 |
|
| |
David
Lee
Consultant
Speaker
Author |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For
More Information:
David Lee, Principal
HumanNature@Work
P.O. Box 430
Bar Mills, Maine 04004
Tel: 207-929-3344
E-mail: info@HumanNatureAtWork.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AR
|
| |
Motivating
Employees The Fad-Free Way |
| By
David Lee |
|
|
|
| Reprinted
from Insights: Publication of the Northeast HR
Association, Spring, 2005 |
|
|
|
In America, we seem to be as
enchanted by management fads as we are by weight
loss fads. In both, magical thinking prevails
over common sense. In both, we see a willingness
to choose yet another “magic pill” approach
virtually guaranteed to fail, rather than doing
the fundamentals that are known to work. For
HR professionals and managers who are serious
about having an engaged, motivated, loyal workforce,
it’s time to jettison the magical thinking
and -- in the words of pop culture icon Dr.
Phil – “get real.” It’s
time to recognize that the answer to improving
morale, productivity, or retention is not the
latest flavor of the month management fad.
Fads Have Their Place; Just Not As The Cornerstone
Of Your Strategy
While books about mice having their cheese
moved or videos depicting playful fish market
employees tossing salmon to their co-workers
can be both entertaining and inspiring, they’re
not the answer. It’s not that such approaches
are without merit. Both – just like most
other fads – contain principles and strategies
that can be successfully applied to employee
morale and motivation issues. The problem arises
in how they are used. Rather than viewing them
as just one source of ideas for creating a “home
grown” initiative, they’re seen
as The Answer.
Convinced they’ve found The Answer, HR
and/or management then tries – whether
through proselytizing or brute force – to
get employees to embrace the new paradigm or
program.
The Unfortunate Unintended Consequences of
Flavor of the Month Fads
Then what happens? Most of us know how the
story ends. Employees roll their eyes. They
dismiss the new initiative as just another
flavor of the month fad that will find its
way to the Next Big Thing graveyard. They resist
in ways subtle and not so subtle, until management
and HR gives up in frustration or becomes enamored
with the next fad. |
| |
| Although,
as mentioned previously, many flavor of
the month fads contain useful principles
and practices, using them as the cornerstone
of your initiative usually spells disaster
because: |
|
| |
• |
First, no prepackaged program
is a one-size-fits-all solution to every
situation. |
|
| • |
Second, most of us are instantly repelled
by someone trying to force their ideas
on us, no matter how excited they might
be. |
|
| • |
Third, every action by management carries
an implicit message about how management
views employees. If programs are imposed
upon employees, rather than created with
employees, it sends a rather unflattering
message about how management perceives
employees. |
|
| • |
Fourth, if HR and management implement
morale building and motivational programs
without addressing employees’ everyday
work experience, they create the opposite
of the intended effect. Instead of leading
to a motivated, engaged workforce, such
approaches lead to a more cynical, distrustful,
disengaged workforce. When management and
HR sees such programs as an alternative
to honestly addressing organizational obstacles
to a rewarding work experience, employees
see such programs for what they are: a
manipulation. |
|
| |
So What Is The Answer?
If flavor of the month fads, if “goodies,
gimmicks, and gala events” aren’t
the answer to creating a more motivated, engaged
workforce, what is the answer? The answer is
in the experience. More specifically, the answer
is in working with employees to co-create an
intrinsically satisfying, motivating daily
work experience. Everything else is just frosting
on the cake.
Organizations wanting a motivated, engaged
workforce would be wise to examine how companies
known for providing brand-building customer
service (think Southwest Airlines, Disney,
or Ritz Carlton) achieve that status. These
companies “think experience.” They
recognize that to build and maintain a powerful
brand and rabidly loyal customer base, they
need to bring laser-like attention to every
aspect of the customer experience they deliver.
They examine each Moment of Truth of the customer
experience in terms of the “emotional
take away” – the feelings a customer
takes away with them based on their experience.
They also examine each Moment of Truth in terms
of the “perceptual take away” – the
perceptions the customer is likely to have
about the company, based on their experience.
Making sure the emotional and perceptual take-aways
are positive and brand-building requires that
they understand what customers want and design
that into each Moment of Truth.
