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The 21st Century Manager - Part 2...
In last month's PDN we introduced the "21st Century Manager" series of articles, in which the two themes of complexity and change were discussed. In this, the second article we look at motivation and the role that managers of today have in motivating teams and individuals.
As a start point I will give a view on the definition of motivation in the business context. This is that the manager's role is to provide and create the conditions that enable people to motivate themselves. This definition has the premise that no one can motivate another individual, as motivation is from within.
People will feel degrees of motivation or de-motivation, depending on the;
- situation they are in
- level of involvement that they feel
- degree of interest they have in what they are doing
- overall feeling of security that they have
The established motivation models of Maslow and Herzberg still have some relevance. However the situations that were valid when they were incorporated into leadership training programmes many years ago have changed dramatically in today's business world. The conditions are quite different. To provide some example of those changes:
1. Progression through an organisation
Progression through an organization was one of the key motivators. This clear career path offered security and a sense of progression. During the appraisal process managers could agree with people what was needed for them to progress to the next level. Of course, they had to achieve, but the road was clear. Many of today's businesses are quite different. Layers have been taken out of management structures, resulting in less promotion ladders.
2. The myth of secure employment has long gone
In a global economy where an incident in one part of the world impacts businesses thousands of miles away, where production can and often is moved to the lowest cost labour economies, diminishes the security of a business and of its staff.
3. Change in today's business world is constant and fast
We all know that too much change causes stress and uncertainty, undermining one of the underpinning motivators for all of us - that of security. Of course no two people are the same and some thrive on the thrill and excitement of change.
4. Many managers today are not managing full time employed staff
They may be project managers; they may be managing short-term contract workers; they may be managing third party businesses, so the partners involved have their own business drivers and motivators as well as their own personal motivations.
5. We live in an aware culture
We live in an aware culture, in which many people have decided that experience, that work- life balance is important. Not content to give their all to "the job" they have consciously positioned their work in an overall context of their life goals.
6. More open business cultures
Business cultures have become more open, so news good and bad is more available. Even if a business is not open, news coverage and information from the internet means that people know more about what is going on. Today's manager is less able to shield people from bad news.
What are the implications for the 21st century manager?
Managing staff motivation never was a simple science! In today's business environment there is added complexity to manage. What are the key messages for managers in considering their motivation role?
- Take time to understand the people that you are working with - this has always been true, but even more so now, as there are a greater range of conditions to be aware of. For example, understanding the motivations and concerns of a third party contract worker on a six month contract may be quite different to a full time member of staff. Not because they are necessarily different as people but because their situations are different.
- Be able to understand business issues and interests - for example a manager responsible for an outsource organisation needs to understand not just the individuals as people but to understand their commercial interests and where the conflicts may be.
- The more open and involving the leadership style the better relationships will be - developing this open culture will encourage people to be open about their aspirations and concerns and they will feel comfortable about discussing them informally. Waiting for the annual appraisal to find out about staff needs and their problems was never the most effective approach and certainly not in today's business world.
- Remember what the key de-motivators are - they are commonly cited as forever changing goalposts and lack of information. The changing goalposts may be outside of a manager's control, so the key is to explain the reason for the change rather than simply announcing it. Lack of information about what is going on, what the latest changes are, is a bigger de-motivation than the event itself. We are all time pressured, but time taken to communicate, inform, listen and reassure is time well spent. Again this was always true but in times of constant and evolving change the need to communicate [face to face not via e mail!] increases.
- Be open and honest - In addressing motivational issues be clear about what is possible and be committed to carrying out agreed actions. As important, be clear about what is not possible. Nothing de-motivates more than false promises.
- Finally ask yourself "what de-motivates me?" - the chances are that the same things will de-motivate your people. Remember them and vow to avoid such situations wherever possible!
So what is new? All of the above points are obvious. True, but as with many things relating to people and leadership it is not always common practice. The core principles of motivation have not changed but the culture, pace and structure of modern business means that managers have to be more aware of motivational issues in the context of more and more complex working relationships.
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