Motivating Your Employees for Higher Productivity
By Chris Posti
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Chris Posti |
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I recently bought myself a "mid-life crisis
car"--a red and white Mini Cooper S. It's got white racing stripes
on the hood, a sound system that makes you want to live in the car,
and a sunroof so big it's like driving a convertible but without
getting your hairdo ruined.
I took digital pictures of me and my Mini. I gave him a name:
J.J. And I talk to him more than my dog. J.J. and I were soon
inseparable. But when I received a notice in the mail that he
required a software upgrade, I dutifully took him into the shop for
what the service manager, Jamie, called a "one-half hour software
download."
Mystery of the De-Motivated Manager
One hour later, Jamie informed me the procedure would take about
three hours. Since I had to pick someone up from the airport in two
hours, I explained that I had to leave and asked for my keys. He
refused to give them to me and also refused to provide an
explanation of why he could not release my Mini to me.
We hemmed, we hawed. Finally, Jamie admitted that the download
was complete, but they could not get Mini started!
I am a passionate person, and, by this time, I was about as red
as my car. Jamie the "service" manager, on the other hand, looked
like he had just rolled off a cot. He yawned purposefully; his eyes
steered toward the ceiling several times; and his mouth was
permanently smirked to the right. He sighed frequently, alternating
between what appeared to be boredom and irritation over my
relentless request for service, of all things!
This was definitely a man who was not motivated to provide me
with good service.
Do you have a "Jamie" or two on your staff? Do you have
employees who lack the "oomph" of motivation? Short of firing, what
can you do with them?
Most managers believe that merely telling people what they are
doing wrong will fix the problem and motivate them to do better
next time.
I differ.
 In Jamie's case, for example, I later learned the
reason for his sour attitude. When he was hired just a few months
prior, he had been instructed by his boss to change whatever had to
be changed in the service department in order to comply with some
new, more stringent service requirements. Taking that command to
heart, he charged into the service department on day one and issued
order after order after order.
Understandably, the mechanics promptly took a strong and speedy
dislike to Jamie, which manifested itself in a host of unexpected
delays and "mistakes" made by the mechanics that were eager to
discredit Jamie. He quickly became de-motivated when his efforts
yielded such disastrous results.
So, in Jamie's case, the crux of the issue was his lack of
management experience or management training, coupled with a boss
who apparently was not much better equipped than Jamie to manage.
This prevented Jamie from realizing that issuing orders without
explanation would be ineffective. Jamie simply did not understand
that treating the experienced mechanics like rookies would quickly
backfire. And now that it had backfired, Jamie was completely
de-motivated.
Think about the employees on your staff who are lacking in
motivation. What is behind their attitude? What are the unmet needs
that are making them listless? Whatever the reason, you as their
manager can motivate them to appropriate levels of performance.
Here's how:
Motivation is an "Inside Job"
You, as a manager, need to acknowledge that you are powerless to
motivate your employees! The fact is, we are all motivated to do
what we believe is in our best interests. If that happens to
coincide with what the boss wants, so much the better. As a
manager, however, you are definitely in a position to
influence what people are motivated to do.
That's a fine distinction, and here is an example of what makes
the difference.
Requiring an unwilling orthotist to complete some uniquely
challenging insurance paperwork by 5 PM could easily be met with
resistance--unless you can help the employee identify the work with
his welfare or with that of the entire orthotic practice. When that
happens, he will naturally feel motivated to work harder--because
it is in his best interest to do so.
So how do you help him identify with his own welfare or that of
the practice? There are three common ways to influence motivation:
incentive, fear, and personal growth. An example of "incentive"
would be explaining how that special reimbursement will affect the
practice's bottom line--and probably everyone's year-end salary
increase.
Motivation by "fear" would be explaining that failure to
complete these forms on time will jeopardize a large contract, and
ultimately affect the practice's--and his--future.
Motivation by "personal growth" could be talking to him about
how he will be promoted to a higher-level position if he is able to
take on this extra duty.
What's Your Management Style?
