Motivating Employees in Tough Times
I don’t claim to be a tremendous motivational speaker, but
it is easy for me to get excited talking about business. I especially enjoy working with small and
medium sized companies, so dealing with sweeping contractors is right up my
alley. I love learning from our industry
and have met some of the best people on the planet. Lately it has come to my attention (and I’ll
admit a little shockingly), that everyone may not share my enthusiasm for their
own jobs. However, this is only the case
outside the Nite-Hawk family. Our guys
and girls generously offer to pay to work here, and I typically have to kick them out at the end of
each day - despite their protest of “Please, can I work longer?”
If you aren’t in this situation and tend to find your people
unmotivated, you may need to restructure your organization. Understanding your employees is the key in
motivating them. From what I’ve observed,
unmotivated employees fall into three general categories. The first group can’t see a future. The second group can see a future, but the
overall structure is not in place to appropriately reward them. Not only does this dampen the motivation of
the employee, but also it prevents a company from achieving its objectives. The last group falls into the camp in which no
matter what structure is in place, they are just not going to give you any more. The solution is relatively simple - fire,
replace and focus your attention on the first two groups.
During tough times the first group focuses on the short
term. They think no matter what they do
today, it won’t matter. They may have
been discouraged by presenting a good idea that never got implemented, a real
or perceived lack of opportunity for advancement, a wage freeze, problems at
home, or it may be they just need some extra attention. These are good people looking for a reason to
do better. Sometimes they may not even
realize they are stuck in a rut. Straight
forward and frequent communication, followed by action, will highlight the
positives and will go a long way for these valued employees. Reward forward thinking, and when an idea
doesn’t seem to fit in the overall strategic plan, follow up to explain. Change
pay structures to incorporate bonuses for real improvement based on measureable
metrics. Even if their base pay doesn’t
rise, they will feel more in control of their situation.
At Nite-Hawk we’ve held contests where the winner receives an
Ipod for the best new manufacturing
improvement. It can be surprising how
employees react when the company shows their appreciation. Show them that you recognize their
contribution to the team and take a genuine interest in their wellbeing. If you don’t feel like this toward your team, look
in the mirror and find a way, because you are one of the obstacles blocking
their motivation.
The second group is a little more straight forward. As Cuba Gooding’s character Rod Tidwell said
in Jerry Maguire, “Show me the money!” Start
by reviewing the compensation structure of your sales team, supervisors and
whoever else falls into this camp and change the way they get rewarded. Make sure they are accountable. Reward for performance, not for
potential. Holding the line can be
difficult, but it will weed out the team members that don’t want to perform,
and provide a spark to the ones that do.
Every company is unique and there are thousands of different
compensation structures to fit your business.
Search around and find one that works for you - and if you have any
questions about it, don’t hesitate to contact me.
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