MOTIVATION TECHNIQUES

Many things can happen, either on or off the job, to cause an excellent employee to drop suddenly in personal productivity. In dramatic situations of this nature (when the cause might be highly personal), the supervisor may wish to give the employee a few days to bounce back without interference. But if too much time passes with no improvement, the supervisor should try to discover the cause and take immediate steps to bring productivity back to the previous level. Hoping that time will take care of the problem can be wishful thinking. Take the case of Bernie, for example.

For the past week, Bernie had been producing far beneath his potential as a home-appliance repairman. Most of his co-workers averaged thirty-two house calls the previous week (average labor billings $2,400), while Bernie was averaging only twenty-one calls (average billings $1,600). Why? Were Bernie's calls more difficult and time-consuming? Is he less capable, so that it takes him longer? Are some unknown personal reasons behind the gap between what he is doing and what he could do?

Bernie's supervisor took time to look at his previous record and discovered that Bernie had been above average in productivity until the previous Friday, when his productivity gap dropped suddenly to about 50 percent of his normal level. Bernie's supervisor tried to remember any specific event that day that might have been the cause. Then it hit him. That was the day the new truck arrived and was assigned to Frank. Was Bernie upset about it? Through a quick counseling session with Bernie, the supervisor verified his hunch. Bernie, thinking he had seniority over Frank, had expected to be assigned the new truck and was under standably upset when he didn't get it—so upset, in fact, that he seriously thought about resigning. In a long heart-to-heart talk, the supervisor was able to convince Bernie that his assumption had been all wrong and that Frank was entitled to the new truck. The next day Bernie's productivity started going back up. The supervisor had done a successful emergency repair job. Rather than wait around, he moved in and corrected the situation before Bernie's productivity drop seriously hurt the department or before Bernie resigned.

Communication failures, misunderstandings, and damaged egos can occur in any department, so the supervisor must constantly be on the alert for sudden drops in individual productivity. You cannot always afford to wait to discover whether the problem is job-related.

Not all drops in productivity are sudden and dramatic. Sometimes a slow deterioration does not show up for weeks or months. In such instances the supervisor may not be able to find a tangible cause for the widening gap, making corrective action much more difficult. For example, what about the person who has become disenchanted with the job and the company? What do you do when an employee has temporarily lost sight of a previous goal or has a change in attitude that defies understanding? To illustrate the problem, let's look at the case of Gilbert.

In less than two years with the organization, Gilbert had reached a position of high responsibility in his department. During the past three months, however, he had shown a noticeable productivity gap. Gilbert's slow loss of drive was reflected in reduced efficiency and generally weaker performance. Gilbert's supervisor decided to try some motivational counseling. She called Gilbert into her office and began as follows.

Good morning, Gilbert. Thanks for accepting my invitation to drop by. It's been a few months since you and I had a good chat. Tell me, how are things going for you?

Well, pretty good, I guess. I still like the job and the company. I haven't heard any complaints.

Yes, I still feel you have excellent long-range potential with us. By the way, have you ever thought about where you might like to be in our organization in five years? Do you have a personal goal? Are you, for example, preparing for a job similar to mine?

Well, at first when I was really gung-ho, I decided to become a supervisor within three years, but I guess my goals are less crystallized now. Reality is quite different from optimistic first plans, I guess.

The conversation that followed between Gilbert and his supervisor lasted forty minutes. During that time, they had a free exchange of ideas on many subjects, but most of the talk centered on Gilbert's future. At the end, Gilbert admitted that he had lost his focus on a goal, and it had been affecting his work. He expressed his pleasure in getting the problem out in the open. It was forty minutes well spent because Gilbert's productivity started going back up within the next few days. In fact, soon it was higher than it had been previously. Before the year was out, Gilbert was promoted to supervisor of another department. Talking things over had apparently restored Gilbert's goal and renewed his personal confidence in his ability to achieve it.

In addition to counseling, many other steps can help you to help your employees keep their motivation. First and foremost, keep practicing the five irreplaceable foundations:

Five Foundations:

These foundations are thoroughly covered in Chapter 6. You can sometimes improve motivation by giving employees special assignments, rotating jobs when feasible, or providing special learning opportunities. Everything you do as a supervisor will have an impact upon the motivation of those who work for you. In turn, the degree of their motivation will determine the productivity level of your department.