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Motivate your staff for peak performance
We all want an IT operation that runs smoothly and one where employees make the call on their own when they need to take extra steps to get the job done in a quality manner. If you are like me, and I suspect most of you are; you don't want to have to ask or direct employees to work longer or harder when the client needs their help. We want them to recognize the situation and take the responsibility to make that decision themselves. Motivated employees rise to these occasions.
Are employees self motivated or do managers motivate them?
To a certain extent, individuals are either motivated already or they aren't. Much has to do with attitude, I think, in that some people are simply more optimistic on their own accord than others. These people are easier to work with and typically more fun to manage.
However, do a few "motivational" things and you will see most of your employees "perk up" and want to perform at a higher level. I believe strongly that you can motivate others for higher performance. Perhaps it's not actually motivating them as much as bringing out more of their full potential by doing a few things that encourages them to respond positively.
What motivates people?
Many think that it takes money and financial incentives to motivate your staff. It's not that compensation is not important to people, but it never ranks as the highest issue for what keeps them loyal to a company. Every person is different with a unique set of values and needs. However, there are some specific things that have positive impact.
Before we list them, let's look at some generalities about technical people. Better understanding their personalities and "internal motivators" will help you hit their "hot buttons". While we are all different as mentioned earlier, there are some things that typify most of us that work in the technology field. Here are a few traits along with the motivational need that technology employees tend to have. Remember, this list is a generalization and does not apply to everyone in IT, but it hits the majority.
- technically oriented versus socially oriented - says we are more energized by learning about technical
things than dealing with people
- more introverted than extroverted - we tend to be more comfortable with our "inner circle" of friends
- not risk takers - means we like stability and tend to prefer others to make decisions in new areas where we have
little to no experience
- detail oriented - most of are detail oriented which means we can be sensitive to criticism and want to do
things "by the book"
So, if that's a general profile of the IT staff member, how do you motivate them? Here is what I do and what has worked well for me for many years:
1. Define their responsibility clearly. High detail oriented people need clear definition of what is expected of them
and what their responsibilities are. Performance plans and job descriptions do this.
2. Communicate what it takes to succeed. Most of us want to know what is required to succeed. Technology people
are very interested in this and need it. Performance plans and job descriptions and coaching addresses this need.
3. Tell them how they are performing. People need to know how they are doing, so tell them.
4. Encourage versus discourage. Coach with constructive critique, not criticism.
5. Communicate your vision. People, especially detail oriented people need to know where they are headed.
6. Show your appreciation. We all perform better when we know our efforts are valued and appreciated.
7. Address problem issues. Problem employees or clients must be dealt with. Your staff is watching to see whether
you will do something and what you will do to improve bad situations. They need and expect your support.
If you look through this list, you don't see anything that costs money, just time and attention. Trust me when I say that acting on these issues will make a big difference in how people respond to your direction and leadership. In doing these things you are actually exhibiting strong leadership traits.
How can I motivate my staff with such tight budget constraints?
Three things stand out that have as much influence on IT employees as anything I've seen.
1. Rewards of appreciation
2. Teamwork activities
3. Training and education
Salary increases are important to people but not the primary driver for most. Powerful motivators lie in rewards, fun activities that create employee camaraderie, and learning new things. Here are some ideas to consider in each group.
Rewards of appreciation - Little things go a long way and show your employees you genuinely appreciate them. One tip here is to reward desired behavior, not necessarily accomplishment all the time. By focusing on the behavior you want from your team, it gives you the ability to single out anyone on your team, no matter what their skill level and capability happens to be. Some inexpensive but effective rewards I've used include:
- $50.00 to $70.00 nights on the town
- extra time off
- employee of the month
- lunch or breakfast with the President of the company
- tickets to sports activities, concerts, etc.
- company logo shirts and memorabilia
- personal recognition in meetings
Teamwork activities - Supporting technology is challenging work that is often overlooked by users and clients. Take the time to do some fun activities with your staff to build a strong team bond. Activities like the following work well:
- pizza lunches
- ice cream in the afternoon
- logo t-shirts for the team
- bowling
- staff meeting on a houseboat with an afternoon group outing
Training and education - By far, the number one motivator in almost every study I've seen is that IT employees desire the opportunity to learn more about technology. Sending your employees to training classes that develop their skills or conducting internal training programs is a sure winner and something that's appreciated very much. It's important that you target your training to meet organizational needs as well as create individual training plans.
- training to fill skill gaps
- training to develop professional skills such as project management, communication, etc.
- training to develop depth in critical skill areas
- training to position people for increased responsibility
The key to all of this is in communicating proactively and often with your staff. Make it a point to have regular scheduled staff meetings to keep them involved and aware of what's going on in the company. An agenda that I typically use in my monthly IT staff meetings includes:
A. Company news
B. IT Organization news
C. Successes
D. Improvements needed
E. Updates on key projects
F. Key focus for the upcoming month
G. Education event
H. Open forum for questions and answers
Make the effort to keep people "in the light", show them you appreciate their efforts, coach them on areas for improvement to be more successful, and be consistent in your treatment of individuals and you will find the results can be powerful.
People like working for people they respect and like. You don't have to be their best friend to be liked. When people believe in you and trust you, it's all from your actions, not necessarily your words. Act professionally and lead by example, and your staff will do the same. After all, they are looking to you for leadership.
Are there tools to help me learn about motivating others?
For more insight into this topic, take a look at Building a Successful IT Organization and IT Staff Motivation and Development. These two books of my IT Manager Development Series provide insight on what to do and how to go about it to accomplish more through others.
Building the right organization to do the job and managing a highly motivated team doesn't happen by accident. This month's special offers both books and all the tools described in them for only $49.00, an 18% discount. In them, you will find considerable more help in motivating employees for improved performance.
Remember, every person is different so take the time to understand individual needs and desires. Getting superior results through other people means you have to pay attention to individual needs as well as overall organizational needs. After all, we all ask the question, "What's in it for me."
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