Motivating Employees _ Bringing Out the Best in Your People - Barry Silverstein [19]
By encouraging employees to come to you about such issues, you will learn more about them—and about your organization. You will show yourself to be a caring manager, someone they can feel comfortable speaking to in confidence.
As a manager who knows how to turn an employee’s attitude from negative to positive, you will potentially have a more satisfied, more motivated staff—and your organization will be better off as a result.
DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
When an employee’s motivation wanes, you are bound to notice behavioral and performance problems. You will have to address the cause of the lack of motivation—and deal with the impact.
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“At first, you rarely succeed. Hence, you need to fail, fail again. My summa mantra goes like this: No big failures, no big successes.”
—Tom Peters
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Lack of Confidence
An employee who is in the throes of a motivational crisis may well lack confidence or be afraid to make mistakes. When you discuss the problem, make an effort to be supportive and reassuring. Reiterate your faith in her abilities and your assurance that the setback is only temporary. Encourage him to keep trying and not to fear failure.
Lack of Cooperation
If an employee is uncooperative with you or with coworkers, call him on the behavior immediately. Do this in private and give specific examples in a way that’s objective and calm.
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Dos & Don’ts
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TURNING BEHAVIOR AROUND
Negative behavior and a lack of motivation are not necessarily permanent. Handled correctly, they can be reversed and the employee can be transformed into one of your star performers.
Do use positive feedback and praise to bolster an employee’s faltering confidence.
Don’t let the damaging effects of an employee’s negativity on a work group go unaddressed.
Do remind an unmotivated employee that lack of cooperation will prevent him from being successful.
Don’t neglect to reinforce positive behavior and strong performance.
Do work with an employee to set objectives and timelines for correcting problems.
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Explain that the refusal to be a team player hinders your group’s performance and success. Ask the employee for his cooperation while the issue is being resolved.
Negativity
The negative mood of an employee with motivation issues can quickly spread through your staff. This affects the work environment and can damage group morale. If the employee is negative, point out the damage that the attitude could have on the work group. Encourage the individual to stay positive—or at least to remain professional—while you work on a resolution.
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“The only way to deliver to the people who are achieving is not to burden them with the people who are not achieving.”
—Jim Collins
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Disciplinary Action
If you have made a genuine effort to address an employee’s unacceptable behavior or substandard performance during informal meetings and have not seen any change, you must take stronger action. When there has been misconduct, negligence, insubordination, unwillingness to perform job requirements, or similar just cause, issue a formal reprimand.
The first step in a progressive discipline process that could ultimately lead to termination is an oral reprimand. This is simply a discussion between you and an employee in which you define a specific problem and call for an action to correct it. Keep a record of the oral reprimand.
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POWER POINTS
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PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE
Take disciplinary action if you do not see any change in an employee’s unacceptable behavior.
Misconduct, negligence, and other just cause warrant a reprimand.
Oral reprimands, which are given during a discussion, define the problem and call for a specific corrective action.
Written reprimands restate the problem and the required action and formally put an employee on notice.
Termination follows when the use of reprimands doesn’t work.
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If the undesirable behaviors continue to be a problem, take the next step and issue a written reprimand.