Co-authored by Louellen Essex and Mitchell Kusy
Are you a manager who creates a motivating work environment?
Does your team enjoy what they're doing? Do you inspire people to give their best? It's never too late to become a truly motivating manager. Here are five tried-and-true tips for getting started:
Align work with talents and interests.
Motivation depends on two key elementspeople's desire to do work that interests and inspires them, and their personal belief in their chances to succeed. The lesson: Align work accordingly, and you are destined to motivate people. In fact, the motivation will be intrinsicthe work itself will motivate.
Remove obstacles.
A motivating manager knows how to clear the way and help people make things happen. Create a steady flow of resources. Make sure that every process and procedure is efficient. And steadily run interference with the higher-ups, so that new ideas are always met with supportnot resistance.
Get rewards right.
Rewards fall into four categoriesmoney, advancement, recognition, and the nature of the work itself.
Financial rewardssalary increases, bonuses, and cash "prizes are most meaningful to employees who are building material assets and supporting others. One example: Recent research shows that younger workersGen X and Gen Y employeesare far more driven to perform by financial incentives than their older counterparts.
Advancement is most important to people who value status, as well as autonomy and authority. In today's "flatter organizations, however, fewer promotions may be available. Think, instead, about providing leadership opportunities through key roles such as team leader, project manager, and group facilitator.
Recognition is about praise and other gestures or tokens that say, "Thanks for a job well done. Be timely, creative, and personal with your praise, and match the recognition to the contribution. If an employee worked day and night for weeks to complete a critical project, a T-shirt or movie tickets won't cut it.
People's work can be a reward, too. For employees who most value growth and development, a plum assignment may be the perfect recognition. Job rotations, cross-training, and special assignments in other departments can make for great rewards, too.
Deal with poor performanceand performers.
Many managers inadvertently reward poor performance. How? They overload top performers, who eventually feel that the distribution of work is unfair. (Why are they doing more than others who make the same pay?) While extra projects might seem like a pat on the back at first, they ultimately feel like punishment when they are overdone.
Do everyone a service, and don't allow others to pick up the slack of poor performers. Instead, deal with "under-performers directly by actively coaching them, tracking their progress, and determining the best next steps.
Make sure you are a role model.
Enthusiasm is inspiring. Negativity or cynicism, on the other hand, is contagious. Model the attitude and energy you would like to see from others. Check your verbal and non-verbal behavior. (People are always watching and listening.) Have a good word for everyone, and be genuinely positive about the organization. And when problems do ariseas they willpromote a collaborative, can-do mindset.
