Jane and Bob want their employees and team members to be
motivated at all times. However, we often believe the time
to motivate is when there is a lack of motivation in an
employee or team members. Not so! Jane and Bob need to
focus their attention on motivating their team members when
they need it most, usually when change is happening.
It’s much easier and takes less effort to sustain the
desired behavior and performance than to try to create it
from the ground up. Intermittent reinforcement is the key
for maintaining desired behaviors. Knowing what motivates
someone can help Jane and Bob reinforce those behaviors
effectively.
Conversely, it takes less time to sustain the desired
behavior than to deal with a problem. So, when we say that
we “don’t have the time” because we’re so busy that we’re
barely treading water, we need to understand that we’ll be
spending a heck of a lot more time dealing with the problem
instead of motivating people to continue to do what you
want them to do.
WHAT DOES MOTIVATE YOU, SALLY?
It’s important to understand that different factors
motivate different people. If Jane and Bob apply the same
standard of motivation (like money or time off) to
everyone, they’ll be off the mark for many people. Hence,
Jane and Bob have to find out what motivates each person.
In the “Top 10 Ironies of Employee Motivation Programs” by
Bob Nelson, he found that when employees and managers were
asked to rank motivators from 1 to 10, employees rated
“appreciation for a job well-done” as #1.” Managers ranked
it as #8. Employees rated “feeling in on things” as #2;
managers ranked it as #10.
THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN’
During times of change, chaos and confusion rule the day.
Keeping people informed and showing your appreciation is
vital. Remember, it’s not just you working long hours,
handling challenges, and feeling overwhelmed. Your team
members are, too.
AND MOTIVATING FACTORS CAN CHANGE, TOO
Individuals’ motivation changes as their needs change.
Don’t assume that what motivated a staff member two years
ago, or even last year, is the same as what motivates him
now. Jane and Bob make it a habit to sit down with each
staff member and find out what’s important to each.
MOTIVATING THEM TO DRINK THE WATER
When people are motivated, they are more productive and
happier, and they’ll be less likely to leave your
organization. Jane and Bob need to find out what motivates
their team members, continue to motivate them using those
factors, and they’ll see productivity and happy team
members, even through change.
—————————————————-
Linda Finkle, CEO of INCEDO GROUP, works with innovative
leaders around the world who understand that business needs
a new organizational growth style. These innovative leaders
know that powerful cross-functional communication is the
highest priority and the strongest strategy for building
organizational effectiveness. To find out more, visit:
http://www.IncedoGroup.com
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