DIFFICULTY WITH STAFF MOTIVATION… IT COULD BE A LINKAGE PROBLEM!

EXPECTANCY THEORY proposes that an individual will act in a certain way based on the expectation that what they do will lead to, or will be linked to, a particular outcome. The motivation ‘value’ is also linked to how that person views the attractiveness of that outcome. The theory focus’s on three relationships:

The first of these is the… Effort = Performance linkage (How hard will I have to work?)

Looking at this proposition, if employees do not perceive themselves as competent (having the skills and knowledge they need) they may believe that no matter how much effort they exert they will not receive recognition as a top performer. Often this undesirable situation is reinforced by a performance appraisal system that takes into account such factors as loyalty, initiative, courage, third party perceptions on a person’s ability to be promoted and even the employees general presentation.

IF YOU NEED TO INSPIRE FOR TOP PERFORMANCE YOU NEED TO STRONGLY LINK EFFORT TO REWARDS

More on motivation next issue...

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LOOKING FOR LEADERS - TWO

A few more handy attributes to look for when selecting leaders…

- those that seem to make others feel good about themselves, the types that say, ‘he’s a good guy’ or ‘she’s a great help’ and that are comfortable paying compliments to others

- those that can sell the ‘no’ or a different point of view with tact and still maintain relationships by knowing what is common ground and strengthening that, rather than accentuating differences

- those that don’t bad mouth others or complain about workmates, ‘those idiots in accounting or the upstart pampered sales team’

- those that solve problems in imaginative ways and through negotiation rather than the ones that come to your office and say, ‘this is a cock up what do we do now’!

- those that listen and show they are listening

Not a complete list for sure, but not a bad start OR is it back to… “AH FRED WHO’S OUR MOST SENIOR ENGINEER?

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LOOKING FOR LEADERS - ONE

Yes we could make the best engineer the next manager/leader however what do we get… DOUBLE TROUBLE… WHY? … We lose our best engineer and often get a lousy manager! SO WHO DO WE LOOK FOR?

- those who regularly tell others what they are doing and the results they have achieved on behalf of the company. Yeah I know they can be seen as braggers but better this sort, than the ones who are mumbling about the problems at home or type of boat they are thinking of buying

- those that seem to be able get their workmates to help out when things need to get done, the characters that say ‘hey lets all come in on Saturday finish this off and we can go to the pub for lunch together after’

- those who are willing to be in the spotlight… you know… the types that volunteer to plan a company event or activity or that will give presentations to other employees

- those with a good network, they know ‘everybody,’ the sort of person you instinctively go to, to ask… do you know anyone that can get me a left handed widget for my ‘whats-it-thingo’

- those that finish tasks on time without sacrificing quality or wasting resources

LOOK OUT OF YOUR OFFICE DOOR THERE MUST BE SOMEONE OUT THERE LIKE THAT… NO… OOPS

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If entrepreneurial organisations need to be learning organizations (and they do)… WHAT DO LEARNING ORGANIZATIONS LOOK LIKE?

‘Management encourages a culture of exploration and risk taking and seeks ways to expose staff to new ideas and perspectives’; ‘A market action oriented philosophy drives company leaders and staff and there is a shared belief that he only reason a company has to exist is to serve a customer’; ‘They hire for all levels from outside the organisation and will often use outside consultants to bring a new perspective’; ‘Management actively promote job rotation and project teams to develop individuals and encourage active networking and collaboration with outsiders’; ‘They allow mistakes as part of learning (without recrimination) and they often openly reward healthy rule breaking and policy defiance’; ‘Individual’s knowledge sharing is promoted and rewarded and free access to information is provided across all levels’.

KEY ISSUE: Some years ago (when I was an ‘aussie’ financier), I was sent, to a five-week, live-in, management-training programme. On my return to work I had gained some insights on how to improve my area of responsibility. When I attempted to implement the changes the boss’s reaction was, ‘the way we are doing things now is just fine, we all feel like that after ‘the course’, you’ll get over it in a few weeks, just get on with the job’.

Many equate training people with being a learning organisation. Training people is imperative however the new skills and knowledge gained from the training must lead to a change in how the organisation operates. A change in the organization’s behaviour and implementation of new ways of doing things based on what has been learned (and shared) is the only true sign that you really are a learning organization.

