Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, HR Strategy: Job Leveling (26-slide PowerPoint presentation). Job Leveling is a disciplined approach to gauge the value of work for individual positions across the organization. It entails ascertaining the nature of work done by each position, authority levels, and the effect of each job on business results. Jobs that are configured inadequately bread [read more]
Motivating the Unmotivated
Also, if you are interested in becoming an expert on Human Resource Management (HRM), take a look at Flevy's Human Resource Management (HRM) Frameworks offering here. This is a curated collection of best practice frameworks based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. By learning and applying these concepts, you can you stay ahead of the curve. Full details here.
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Editor’s Note: Jim Cucinotta is a very senior executive, with over 20+ years of experience in leading sales, marketing, and operations teams. He is also an author on Flevy. You can view his firm’s business training guides here.
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Working with a team anxious for success is great. You can lead in a very direct and bold way, knowing that everyone will be ready to tackle your challenges. But have you ever managed a person or team that was seemingly impossible to motivate? You tried every traditional method you could think of: giving raises, time off, complimenting work, etc., but nothing worked.
Before you throw in the towel, take the time to really know this person(s) on a personal level. Try to find out what that person cares most about- their family, hobbies, goals, etc. And use this newfound information to connect with them in a whole different way. If you do your probing properly, you will find that the person can be motivated in the following ways:
- Improved Esteem. Many times, complementing the person’s work is not enough to drive them. They expect to perform at a high level, but they are looking for the acceptance of their total being versus just their work persona. The person tends to like the acknowledgment for soft skills. Phrases like “That was really nice of you to…” or “Thank you for helping out…” go much further than “Beautiful report” or “Nice Presentation”.
- Improved Work Life Balance. Time is our most precious resource. People feel time starved and free time deprived. Their commute time and “extra” hours in the office give them the impression that they have no time to themselves. Maybe Home Office Fridays is the perfect solution or 4 10 hour days or whatever is seen as being flexible to their plight.
- Clearer Standing in Company. Nothing demotivates an employee more than being promised things that you cannot deliver. Make sure that you only tell an employee the truth. If you cannot give them a 10% bonus, don’t tell them it is possible. If you cannot promote them every 18 months, don’t put that they are promotion ready in their annual review every year.
- Getting the Little Things Right. Some of the best motivation tactics do not cost very much. Free Pizza Thursday, Casual Friday, Happy Hour, half days before holidays, and handwritten thank you notes are all ways to show that you appreciate your team. It is especially important for people who work in a department where it is hard to quantify their results. They know that their efforts are being recognized.
As managers, many times you only look at how you would want to be treated. You forget that everyone is unique and that you need to treat each team member as an individual if you want to get maximum results. The more you put that in practice, they more of a leader you will become.
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Improving Employee Engagement is a priority in most Talent and HR Strategies. This presentation provides a 5-step approach to building a culture of Employee Engagement. This processed was developed by Aon Hewitt based on the Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders study.
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Want to Achieve Excellence in Human Resource Management (HRM)?
Gain the knowledge and develop the expertise to become an expert in Human Resource Management (HRM). Our frameworks are based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. Click here for full details.
The purpose of Human Resources (HR) is to ensure our organization achieves success through our people. Without the right people in place—at all levels of the organization—we will never be able to execute our Strategy effectively.
This begs the question: Does your organization view HR as a support function or a strategic one? Research shows leading organizations leverage HR as a strategic function, one that both supports and drives the organization's Strategy. In fact, having strong HRM capabilities is a source of Competitive Advantage.
This has never been more true than right now in the Digital Age, as organizations must compete for specialized talent to drive forward their Digital Transformation Strategies. Beyond just hiring and selection, HR also plays the critical role in retaining talent—by keeping people engaged, motivated, and happy.
Learn about our Human Resource Management (HRM) Best Practice Frameworks here.
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Employee Engagement has emerged as one of the significant pillars on which the Competitive Advantage, Productivity, and Growth of an organization rests. Measuring Employee Engagement is vital in shaping Employee Engagement Strategies that help propel the organization towards growth.
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About Jim Cucinotta
Jim Cucinotta is a co-founder of Halo Health, a marketing company focused on Digital Patient Education. Jim has over 20 years experience in leading sales, marketing, and operations teams. He has managed thousands of employees over his career and has worked on over 1,000 products that have made it to the retail shelves. He is also an author on Flevy (view his documents here)
