Many people see February as the worst month of the year - Christmas and New Year are long gone, Easter is some way off, and the weather is, more often than not, foul. Add to that the constant headlines and broadcasts about the recession, and motivating your staff becomes well-nigh impossible. And productivity suffers. Stuart Duff, partner and head of development at business psychologists Pearn Kandola, points out that in 2009, additional rewards and remuneration are unlikely to be available, so managers will have to come up with other ways of motivating their staff and improving productivity.
Duff has come up with a list of barriers to productivity - and a solution for each:
1. Problem: uncertainty and ambiguity. Solution: to "be as clear as you can about what the future holds"
2.Problem: pessimism and negative thoughts. Solution: encouraging optimism among your staff
3.Problem: unachievable goals. Solution: to set your team new goals and targets
4.Problem: lack of leadership and accountability. Solution: according to Duff, you need to "make sure that each person in your team is clear about their scope of accountability"
5.Problem: routine and boredom. Solution: introduce more creative problem solving into your team
6.Problem: individuals worrying. Solution: to 'confront mental blockers'. Duff recommends that you "recognise when your team are showing signs of worry", before looking at what can and can't be done.
7.Problem: constant news of the recession. Solution: encourage resilience in your team. Possible methods include standing back from problems in order to reanalyse them and looking for alternative solutions.
8.Problem: poor communication. Solution: improve the communication - but avoid spin or failure to include bad news.
Duff believes that the single most important thing that a manager can do is to help their team stay focused. But while his suggestions are well and good as theory, are they practical? Or will management see them as detracting from the real priority - staying in business?
Comments (3)
Posted by Dilys | January 15, 2009 9:59 AM
In difficult times, it's easy to become target-focused and to push people issues to the background. While understandable, this is a mistake. People who feel both anxious and undervalued often react by becoming risk-averse and negative, and withdrawing discretionary effort - the last thing you want in a recession. Remember, though, that managers too may be anxious and fearful. Expecting them to do everything in the Duff list is asking a lot. To keep managers engaged and on board, show them that they are valued, and give them good and reliable support - from HR and their own managers.
Posted on January 15, 2009 09:59
Posted by Donna Ladkin | January 15, 2009 10:02 AM
Certainly I agree with the sentiment behind Duff’s suggestion that organisational leaders can better motivate staff by being ‘as clear as they can about the future holds’. In truth though, no one has a crystal ball and can see into the future. To make heroic pronouncements about what will happen can backfire and feed into organisational cynicism and mistrust. However, all is not lost! What organisational leaders can do is communicate openly about what they are paying attention to in the emerging business environment. They can make renewed efforts to connect with and listen to organisational members. Rather than being ‘falsely optimistic’ motivation can be stirred through the simple gift of attention and care to the fears, concerns and yes, even hopes of those with whom we work during these dark wintry days.
Posted on January 15, 2009 10:02
Posted by Jonathan Austin | January 15, 2009 10:06 AM
Giving staff a clear understanding of what the future holds is crucial to improving employee engagement. No one can predict the future, even less so in this economic climate, yet leaders are under pressure to address their staff.
Leaders must recognise they may not be able to deliver their vision and therefore should restrain from promising anything. They must be clear that they are only giving their best guess as to their intentions for the organisation’s future, but that nothing is set in stone and things might change.
“On the bright side, this current economic climate has given us a chance to improve how leaders communicate with their staff. Hopefully the need to communicate with staff now will force companies to continue to have better communication beyond the downturn, resulting in a more engaged workforce.
Posted on January 15, 2009 10:06