Tag: staff motivation

LOOKING FOR TIPS ON GETTING TEAMS TO HELP INNOVATE AND IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS?

Here are two of my strategies I use to help teams innovate to turn the business around or take it to the next level.

Staff and customers are fantastic sources for ideas on what to improve, yet many businesses don’t tap into these gold mines well.

1. Permission to fail.

When encouraging staff to suggest and try better ways to do things (that are not life threatening or financially crippling), make sure you give them permission to fail.

“Try it, if it doesn’t work, change it or try something else.”

It’s that simple. No big deal. Encourage your team to try new ideas they have.

The culture has to be one of giving permission to try.

I see so many teams frustrated and demotivated because they can’t implement their ideas. It is common to see morale turn 180 as soon as the team feel listened to and able to suggest ideas.

2. Ask customers for suggestions.

The trick here is to appreciate they can have a fixed opinion of what you can do.

They have put you in a ‘box’. Therefore you need to encourage them to think outside the ‘box’.

I will literally say something like, “if anything was possible, what features would you really love to see?”

Encourage them to forget what they believe you can offer, and to talk about what they would really love to have. Sure, some ideas will not be practical, realistic or feasible but in my experience, there is always at least one good idea that helps improve the business.

If they seem a bit stuck for ideas, ask them if there is anything your competitor does really well that they like.

Tip for Improving Staff Self-Management: make the invisible visible

Making the invisible visible.

This is key.

Here is a wonderful example how a client did this recently.

Issue:
Major bottle neck happening getting projects through the lengthy approval process so they can start work. They can’t start work and make money until approvals and insurances are sorted.

Cause:
The spreadsheet for tracking where the project was at in the approval process was inside a computer. It was a nice spreadsheet, had all the info including coloured boxes.

BUT! It was invisible!

Solution:
Make a huge whiteboard with all the columns for approval steps and hang it where everyone responsible can see it.

They have coloured magnets they move along the columns as steps are completed.

In an instant, project managers can see which projects are dragging. There is no escaping reality and this is what you want.

Staff responsible for chasing approvals, permits, insurances, contracts etc can immediately see which projects they need to focus on.

Results have been instant.

BUT!  There was one extra bit missing that added the final icing to the cake, and boosted performance even further.

Project managers and the business owner couldn’t quickly see how many projects were ready to start that week. This is a key KPI that needs to be tracked because it directly influences cash flow.

The solution was to add a 3wk forecast of jobs due to start. This means they can clearly see how many jobs are starting each week. As a result they can slow down or ramp up efforts as required. In the past it required the business owner to spend a lot of time digging into the details and hassling them to make follow-up calls.

With the new columns added, the business owner can set the team targets for how many jobs need to be starting in Weeks 1, 2 and 3.

As a result, the staff can self manage, and don’t need the business owner to waste time monitoring what is happening and pushing them.

This is key! It is an important step towards holidays for the business owner!!!!

When targets and progress are visible, staff are more able to manage themselves. Plus, visible scoreboards satisfy a core need to contribute and feel a sense of achievement/progress = improved job satisfaction.

Less time needed for the business owner ‘in’ the business!! Win-win.

6 Core Needs of Staff that We Need to Satisfy

Use these six core needs to help understand employee behaviour (good and bad) and how to create a motivated workplace. Based on the six core needs made popular by Tony Robbins. In a nutshell, we all strive to fulfil these core needs in either a resourceful way or unresourceful way (not good for us, not good for others). As a result, they are drivers of our actions and can help explain an employee’s actions. When one or more of the core needs aren’t met, negative effects can occur as listed in the table in addition to common problems such as increased sick days, decreased productivity, and increased contribution to a negative workplace culture.

How to use? When you are frustrated by a behaviour, think about whether there is a core need not being met in a resourceful way. Can be many small situations or one big one. You may not always figure it out until you talk to them and notice the wording they use.

CORE NEED DESCRIPTION EFFECT WHEN NOT SATISFIED SOME WAYS TO SATISFY IT
1.   Certainty Certainty of what is expected of them, the tasks, their future in the company, where the company is going, how they can move up (if they want to), certainty of who to take direction from, certainty about safety, salary, entitlements. –       Unmotivated staff that don’t hit targets, don’t seem to be ‘on board’

–       Staff looking for other work

–       No loyalty, leaves as soon as something better shows up

–       No desire to put in extra hours or effort, leave right on the dot

–       Bad mouthing the boss or company

–       Complaining

 –       Clear instructions – clearly articulated, written down, manuals, good training programs

–       Regular opportunity to ask questions or hear what is expected, e.g. Weekly or daily production meetings

–       Career plan mapped out

–       Explain the company vision and mission, have it on display, refer to it, live it

–       OH&S procedures clearly explained, documented and followed
2.   Variety Opportunity to do different tasks, break up monotony, take on a new challenge, mix things up a bit, work with different people, customers, locations,

production, services.

 

 –       Reduced motivation for the job

–       Poor performance, mistakes, can’t stay focused and moves around (with or without permission) within the workplace to provide variety

–       May actually create problems to create some variety

 –       Discuss what they really enjoy doing and want to do more of and workout how this might be achieved

–       Mix up the workload. Recognise the signs when it is time to change

–       Change work location/division
3.   Connection Feeling connected to teammates, the company. Feeling part of the team. Connected to other divisions. Feeling loved.

 

 –       Reduced motivation for the job, coming to work

–       Increased chance of leaving, increased sick days

–       Withdrawn from the team and contributing

 –       Give them a role that requires them to connect with the team

–       Discuss this topic with them

–       Don’t force them if they are naturally suited to working independently

–       Include them in text, emails, newsletter, company social media, meetings
4.   Significance Feeling important, useful, capable, acknowledged, recognised –       Can result in unresourceful methods to achieve it such as criticising others, stealing the limelight, not giving credit where credit is due, sabotaging others –       Acknowledgement via mention in meetings, newsletters, position title, increased responsibility, certificate/award/gift
5.   Growth Desire to feel we are moving forward, learning, growing in some way. Considered a spiritual need. –       Reduced motivation

–       May start looking to jump ship – seek greener pastures

 –       Discuss and understand their career plan, their personal goals and then workout with them what might be done within the workplace to help them achieve these if possible
6.   Contribution Second spiritual need within all of us. Desire to contribute to something greater than us. –       Reduced motivation

–       Reduced willingness to be a team player or belief they can be a team player

–       May implement changes without discussion or permission to satisfy the need to contribute

–       May start looking to jump ship – seek greener pastures

 –       Discuss and understand their career plan, their personal goals and then workout with them what might be done within the workplace to help them achieve these if possible

–       Acknowledge their contributionDLennon Business Development Packages_2018 6 Core Needs of Staff_Tipsheet