Providing good service to your customer starts with a motivated staff. So, when you begin to think about service, doesn’t it make sense to think about creating an environment in which your people can thrive and excel? It’s one of the hallmarks of a good manager and a precursor to the success of any business.
Creating a nurturing and productive environment requires common sense and an understanding of people. We all like to be challenged, to receive compliments, and to be rewarded for good work. Easy, right? Well, yes and no. People are different, and your job as a manager is to pay attention to find out what works to get your people moving in the right direction.
MEETING THEIR NEEDS
There are basic considerations when motivating people. One well-known theory is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, often illustrated as a five-tier pyramid of human aspiration. Maslow suggests humans cannot progress in life until their needs are met.
These needs begin with the basic physiological needs (food and shelter), move through safety needs (family, health, and job security), and social needs (friendship, love, family), to esteem needs (self-respect and respect from others), all the way to self-actualization (morality, creativity, acceptance of self and others). If you look around, you can probably recognize various stages of development in the people within your organization.
Put simply, different things motivate different people. For some, it’s paying the rent every month (physiological). Others are looking for health insurance (safety). Some want to organize a company picnic (social), or seek elevation to the management level (esteem). A few really believe they are providing a necessary service to humanity (self-actualization).
LOOK FOR MOTIVATIONS
So how do you find the right environmental mix to inspire such a diverse group? First, understand what motivates and de-motivates them in general. Business management psychologist Frederick Herzberg famously identified two factors that influence people in the workplace. He called them motivator factors (satisfiers) and hygiene factors (dissatisfiers).
Satisfiers are achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, promotion and growth. Dissatisfiers include pay and benefits, company policy and administration, physical environment, relationships with co-workers, physical environment, supervision, status and job security. Look at how important meaningful work and recognition is in terms of satisfaction. Notice how often relationships factor into dissatisfaction.
A motivated staff returns untold benefits to your company. There are a few simple things you can do to give them what they need to achieve success for themselves and for the company. In the 10 Minute Guide to Motivating People, Nancy Stevenson discusses ways to achieve satisfaction and maximize productivity. She defines motivation as an incentive, an inducement or a stimulus for action, anything — verbal, physical or psychological — that causes somebody to do something in response.
Stevenson suggests designing a motivating work environment. She recommends looking at color, lighting, music, ergonomics and technology. Creating a workplace designed to make people comfortable will make them more positive. Giving them the tools they need to keep pace with technology will make them more productive, including things like GPS routing, company cell phones and the like.
GET TO THE POINT
Finally, for a high-speed approach to motivating your people, check out Kenneth Blanchard’s The One Minute Manager, which describes simple secrets to managing people. First, set goals for employees. To make it clear what you are asking them to do, ask them to write down their most important goal on a single sheet of paper. Next, praise employees immediately for a job well done. If you can’t find someone to praise every day, you should wonder why. This small habit of instant and regular praising is key to improved performance and increased productivity.
Lastly, remember that managers can change the attitude of a poor performer. If a reprimand is necessary, do it quickly after the misstep. Admonish the action, not the person. Be clear about what they did wrong, then share how you feel about the situation. End with positive feedback.
A FINAL WORD
Your staff is your most valuable asset. Treat them as such and your business will be rewarded tenfold.
Steve Washburn is special projects manager for PolyJohn Enterprises Corp. Lynda Hansen is a customer service representative for PolyJohn Enterprises Corp.
