Motivating Employees to Achieve the Goals

I was out driving one day, and by the road, I saw a large piece of plywood, cut in the shape of a thermometer and painted in bright colors. At the top it said, “HELP us Raise $100,000 for the Fire Department.” It had a mark for each level of donation received. There it was: the goal, the visual representation of the goal, and the measurement. Managers need to do the same. I am not saying have a plywood sign in the lobby (although it wouldn’t be bad!). Teams need a visual map of the goal and how they are performing against the goal. It is the manager’s responsibility to keep the team “in the loop” as to how the objectives for the year are going. If they can check it themselves visually, all the better. Nothing motivates a team more than everyone pulling toward a clear and tangible goal. I was recently in Wal-Mart and noticed they had all the store performance goals and metrics posted on the wall in large letters. That’s tangible!

Managers should constantly communicate to the team where they are, where they are going, and how far they have to go. Some managers assume that repeating the goals and objectives too often is detrimental, but the opposite is actually true. The team must be reminded constantly about the goals, because they will get distracted and lose site of them over a full-year period. This can be done using several methods:

•   Staff meetings

•   E-mails

•   Voice mails

•   Memos

•   Newsletters

•   Handwritten cards or notes

•   Conference calls

Once the manager has painted a picture for the team, it is time to develop specific strategies behind the long-term plans. Those strategies should be shared with the entire team and then be broken down into specific action items or tasks. This should be done on a regular basis at department and team meetings.

For example, at a team meeting, a manager says, “In the next three years, we want to increase sales 150 percent.” The group will say they understand, then they will want to know how. The manager can brainstorm with the team to develop strategies for getting the 150 percent increase. Then those strategies can be turned into actions-to-implement to meet the goals. The advantage of this approach is that there won’t be any employees in the lunchroom saying they don’t know what the plan is or the reason for the plan. The team—even in the absence of the manager—will move forward to the short-, mid-, and long-term goals that everyone understands. Then each time the team meets, the manager should give an update as to how they are doing based on the goals that have been set. This is the motivating fuel.

The manager should then meet with each person and explain to them how the plan will benefit them professionally and personally. As strange as it sounds, this is a very important aspect because there are often employees who:

•   Don’t understand the plan.

•   Don’t like or support the plan, but wouldn’t say so at a meeting.

•   Don’t understand how the plan applies to them.

•   Have certain negative thoughts or feelings about the plan.

•   Have questions they won’t ask in front of a group.

The opportunity to have one-on-one dialogue can give the manager a chance to answer all these questions. When the doubts and questions are answered, and the employee knows how the plan relates to them, the effect is like lighting a match under a bottle rocket—the employee is motivated to implement the plan.

This approach takes a great deal of thought, planning, and strategizing on the manager’s part. Unfortunately, many managers don’t take the time and have results that reflect that. When they do take the time, the motivation level on the team’s part is obvious and tangible.

Twice a year, it is a good idea for the manager to give a “state of the union” presentation. This presentation should be detailed and get into the specifics of the performance of the team versus the goals. This will help team members to get in the loop, and they will feel acknowledged and respected.