The dog ate my homework
Calls for an end to excuses and talking down the economy and more support for employers. 2011 was never going to be an easy year for employers, but the barrage of negative press regarding the economy has left businesses bereft of any support or guidance and staff increasingly de-motivated.
Since the beginning of the year, the news seems to have been going from bad to worse – starting with the initial results to the Government’s Happiness Survey which suggested most people were not even thinking about happiness, but just focussed on keeping their job in a tough employment market. Closely behind this, reports follow of falling profits, failing businesses; George Osborne’s assertion that it could all be attributed to last year’s snow fall met with derision, and failed to offer any solutions or hope for beleaguered employers.
CEO Helen Clarke at HR Consultancy Jaluch says: “For a business to survive in a tough economic climate, it needs to be bold and move forward and it can’t do that if staff are losing motivation. Directors need to recognise that once the siege mentality sets in, the climate of fear will do nothing for their business – getting staff motivation right is the key to riding out the storm and moving towards success.” The starting point, says Clarke, is to remember that not everyone is motivated by the same things. Psychometric profiling can offer an accurate view of what motivates individuals and this information can be used to develop a package which motivates employees to excel and moves the business forward.
“We’ve worked with numerous clients on profiling – it’s surprising how many managers assume that their team are motivated by the same things and fear the same outcomes. Those assumptions can lead to plummeting confidence in the workforce and a loss of valuable employees, and all because no one took the time to ask.”
Top five tips for staff motivation
Recognise that your workforce are not all the same, and will be motivated in different ways
Do not ignore or underplay the fears that your team has – acknowledge them and demonstrate the opportunities in the situation
Manage the energy in each team – look at what each team is achieving, and give them opportunities to be productive
Find achievements for every member of the team – on the principle that little by little one walks far smaller successes can maintain the focus needed to succeed
Don’t give yourself excuses for not taking action – it is always a false economy to fail to invest in your staff, and seemingly frivolous team building activities may be just the thing needed to get your team to fly in the face of the doom and gloom and take your company to success.
14 February 2011
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