Applying this practice to creating an intrinsically
motivating work experience means examining
the many Moments of Truth employees experience
when dealing with their employer and asking “What
emotional and perceptual take-aways are employees
likely to have, based on the way we handle
this?” It means understanding what employees
want in a work experience. It means making
sure the work experience you provide satisfies
the key drivers of motivation, engagement,
and satisfaction. Fortunately, there exists,
both inside and outside the business world,
a wealth of information about what people want
in a work experience, and what motivates them.
The Differences That Make a Difference: Key
Questions About the Key Drivers
In this article, we’ll draw from research
about what today’s employees want in
a work experience as well as from research
about timeless human needs that motivate people,
regardless of current societal trends. From
this research, we’ll highlight some of
the key drivers of employee motivation and
satisfaction. We’ll also identify factors
which have more of a “Hygiene” effect,
i.e. their presence doesn’t necessarily
lead to higher motivation, but their absence
seriously diminishes motivation and engagement.
The list of drivers that follows is not meant
to be exhaustive, but rather illustrative of
the “differences that make a difference.” It
is meant to focus your attention on the things
that do make a difference, that do result in
a motivated, engaged workforce. The list of
drivers is also intended as a jumping off point
for you to ask what other factors lead to an
intrinsically rewarding work experience.
For each driver or factor, you will find a
list of questions that can be used to help
facilitate conversations with your management
team and employees about how you can co-create
such a work experience. The questions are meant
to be both diagnostic and prescriptive: to
both assess the current state of affairs regarding
the work experience you deliver, and to guide
discussions on how to create a work experience
that satisfies each key driver.
Key Drivers of an Intrinsically Rewarding Work
Experience
Pride In One’s Work And One’s Employer – Being
the kind of organization that inspires pride
and enables employees to do work worthy of
pride, is one of the most powerful things you
can do to create a passionate, engaged workforce. |
| |
| Questions
to ask: |
|
| |
1. |
Do the products and services
we bring to the marketplace warrant pride;
are they truly excellent? |
|
| 2. |
Does the way we run our organization – the
decisions we make and the values we demonstrate
by our actions – warrant pride? |
|
| 3. |
Do we give all employees the resources
and training to do their jobs well, to
do the kind of quality job that would
make the most conscientious person proud? |
|
| 4. |
Do the quality standards we hold people
accountable for lead to the kind of excellence
that would naturally lead employees to
feel proud of the organization they work
for and proud of themselves? |
|
| |
Work That
Has Meaning, That Is Connected To The “Bigger
Picture” – One of the most
powerful human drives is the drive for
meaning and purpose. The more employees
believe they are part of something that
does good in the world, and that they play
an important role in contributing to that
good, the more inspired and energized they
will be.
Questions
to ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Is our mission truly
inspiring?” |
|
| 2. |
"Is our mission a trite platitude
hanging on the wall or is it lived and
breathed every day?” |
|
| 3. |
“Do employees truly understand
their role in making our vision a reality?” |
|
| 4. |
“How can we make our mission and
vision come alive?” |
|
| 5. |
“How can we more effectively link
employees’ daily work to the big
picture?” |
|
| |
The
Power To Contribute And Make A Difference – Part
of what brings meaning to life is the belief
that we matter, that we make a difference.
Employees feel like they matter when management
solicits their ideas and includes them
in the decision-making process. Employees
feel like they matter when they’re
allowed to make decisions and take action
when they see an improvement opportunity.
Satisfying this core human need, along
with the first two outlined above – the
need for meaning and purpose, and the need
to feel proud of oneself and one’s
employer – unleashes enthusiasm,
initiative and productivity not found in
most organizations. Designing work experiences
that satisfy these three needs is the “secret
weapon” of world class organizations.
Questions
to ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do we always ask for
input about possible changes and improvements?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do we give employees enough information,
training, and understanding of the big
picture to make informed contributions?” |
|
| 3. |
“How can we make our employees ‘players’ and
not just hired hands?” |
|
| 4. |
“How can we give employees with
special skills, abilities, and knowledge,
the opportunity to teach and mentor others?” |
|
| |
The
Opportunity To Learn And Grow – Infant behavior
demonstrates that the drive to learn – to
figure things out – is one of the
most primal and earliest manifested human
drives. A work experience that engages
this drive can turn sluggish, unmotivated
employees into inspired, energized high
performers.
