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GETTING THE BEST FROM OTHER PEOPLE


In the same way that you can create an environment for delivery, so you can create an environment for motivation and performance.  Motivation involves getting the best from other people through getting them to realise their own potential. By seeing life from their perspective and focussing on performance you get people to go the extra mile for you- because they want to. But your actions must be genuine and not just mechanical. And it makes sense- you both work for the same organisation so your ultimate aims should be the same and if you can make their lives more enjoyable, then yours will be as well.  

As a manager you are without doubt the most powerful factor affecting employee motivation and morale. Everything that you do and say has an impact on the way that employees feel and perform. Quite simply, if they feel valued by you, they will perform well- if they don’t, then no amount of payment, perk or material incentive will generate the same level of performance as you can. As a manager, you are paid to manage products, systems, budgets and people. But it is only people that will help you achieve the other things and so motivating them is critical to your success. Motivation is simple and yet it is seldom done effectively.
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BUSINESS OF CHANGE enables you to focus on the key motivational elements that applied consistently, in an environment of performance management, will deliver bottom line results.

  • Set the tone – From the minute that you walk through the door in the morning, people get a feeling about your mood and what sort of day that they are going to have. Keep it positive. Think it, talk it, dress it, walk it.
  • Articulate value – The most powerful words that you can use make people feel valued. It costs nothing to say thank you or well done and yet these are the areas that most employees feel they lack from their manager. They must be genuine however, but they cost so little and are worth so much.
  • Set expectations – Setting expectations is different to setting targets. Targets are objectives at which to aim but expectations are psychological. They can be a contract between you and the employee. If you demonstrate a high expectation, you will get high results and vice versa. Otherwise known as the Pygmalion effect, this is the art of the self fulfilling prophecy and will do more for employee morale and performance than any other single element.
  • Provide feedback – As a manager you know how important it is to know that you are doing well- so the same applies to employees. Arrange regular meetings, using a formal appraisal system if possible, and ensure that they know exactly what is expected of them and how they are doing.                                                     
  • Deal with issues – Reward outstanding performance, manage under performance. Consistently and timely. Not just for the sake of the employee, but for the morale of all those that they work with.
  • Make time to manage – You are paid to manage, so spend the greatest proportion of your time doing it. By positively interacting with employees you build a rapport and that builds morale. You can’t do your job alone so harnessing the potential of employees will make you more productive.                                                        
  • Focus on development – Pay and conditions are important but feeling that you are valued and that you have a future in the organisation are even more important from a long term performance perspective. Spend time understanding the aspirations of each employee and what you and the organisation can do to help them achieve their objectives. And don’t wait until an annual review- take an ongoing interest and look for opportunities to show that you are supporting their development.
  • Communicate – Communication is different to talking. We often tell people what we want to do, when we’ll do it and how it will be done, missing out the most important factor- Why we need to do it. And give people the chance to respond. If you have bad news, tell it as soon as you can- it doesn’t get better the longer you leave it, it gets worse.
  • Give choice and control – We all need to feel that we have an element of control over our destiny. Involve people in deciding their future; get their input into decisions that will affect them. Make them feel that they and their opinions are valued.