Ask Andi: I need to motivate employees. One of our key employees is tentative to try new things. She has to develop new abilities or she won’t progress. How can I best support her?
Thoughts of the Day: So how can you start motivating employees? Talk about the importance of growth. Address problems, don’t let them fester. Use reviews as a tool to discuss the future and document plans. Offer employees regular opportunities for growth.
Motivate employees to try new things
A June 1998 paper by James Linder, Ohio State University, titled Understanding Employee Motivation, looked at the theories of 5 motivational gurus: Maslow, Adams, Herzberg, Vroom, and Skinner. He then came up with a hierarchy of 8 employee needs:
- Interesting work
- Good wages
- A full appreciation of work done
- Job security
- Good working conditions
- Promotions and growth in the organization
- A feeling of being in on things
- Personal loyalty to employees
- Tactful discipline
- Sympathetic help with personal problems
Work your way through this checklist, for each employee. Look for things that are on track and for dis-connects. Help employees understand how they fit into the big picture. Ask yourself: Is it clear that the company is on a growth track? Does each employee have their own set of goals consistent with the company’s goals?
Make sure employees are looking at themselves realistically, not just for today, but also for the future. Everyone hopes to earn more in the future than they do today. Most people also need to lighten up on physical demands and shift more to knowledge workers as they get older. Staying in the same job too long means lower pay and promotion opportunities relative to personal expectations
Challenge employees
Some employees prefer to stay in their comfort zone. They get caught in a trap between the need for appreciation and playing safe to get it, versus engaging in newer, riskier, more interesting work where things might go wrong. Letting employees fall into this trap can lead to lower levels of performance over time and decreasing job satisfaction. Challenge employees to stretch, and make it safe for them to do so.
Sometimes the employee and the company may be heading towards two separate paths. Don’t ignore it when the employee demonstrates interest in other areas and ignores the need for growth in areas that matter to the company. Not every employee with stays until retirement.
Address the issues around job fit in reviews. Have an open and honest conversation about what can be done to help each employee get where he or she wants to go. Talk about how long it might take before that is no longer a fit with where the company wants to go. Plan for transitions by asking each employee to train a replacement, and by showing interest in where employees might be going next.
Be respectful, honest, and supportive
Spend time in reviews discussing education opportunities and agreeing on the next steps that will enable higher performance. What about a college course? How about adding a technical skill? Is it time to practice soft skills such as proficiency in communication or writing? What about personal needs such as stress reduction or time management? Document specific education plans. Compare plans to actions taken in the next review.
Don’t assume you know best where an employee fits in the business. Regularly expose employees to other parts of the business. Cross-train in other areas as a backup in case of emergency. See who lights up when given another assignment, even if it’s outside their current scope of work.
Encourage experimentation. Don’t come down hard on people when they try something new and make mistakes. Remember that making mistakes is a hallmark of a growing, striving organization. When mistakes are repetitive, find out why and fix the problem. Teach everyone in the organization to constantly evaluate what goes right, what went wrong, and brainstorm what to do to fix the problem.
Looking for a good book? Understanding Employee Motivation
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., https://strategyleade1.wpengine.com, a business consulting firm that specializes in helping small to mid-size, privately-held businesses achieve doubled revenues and tripled profits in repetitive growth cycles. Interested in learning how Strategy Leaders can help your business? Call now for a free consultation and diagnostic process: 877-238-3535. Do you have a question for Andi? Email her: AskAndi@StrategyLeaders.com
