We are a small business that can’t afford high salaries and benefits. How do we motivate people to do what they can to help management? What indicators should we be tracking? — Water Lily.
It’s not rocket science. It’s easy to motivate people if your line leaders, supervisors, and managers are first and foremost highly motivated and highly engaged with top management. If they’re not motivated, how can they motivate their workers? They can’t give what they don’t have. That’s your top agenda. Start with your line executives.
There are many ways to discover their motivational level. One is conducting a morale survey. The most important question is how line executives are empowered to independently solve problems and make decisions.
Two is monitoring the absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover rate of their workers. The higher the rates, the bigger the problem.
Three is noting the number of disputes line executives have prevented or resolved. The objective is to manage workplace conflict to the bare minimum without the matter being brought to a labor court.
Four is the number of ideas, suggestions, and even complaints that they’re submitting to management. When employees connect, they know they are free to speak up. When they speak up, they show the extra energy to do more for the organization.
And five, measuring their leadership competence. This can be done easily through an online test but more accurately if the workers show their loyalty to their bosses and the commitment to achieve department objectives.
In general, everything can be shown by workers who perform at the highest level with discretionary effort. “Discretionary effort” means doing what’s not expected and working beyond the job description.
MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
There’s no need to come up with a sophisticated measurement system. My rule of thumb is to have a 60% in-person attendance at town hall meetings. That’s not to say that we don’t need to measure performance.
What I’m saying is — we don’t have to come up with a complex system.
The simpler, the better. However, management must have one metric to be used as a monitoring device to capture the monthly picture and analyze developments. You can be guided by the following simple approaches:
One, communicate management views with honesty. If the organization is losing money, but its executives refuse to share important financial records and continue receiving perks, the workers will feel that management is not serious.
Two, give employees a role in creating performance goals. That’s the essence of co-ownership. If management allows that, people will be happy to make things happen knowing they can’t afford to lose face in the process.
Three, ensure that everyone has the resources they need. This may include training, which may not be limited to classroom learning experience. Less theoretical approaches are better so workers can learn it by themselves through cross-posting in other jobs.
Four, allow management accessibility and visibility. This applies to all levels from line leaders to top management. For Western managers, it’s called Management by Walking Around. For the Japanese, it’s called the Gemba Walk. The important thing is regularity and not a once-in-blue-moon occurrence.
Five, listen carefully to all concerns and issues. It’s easy for management to go on autopilot. However, this can always be corrected by asking clarificatory questions and limiting them to practical issues, while avoiding encouraging any false hopes.
Six, reward and recognize regularly. Ensure that you have an objective process in choosing the deserving. That alone can play an important role in energizing employees and improving their morale with special emphasis on meritocracy rather than seniority.
CULTURE AND HISTORY
The above list is not exhaustive. You can do more than that. There are many things that management can do depending on the company’s culture and history. Management must avoid being lulled into complacency and mechanically mouthing that “people are the company’s most valuable asset.”
Instead of mouthing that cliché, prepare to make things happen with impressive results. Don’t be afraid to experiment with many tools and techniques that you’ve not done before. Learn from the experience of other dynamic organizations known to have staff who enjoy coming to work.
These organizations are easy to identify. For one, they have a low turnover rate, normally pegged at less than 5%. In these companies, morale is always strong and productivity is even stronger. Their employees are often seen discussing their best ideas and thinking in the workplace on a daily basis and without much prodding by management.
Don’t be ashamed of copying their best practices and adjust them accordingly.
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