IS YOUR ‘TRADITIONAL COMPANY’ GOING THE WAY OF THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCE INDUSTRY… (IT NO LONGER EXISTS)?

*Adapted in part from Mitch McCrimmon’s book ‘Unleash the Entrepreneur Within’

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A MAJOR KEY TO BEING ENTREPRENEURIAL - HOW WE LEARN

Traditional Learning (SINGLE LOOP)

Scanning, Sensing, Planning (THINK) >>> then >>>
Comparison to norms (DECIDE) >>> then >>>
Initiate action (ACT) >>> then >>>
Adjust (GET FEEDBACK) >>> then >>>
The process restarts with Scanning, Sensing, Planning (THINK) and so on.

Due to the ‘need for experimentation and speed’, entrepreneurial activity means less planning and more doing. I suggest the traditional learning model is no longer appropriate or effective.

Entrepreneurial Learning (EXPERIENTIAL-DOUBLE LOOP-ADJUSTED)

Scanning, Sensing, Acting (ACT) >>> then >>>
Reflect on what happened (FEEDBACK) >>> then >>>
Compare to norms (THINK QUICKLY), plus
2nd loop Question the norms (THINK QUICKLY) >>> then >>>
Adjust (DECIDE) and the process continues with,
Scanning, Sensing, Acting (ACT) and so on.

ARE YOUR KEY PLAYERS LEARNING FROM MARKET REALITIES OR ARE THEY STILL DOING FIVE YEAR PLANS BASED ON AN IRRELEVANT PAST…

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ENTREPENEURS ARE ACTIVE CONTINUOUS LEARNERS

If we are to capitalise on future business opportunities we need as leaders to be ‘entrepreneurial learners’!!! The old think, decide, act and asses (or plan, do, assess and adjust) single loop corporate learning cycles advocated in the past are no longer appropriate in modern learning organizations. The problem is that in the fast moving business climate of today too much time thinking and planning will mean short term windows of opportunity for new business will be gone (taken by others) before we have a chance implement our activities.

In addition to a change in the traditional learning model to be true entrepreneurial learners the time in which the cycle takes place needs to be much more rapid and based on trying new ways of doing things regardless of ‘right or wrong’ outcomes. The ‘6P’, PROPER PLANNING PREVENTS PITIFULLY POOR PERFORMANCE advocates and the idiot who said ‘DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME’ at this stage would be calling for my head.

Learning Facts.

All learning takes place outside our comfort zone; Entrepreneurial learning is primarily experiential; Entrepreneurial learning means taking a risk; Learning is severely hampered by our paradigms; We can too easily become victims of our own past success; The rational learning model (traditional) expects us to decide if we like a new type of food without first tasting it; Truth is merely a perspective of reality; Reality is what we need to learn.

DECISIONS NEED TO BE REALITY BASED NOT TRUTH DRIVEN!

AT YOUR PLACE, DO THE MANAGERS CONFIRM THE OLD PARADIGM’S TRUTH… OR REPORT (AND LEARN FROM) THE CURRENT REALITY?

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEURS

Managers manipulate what is, things and information to produce a result that is clearly specifiable in advance. Entrepreneurs try to create what isn’t by a lot of guesswork, improvisation and learning from mistakes. (Mitch McCrimmon)

ENTREPRENEURIAL FUNCTIONS

Organisational learning; Knowledge leadership; Creative ‘resourcing’; Providing flexible structures; Innovation; Visioning; Teamwork; Stimulating diversity.

ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE AND VALUES... PROGRESSIVE MANAGERS/LEADERS NEED TO...

Provide an atmosphere that promotes continual experimentation. Tolerate loose organisational structures and behaviour. Willingly hand over decision making to those with expertise in their field. Help risk takers and encourage those who fail as much as they celebrate those who win. See networking as more important than traditional lines of authority. Promote multi directional communication that crosses all responsibility levels. Allow leadership to change as situation demands in line with expertise required at any point. Easily change direction in response to market, technological or political influences. Constantly interact with customers, suppliers, and colleagues, in fact the total environment. Seek feedback from all experiences and sources and be highly responsive to new conditions/situations.

IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY FOR A FUTURE IN THE MODERN BUSINESS CLIMATE WHERE WE ALL (IF THE PUNDITS ARE RIGHT), NEED TO BE MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL?

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SO WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR?

DEFINITION OF AN ENTREPRENEUR

Someone with the ability and willingness to introduce NEW products or services, THAT SELL, to a market where those products or services where previously either unavailable or not desired. Obviously the emphasis is on doing something new in the market place. To stimulate the creative, risk-taking behaviour required for success in the future should be the primary role for us all if we are going to lead a successful organization into the future.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR

Risk taker that can live with uncertainty; Adaptable to change and able to improvise; Can see how new innovations satisfy a market; Interested in effectiveness rather than efficiency; Either creative him/herself or able to utilise those who are; Has a desire to lead in his/her area of operation or market; A continuous learner willing to make and or tolerate mistakes; Flexible, willing to change direction as the circumstances dictate; Self possessed of a sense of urgency and stimulates that sense in others; Recognises his/her shortcomings and empowers others who compensate.

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR MANAGERS… OUCH?!

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THE NEED TO BE MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL

The chief executive of a global leader in the telecommunications industry for whom I conduct training, recently stated that the most successful division in their organisation achieved its outstanding results because it’s ‘managers’ took an ‘entrepreneurial’ approach to business. He went on to say that all divisions of the organization would need to become more entrepreneurial if their organisation was to survive, let alone remain a leader.

One author of a book on entrepreneurship goes so far as to predict that mangers will all but disappear from organisations and be replaced by ‘leaders’ that are able to manage ever-increasing rates of change and be nimble enough to capture fleeting market opportunities.

Corporate Japan’s continuing troubles are thought buy many analysts to be the result of the fact that no further productivity increases can be found in what are already highly efficient production processes. Future productivity increases will only be achieved if Japan is able to find and grasp new and different opportunities rather than continue to do the ‘same things’ better. Japanese managers, to be honest, are not renowned for their creativity and willingness to change. Take a look at Japan’s banking industry and you will know what I mean.

If, as the growing evidence suggests, we all need more entrepreneurial ‘managers’, how many of these key players in the future success of our organisation understand what an entrepreneur is, let alone, know how to be entrepreneurial in their approach to work. Try this at your next management meeting, ask your managers to write down a definition of an entrepreneur, then (if my past experience is any guide) you will need to resist the temptation to leap out the nearest window.

SO WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR… ?

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PEOPLE BUY BENEFITS NOT PRODUCTS!

How do we discover the real benefits of our product or service? The best way is to complete a FEATURES/ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS analysis.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a feature as a - ‘distinctive or characteristic part of a thing’ and an advantage as a - ‘better position, superiority, favorable circumstances’. A benefit is defined as’ ‘do good to, receive benefit (by thing)’.

Product features should be fairly obvious to anyone selling their product for more than a few weeks. If you have staff that has been selling a product for some time and they don’t know its features you really should (no offence intended) advise them to change their profession. Acknowledging that some products are more complicated than others the fact remains we can’t sell what we don’t understand.

To start have your sales staff list down six to ten of the most important features of your best-understood product or service, (ask them just for fun). Then check that they only have features listed buy checking if what they have written qualifies under ‘The Concise Oxford’ definition above. Examples may be, it has two handles, it is conducted over 3 days, it has a 3-litre engine, it has river views, or it has a 1000-meg ‘Pentium’ chip.

Then have them give each of the features at least two advantages. In the Pentium chip example the advantages could be, faster processing, quicker programme loading, superior movie viewing or quicker web browsing.

The final step is to review the features and advantages in light of the definitions and turn the advantages into real customer benefits. To do this it is best to line the three headings up side-by-side and turn the three categories into a sentence joining them with the words (feature) “which means” (advantage) “which gives you” (benefit). An example is… this computer has a 1000-megahertz chip…‘which means’… faster file processing…‘which gives you’…an increased work output over a shorter time period. In the case of the two handled pot it could be ‘this pot has two handles which means it is better balanced when being carried improving your chance of getting from A to B with out spilling the contents.

ONLY BUY COMPLETING THE THREE STEPS WILL THE REAL BENEFIT BE FOUND.

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