Your management style profoundly impacts your employees'
motivation, too. In The Human Side of Enterprise, Douglas
McGregor described a new way of explaining how managers view
employees according to two alternatives, which he termed Theory X
and Theory Y. Although McGregor's book was written many decades
ago, we still rely on his work because it has held true over the
years.
Theory X managers are control-oriented. They make decisions
without the input of others, are demanding, confident in the
validity of their own views, may use pressure to reach objectives,
act decisively, and expect no criticism from employees.
Theory Y managers are empowerment-oriented. They make decisions
by consensus and help others feel ownership. They encourage
creativity and initiative. They lead by example and give
recognition for work well done. They value and encourage
teamwork.
You may be thinking that Theory X managers de-motivate their
troops and that Theory Y are better motivators. Yes, sometimes that
is true. But not always.
Let's say your practice is in a financial crisis. Do you think
your employees need a leader who says "Well, team, let's chat about
what we need to do here. Do you think having a team-building pizza
party on Friday will help us get out of Chapter 11?" Of course not!
In a crisis, or when employees are really out of line, a Theory X
approach is better suited.
On the other hand, for purposes of motivation, Theory Y is
generally considered the management style that brings forth better
results.
So analyze your natural management style, and modify it when
circumstances require a different approach.
Encourage Entrepreneurial Thinking
If you want your staff to be motivated to do their best, let
them feel like owners of the practice. Good managers make every
employee feel like a business partner, because when people feel
ownership of something, they look out for it.
How to Help Your Employees
To succeed in today's dynamic work environment, employees need
to know far more about the practice than just how to do their
specific jobs. Help them understand the entire practice, how it
operates, what the competition is up to, and how they can be even
better contributors to the practice's success.
- Help them see the forest, not just the trees.
Ensure they know your practice's mission, its goals, and its
strategies for achieving those goals. Ways to do this could be
giving employees books or articles about the industry, sharing
profit-and-loss (P&L) information, and encouraging them to
identify things they can do to contribute directly to achieving the
practice's mission or objectives.
- Show them how the practice operates and what generates
income. Have a brown-bag lunch to review some business
basics. Analyze scenarios that show the impact one person has on
the entire organization.
- Help them understand the competition and your
industry. Encourage them to ask clients to compare your
practice with other practices they have experienced. Put someone in
charge of obtaining the competition's promotional literature, which
you can all share. Allow employees to stay current with industry
changes by attending conferences and trade shows. Budget for
membership in professional associations. Join Internet discussion
groups on subjects dealing with your industry.
- Encourage independent thinking. Allow your
employees to make decisions that involve risks. When someone makes
a mistake, treat it as a "teaching moment" instead of a
catastrophe. Set an example by letting employees know you took a
chance trying something new, and be honest with the outcome, even
if it's not particularly positive.
- Give employees the responsibility for achieving
something and the authority to do it their own way. Then
they'll find all sorts of motivation. Share your power with them.
Allow them to make more choices. Hold them accountable for their
actions and outcomes. When they have a greater sense of
accountability, they'll perform better.
Exercise Judgment
Keep in mind that your employees have to be capable of assuming
this greater responsibility. If they are unprepared, as Jamie, the
service manager was, they will fail. And their failure can have a
ripple effect on your entire practice. Give them incremental
increases in power, authority, and choices so that they will grow
successfully and become more and more motivated.
A Post-script on Jamie
I recently returned to have an oil change, and dreaded meeting
up with Jamie, the listless service manager. To my delight, he
brightly greeted me and tended to my needs promptly and
cheerfully.
I couldn't help myself; I had to probe for what prompted the
change. Jamie explained that he had a new boss who had a totally
different approach to management. The new boss was spending time
with Jamie. They had lunch together just about every day; they
frequently talked about ways to change procedures that would work
better but not upset the mechanics; and the boss had also
incorporated some ways to reward initiative and entrepreneurial
thinking.
Whew. Up until then, I thought I might have to buy a
Mercedes.
Chris Posti is president of Posti & Associates Inc., a
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based firm specializing in achieving
results in human resources consulting, coaching, and outplacement.
To contact Posti & Associates, phone: 724.942.7850;
e-mail:chris@postiinc.com; or visit www.postiinc.com 
Table Of Contents - November 2005
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