Questions to ask: |
|
| |
1. |
"How can we engage our
employee’s sense of curiosity?” |
|
| 2. |
“How can we design into their jobs,
opportunities to problem solve and innovate?” |
|
| 3. |
“How can we embed learning into
their everyday work life?” |
|
| 4. |
“How can we provide opportunities
on the job for employees to grow professionally?” |
|
| |
The
Experience Of Mastery – Doing something well,
mastering a skill, overcoming a challenge
are all intrinsically rewarding. They’re
examples of the self-reinforcing nature
of mastery. To design this driver into
your work experience, remove obstacles
to employees’ ability to excel and
put in place processes and resources to
enable them to experience “the thrill
of victory.”
Questions to ask: |
|
| |
1. |
Do we enable our employees
to feel ‘the thrill of victory’ rather
than set them up for ‘the agony of
defeat’ by giving them adequate training,
technology, and time to do their jobs well?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do we start employees off right
with an effective orientation program,
so they begin their career with us knowing
their jobs well and feeling competent?” |
|
| 3. |
“What can we do to more effectively
enable our employees to perform their jobs
with excellence?” |
|
| |
Autonomy – The
drive for autonomy emerges early in a child’s
development and continues to develop throughout
life. The need for autonomy influences
not just job satisfaction, but also productivity.
According to research by Blessing/White,
autonomy was the #1 driver of discretionary
effort. In other words, the more autonomy
employees have, the harder they work.
Questions to Ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do employees have
a significant measure of control over their
work, or are most decisions made by higher
ups?” |
|
| 2. |
“How can we give our employees
more autonomy and decision-making authority?” |
|
| 3. |
“What other ways can we give our
employees more positive control in their
work experience?” |
|
| |
Clear
Expectations And Feedback – Lack of clear expectations
and feedback are among the most prevalent
de-motivators in the workplace. Never knowing
what’s expected or how you’re
doing is a major source of employee stress
and frustration. It’s hard to feel
like a winner if you don’t know how
you’re doing in the eyes of the people
who are scoring you.
Questions to Ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do employees understand
what their supervisor perceives as a ‘job
well done’?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do employees get regular feedback
about how they’re doing or do they
usually left in the dark?” |
|
| 3. |
“Are performance reviews seen as
a necessary evil or are they perceived
as a professional development tool?” |
|
| 4. |
“Are the contents of performance
reviews truly a review of an ongoing conversation
throughout the year, rather than an unpleasant
surprise to the employee?” |
|
| |
Personal
And Professional Respect – Anyone
who has experienced disrespect at the hands
of one’s boss or senior management
knows how profoundly disrespect damages
morale and leads to resentment and disengagement.
Because most employees who have been in
the work world for any length of time have
experienced many instances of disrespect,
when they finally work for a boss or employer
that shows respect, it calls out the best,
most appreciative, most engaged version
of that person.
Questions to Ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do we always ask for
input about anything that affects employees’ work?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do we always keep employees apprised
of new developments, rather than telling
them at the last minute?” |
|
| 3. |
“Does senior management take the
time to understand the day to day work
experience of employees, before making
policy or procedural changes?” |
|
| 4. |
“Are managers careful not to misuse
their position power (i.e. not doing things
they know they could get away with because
they’re the boss)?” |
|
| 5. |
“Do we show that we care about
and respect our employees not just as workers
who help our organization achieve its goals,
but as human beings?” |
|
| |
Ongoing,
Clear, Two-Way Communication – Research
by Watson Wyatt Worldwide shows that companies
with good communication – as judged
by their employees – are 300% more
profitable than those suffering from poor
communication. Their research also showed
that only one third of employees surveyed
felt their company did a good job with
communication. “Two-Way” is
the operative term here. Not only does
good communication mean keeping employees
in the loop about such things as upcoming
changes, new developments, and the organization’s
vision, it means asking employees for feedback
and input, and then listening. It also
means asking for, and responding to, feedback
in a way that makes it safe for people
to be honest and open.
Questions to Ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do we frequently ask
employees for their feedback about all
aspects of our daily operations, how policies
and procedures impact their jobs, their
perspective on the organization’s
current state of affairs, etc?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do we ask employees for feedback
about how they’re managed?” |
|
| 3. |
“Are employees asked for feedback
in a way that makes it safe to be truthful?” |
|
| 4. |
“Do we clearly communicate the
big picture: where we’re going, how
the organization works, how they make the
big picture happen, etc.?” |
|
| 5. |
“Do we communicate to employees
the information they want and need, in
ways that are most useful to them?” |
|
| 6. |
“Do we amp up communication
during times of change and uncertainty?”
|
|
| |
Flexibility – The
need for flexibility plays out in the workplace
in two major ways. First, as many different
polls show, today’s employee wants
enough job flexibility to balance competing
work and personal life demands. Second,
flexibility within the work itself plays
a central role in the key motivational
driver Autonomy.
