Motivating Your Employees for Higher Productivity

Chris Posti 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

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Related posts:

Reinertsen Takes Media Spotlight

Achieving Harmony, Motivation in the O&P Workplace

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O&P JOBS

Certified Prosthetist/Orthotist (CPO)

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