Given the current climate this is one of the hottest topics amongst managers at every level in any size organisation. So what do you need to think about…well firstly you need to consider your own behaviour. If you are the ‘doom and gloom’ person who is skulking around your work space moaning, how do you think the rest of your team feel?
Yes you may be feeling despondent but it is your responsibility as a leader of people, at whatever level, to LEAD!! This means you need to be inspiring, encouraging, supportive and positive to your teams because your team look to you for guidance. So even if it means you have to go and rant in the cellar on your own, as I used to do when I worked in the hospitality industry, to get stuff off your chest, when you get back to your team in the workplace you are positive and up beat. I am not talking about you being completely OTT in your behaviour and it has to be part of your character but remember over 55% of your message comes out in your body language with another 38% in your tone of voice, so make sure that you look and sound motivated yourself!!
The other area to consider about motivation is about our individual drivers….what makes people come to work and do a good job. Money I hear your cry….well yes money is a driver but it is not the only one. I ask this question on a regular basis in courses that I run and so often the answers are also about recognition (in the form of praise and being noticed), job satisfaction and affiliation. So yes we need money to pay the bills and put food on the table but we also wanted to be treated as an individual and recognised for what we do and not treated as a mass of people. Therefore, as managers what we also have to consider that what motivates one person in your team will not necessarily motivate another. It is your job, therefore to to get to know your people and understand what drives them to perform well and once we know that we need to press that button regularly so that they perform even better.
Finally we are also individuals so we also need to seek out what motivates us and have that conversation with our boss so that we can get the motivation that we need to perform to our best potential,
Thanks for your time, Suzanne Unsworth
No comments:
Post a Comment