Questions to Ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do we put subtle – or
not so subtle – pressure on employees
to overwork, to the detriment of themselves
and their families?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do we respect employees’ need
to have a life?” |
|
| 3. |
“Do we work with employees to provide
job flexibility, so they can integrate
their work and home lives?” |
|
| 4. |
“Do we provide employees with enough
room to move operationally, so they have
flexibility to make decisions and experience
positive control?” |
|
| |
Recognition – Employees
want to know that their boss notices hard
work and excellent performance. In organizations
where this doesn’t take place, employees
develop a “why bother?” attitude.
Because every action from management conveys
an implicit message, failure to recognize
hard work or excellent work communicates
that management doesn’t care about
these things. Recognizing effort and high
quality work not only communicates “We
notice when you do things well,” it
also reinforces cultural values and quality
standards. It does so because – as
the saying goes -- “what gets recognized
gets repeated.”
Questions to Ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do we show employees
we recognize and value excellence and going
the extra mile?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do we show employees this in ways
other than a yearly recognition event?” |
|
| 3. |
“What other ways can we as an organization
recognize excellence and going the extra
mile?” |
|
| 4. |
“What can our supervisors do to
show they recognize excellence and hard
work?” |
|
| |
Appreciation– Appreciation
and recognition are obviously related.
When we recognize a job well done, we are
implicitly saying we appreciate what the
person has done. Appreciation, though,
deserves separate billing because many
studies over the years have shown that
it is the #1 employee motivator. It also
deserves separate billing because it focuses
more on the human dimension of a job well
done. While some people want their excellence
recognized simply from a performance point
of view, others care about the relational
aspect of performance. They want to know
that they are not taken for granted, that
what they do, how much they care, and how
hard they work are noticed and appreciated.
Appreciation is one of those motivators
where bosses and employers get tremendous “bang
for the effort buck.” Showing appreciation
takes seconds, but the effect can last
a lifetime.
Questions to Ask: |
|
| |
1. |
“Do our employees feel
appreciated?” |
|
| 2. |
“Do we do more than put on a gala
annual event to show that we appreciate
employees?” |
|
| 3. |
“Do our managers tell their staff
they appreciate them?” |
|
| |
Putting This
Into Action
As mentioned in the beginning, this list
is meant to both focus you on “differences
that make a difference,” and to stimulate
you to identify other factors that lead
to an intrinsically satisfying work experience.
You can then use these factors and the
questions based upon them, to guide your
strategy for creating your own, “home
grown,” organic program for creating
a more inspiring, motivational workplace
that brings out the champion in your employees.
To put these ideas to use, here are a few
simple actions you can take: |
|
| |
1. |
If you been searching for
a flavor of the month fad or “goodies,
gimmicks, and gala events” solution
to improve morale and motivation, stop. |
|
| 2. |
Engage managers at all levels in conversations
about the above drivers and hygiene factors,
using the questions provided. |
|
| 3. |
Conduct focus groups with employees,
using the questions provided. |
|
| 4. |
Ask managers and employees for other
key factors that make a difference for
them in whether or not a work experience
is intrinsically motivating. |
|
| 5. |
Engage managers in training and coaching
that focuses on improving Emotional Safety
skills. These are interpersonal skills
that help others feel safe enough to be
honest and direct about their feelings,
different point of view, and complaints.
Without Emotional Safety, employees will
never be honest about what management is
currently doing that diminishes motivation
and morale. They will especially not be
willing to talk about seemingly trivial
Moments of Truth that one might feel silly
bringing up, but which in reality make
a huge difference in how one feels about
one’s employer. |
|
| 6. |
Engage employees in each aspect of creating
an intrinsically motivating work experience.
Because people want to make a difference,
they want to matter, just doing that will
lead to a more motivated, engaged workforce. |
|
|
| |
|
|
About the Author: David Lee is an internationally recognized authority on organizational and managerial practices that optimize employee performance. He is the author of Managing Employee Stress and Safety, as well as dozens of articles on employee and organizational performance that have been published in trade journals and books in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. For information on his programs and service, click here.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
