pizza and donuts are so overdone, don’t you think? Onto the be involved, be visible and and be around piece…it’s pretty simple in theory, but when it comes to actually making it happen, it will be harder than you think. To get yourself in the groove, schedule lots of time on your calendar for this. Make yourself do it. It is really important!! Last, but certainly not least and certainly not the most fun, clarifying your expectations of your team. Pretty straightforward this one, but again the kind of a thing you have to force yourself to do. Who wants to review job descriptions, right? Yuck!! But it’s got to be done, so just get it over with. You’ll be glad when it’s over and it’s well worth the effort!! Now don’t be overwhelmed. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it is sooooooooooo worth it. Your department will start to run more smoothly, productivity will increase, your employees will be happier and YOUR stress level will radically decrease. So whenever you’re discouraged about the plan, remember the outcomes.
4. Show ’em you care!! Does this sound like a greeting card company slogan? Probably, but that’s okay – I’m really not talking about showing ’em you care in a warm, fuzzy kind of way. There are ways you can do this without making them think you are losing your mind. Like listening to them. Think about it – doesn’t it carry a ton of weight with you when your boss listens to you without doing fifteen other things at the same time? And what about when he listens and actually uses some of your ideas. Pretty cool, huh? Well, it’s the same way for your employees. They want to be heard and understood. And it’s up to you to find a way to make the time for this to happen.
Another way you can show ’em you care is to be around to help them out when they need it. As we discussed last time, you’ll now be spending lots of time in your department which is where you need to be if you are going to be helpful to your employees. Now I’m not saying that you should put on the baby-sitting hat but do offer to pitch in and help when your employees need it. After they recover from the shock, they’ll really think it’s great. The next way to show them you care is to show them that you are working just as hard, if not harder, than they are. Your employees cannot stand figure-heads, and neither can we, right? So make it obvious to them that you are busting your butt to make things happen. But please try not to be too annoying about it. There is a fine line between letting employees know that you are working really hard and complaining/bragging. You don’t want to sound like some kind of whiner, right? So watch it.
5. Foster a team atmosphere Man, this is a hard one. Employees these days just don’t seem to want to join in on the old “team spirit” bandwagon. But if there is some way, any way, that you can enlist your troops, do it. You can start by talking about this concept. In your department meetings tell them that you really want everyone to come together and create a team. Tell them that you expect them to work together and help each other. They’ll secretly snicker at first, but after a while they’ll start to think about it. And what’s the alternative for them? They get on the bandwagon or they get left behind. When you talk about creating an awesome work environment you can tell them how much you want your department to be the best one to work for in the company.
Refer to your “team” often. Be sincere and let them know that you mean it and that you’re not just blowing smoke. This will give them a bit of a team feeling right there. Then, as you start to implement all of the components, a bit more of a team spirit will start to emerge. For example using some of their ideas will make them feel part of the solution and part of the team. It shows them that you do listen and are capable of being “big” enough to use something that you didn’t think of. And try to create some kind of way for them to recognize each other for their good work. For example, you could create some kind of program where they can fill out pre-printed cards to give to each other as recognition for a job well done. The cards would have info such as: Employee Name: Description of Accomplishment: Date: Submitted by: Then, as they fill these out and start giving to them to each other, more of a team spirit will start to emerge.
Everyone likes to be told “Good Job.” Even when it comes from a co-worker. Have all employees submit their received cards to you and then do a drawing once a month for a day off or a nice prize. This is a cool program and people LOVE it. And certainly give credit where credit is due. Share credit for the accomplishments made by your department. In a big way – in a really vocal way. Let there be no question that you directly attribute the success of your department to them!!
6. Make it a constant process! This is a must. Yes, this type of employee motivation plan does take lots of time and energy. And it will continue to. But you must commit that this is a way of life for you as a manager. Once you do implement the components and start to utilize them on a consistent basis, they really will become second nature to you. It just takes a while.
As you implement your tools, pay attention to what is working and what needs tweaking. Ask your employees for feedback. Remember, you should be doing a LOT of listening from now on. Ask them if they like the employee recognition program in your department. Ask them for ways to make it better and more meaningful. Do they feel that the team spirit is building? Why? What things can you be doing to make it better? Many brains are better than one, so make sure to enlist them in the process!! Never lose sight of your goals for having a super-motivated, productive, happy staff – the envy of the company. Your boss will thank you because of the increased productivity and contribution to the bottom line. And if that weren’t enough, your spouse and kids will thank you because running a department like this does wonders to your stress level and quality of your personal life!!!
Molly Luffy, MBA, owner of Work Ethic Wizard, dedicated to helping managers regain their sanity and employees survive and thrive in todays corporation. Author of Super-Charge Your Promotion Quotient: 225 Success Strategies for the New Professional. http://www.workethicwizard.com/default.cfm
