Only a Few ’Em & ‘Em’s Away From Motivating Your Team
Like taking candy from a baby!
As a child nothing motivated my siblings and I greater than my parent’s promise of a treat for completing a chore and doing it well. My personal favorite was Mom’s hidden stash of M&M’s.
So I ask, why not apply the same premise my parents did to my leadership bag-o-tricks? Leaders who solve the riddle of how to enhance employee motivation have the ability to unlock Pandora's box and unleash a team’s increased level of productivity and morale.
I’d like to share a handful of my leadership ’Em & ‘Em’s — please take some and pass them around.
What Makes ’em Tick?
Every individual on your team has a different motivator. It’s our job as leaders to find out what’s their jam. How do you find out? Here’s a novel idea, just ask? Asking eliminates all the guess work. Use your one-on-one meetings to find out what makes’em tick. What floats their boat? What yanks their crank?
It could be as simple as the ol’ pat on the back for a job well done. It could be training, a new chair, faster computer, lamp and the list goes on and on.
Most want to have the ability to be productive, get noticed for rocking their assignments and be part of a winning team. Finding the right button to push for each individual and following through on your promises is key.
Imagine if my parents had promised M&M’s and after completing the task and I was given an apple? How much motivation would I have for the next task? — Zip, Zilch, Nadda!
Help ’em!
People are not mind readers. Leadership means just that — leading! Employees need to know the priorities. They need resources to be successful. They need to see how their work fits into the grand scheme of things.
If my parents had just barked “go rake the leaves” and didn’t give a deadline, rake nor any input, my chance of being motivated and successful would be in the crapper! — BUT, if given a deadline, rake and told that if the chores were completed before the weekend that the family could go camping…well I would have been raking like a mo-fo!
Train ’em
Don’t set folks up for failure. Ensure they have the skills for the assigned task and if not, it’s time for some training or maybe a mentor. Support the employee with regular feedback. If hitting the task out of the park, you know they will be puffing their chest out with pride — especially if given some props for a job well done.
Cut ’em Loose!
Leadership is assigning the what and the why and making sure the employee has the skills and tools to figure out the how. If employees have all of these tools, cut ’em loose! Let them do their job by getting the task completed their way. Nothing builds trust like autonomy. If mistakes are made? Great! That is how humans learn and it’s our job to make sure the employee is supported through the mistakes. Nothing kills someone’s confidence like fear of making mistakes. So let ’em fly and let them know mistakes are okay as long as we learn something in return.
Give ’em Props!
Your job is to build your team up. Give ’em props for a job well done. Find ways to find the positives and focus on them. Did the employee give a solid effort on a task? Did they think outside the box or show initiative? Recognize it! One of my personal favs is getting the next level of management to recognize the employees contribution to the team. It can show appreciation not at the team level but at the organizational level.
Expect Excellence From ’em!
Communicate your vision of excellence within the organization and the team itself and then live it. Employees will strive to meet the bar, so set it high! Nobody wants to come to work to just roll over the bar — they want a challenge. When challenged, folks tend to have an “I can do it” attitude.
Care About ‘em!
Check in on your employees often. Make time and listen — really listen! Ask about how their job is going — not their tasks; their enjoyment level, road blocks, conflicts, etc. Ask about career objectives and interests. Some want to climb the corporate ladder, some want stability and familiarity. But the most important thing is to show them you care. Show them they are not just a number or a position on your team. Show them you’ll go to bat for them, fight for them and protect them when necessary.
Check ’em
Nothing sucks the life and momentum out of a team faster than someone who under-performs. These folks have to be dealt with quickly. Do not let these folks get swept under the rug. For new hires, exercise your probationary periods for cutting this cancer out of your team quickly.
If an existing employee, put a Performance Improvement Plan in place quickly and if no improvement has been made — start planning an exit strategy. Show the team that this behaviour is not tolerated and action will be taken immediately to correct the behaviour.
Lead ’em
Lead by example. Talk the talk but also walk the walk. Employee eyes are watching. Be what you want your team to be. Live it!
One of the most respected leaders I ever had was not a great leader but I respected the heck out of him as he didn’t have a double standard. He didn’t expect something from the team that he wasn’t willing to do himself. Be it putting in extra hours or doing something outside of his job description to get a task completed. He wasn’t above the team — he was part of the team.
If there was a rope to pull — he was pulling right beside everyone else — not sitting on the sidelines yelling “PULL! PULL! PULL!”
Mmmm - So Good!
Motivation is one of the toughest jobs as a leader but one of the most rewarding. If you can get a team in sync and running smoothly and effectively, it’s like snacking on a big ol’ bag of M&M’s, they taste great and don’t leave a mess on your hands.
Happy Motivating!
If you liked this — here are some other leadership tidbits for ya!
Scott Kennie is a metro-redneck. He’s worked in corporate information technology management for over 15 years. He considers himself a sarcastic realist. He’s also a Dad. He lives with his wife, three dogs and his alter ego; Bat Hubby who’s a racecar driver. His motto: live life and laugh all the way to the grave.
