Motivation
Motivating yourself and others. What techniques do you currently use, and what other options are there?
Praise and recognition at work
Sep 18th
Research in America has shown 64% of working Americans leave their jobs because they don’t feel appreciated, while Gallup research shows that 70% of working Americans say they receive no praise or recognition on the job.
Other research in the UK shows that “appreciation for a job well done” ranks highly as a key motivator in employee surveys.
Bearing all this in mind, why are we so poor at it?
How often do we think about how and when to give praise and to recognise people for a job well done?
I once worked with a manger who never gave praise to people working for him. When I asked him why he never congratulated people on achieving a certain task or goal, his attitude was, “well why should I, they are only doing the job they are paid to. Hitting that target is nothing special, it’s what is expected of them.”
He was very good at catching people doing something wrong though, and very quick at pointing it out to them.
When you do give praise to someone it can be surprising just how motivational it can be. In order for it to have maximum impact it needs to be specific and delivered as quickly as possible after the event or action occurring. Explain how when they did x, y happened and this was the positive result. When someone understands why they are getting praise and for what, they will tend to want to repeat that behaviour in order to receive similar praise and recognition.
People, be they employees, customers or friends, want to feel valued. When was the last time you expressed gratitude for a job well done?
Here’s David Brent trying to give some praise and recognition to Dawn in her annual appraisal…..
“pipe dreams” are good….
How much more effective can we be as a team?
Jul 30th
Research into teams and the value of teamwork indicates that the output of a top performing team is far greater than the sum of the individuals.
I was on holiday recently siting on the patio following a leisurely lunch, when I noticed ants beginning to gather. My son had dropped some breadcrumbs and they were drawing the attention of the ants who were in search of their own lunch.
I watched as one ant started to try and push/drag a large breadcrumb in the direction of the nest. A couple of other ants quickly joined him to help. The original ant then left them to it and went on ahead. This seemed to be for a variety of reasons, one to recruit more helpers and then to decide the direction they needed to go and at the same time to check which would be the clearest route to take. Having done this the ant then rejoined the group at the back and quickly adjusted the direction they were heading in. The ant left the group a few minutes later and repeated the exercise.
Teamwork at its best
Watching the ants at work it was clear from the regular adjustments to the direction they were moving that clear and direct communication was taking place amongst the group, so smoothly were the changes taking place. It was if each ant had a clearly defined role in the exercise and were happy to take direction from the finder of the breadcrumb who had assumed the role of leader of this group. With military precision the breadcrumb was quickly dispatched to the nest, before the ants set out again in search of more food.
We can learn a lot from ants in terms of teamwork. Watching them working together you can see;
a) They share a common goal
b) They each understand their role and how it will affect the outcome
c) Communication is clear and direct
d) There doesn’t appear to be any place for egos and power struggles
e) The focus is on achievement of the common goal.
f) Regular checks are in place to ensure the target is still in sight.
All this from watching ants cart off a breadcrumb, or was it from drinking too much wine? 
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
The art of man management…
Apr 13th
The Premier League in England is nearing its conclusion, with 3 teams due to be relegated to the lower league. There are a number of teams still in the frame to go down and they have 6 games left to save themselves.
One of the teams in danger lost again on Saturday and their manager gave a rallying cry in the post match interview about their next game, against one of their rivals for relegation. It’s a must win game and this is what he said:
“They need to listen — that’s all they need to do,” the manager said of his team. “That’s what they are paid to do. None of those guys are ever going to be as good as I am at what I do, because they are only players and I am the manager, so make sure you listen to me.”
Come next saturday I can imagine his players will be busting a gut to do their best for him, with these stirring words ringing in their ears……..
Brian Williams was a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, here’s his thoughts:
“You are only as good as the coach thinks you are.”
I hope the Premier League manager’s players don’t play down to his expectations of them….
The importance of a coaching culture
Feb 16th
Coaching used to be thought of as a method to help correct underperformance. In the Business world of today, it’s used to support leaders, top performers and employees with potential in order to further develop individual capabilities.
Coaching is one of the most important leadership responsibilities. When leaders take the time to coach, people become more confident and motivated, which leads to higher performance and productivity. Leaders build relationships on trust and encouragement, and they need to support people so they can realise their full potential.
Various research studies have demonstrated that companies with a strong coaching culture develop much higher levels of employee engagement and performance.
Coaching helps people overcome obstacles to success. Carried out effectively the coaching process will help identify:
What your employees are really good at.
What is their potential, how good could they be?
What are their limitations and weaknesses?
Where do they want to go in their careers?
Using a professional coach to identify and change behaviors can prove invaluable.
Changing old habits and developing new ones takes time. It requires trust and honesty between the coach and the coachee. The process allows participants to discuss what is and isn’t working with their coach, and is conducted in complete confidence, with the coach holding them accountable and providing guidance and support when needed.
Encouragement and support
Feb 13th
I recently read an interview with Fernando Torres about his time to date at Liverpool. One of his comments about playing at Anfield and in front of the Kop really stood out for me:
“With just 45,000 fans there, that roar they give makes you think you have wings on your feet.”
Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the final of the 2008 European Football Championship, and is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest strikers (if not THE best! ) He was made Club Captain at the age of 19 at his previous club, Atletico Madrid, so we are not talking about a guy you think might be lacking in confidence and self belief.
Which makes his comments about the roar at Anfield and the effect it has on him all the more interesting. He clearly believes that the encouragement and support he receives from the Liverpool fans helps him raise his game and produce that extra level of performance.
This is someone who is already at the top of their game, and they still feel that encouragement can help further improve them. Just how much of an impact can we have on our family, friends and colleagues if we vocalise our support and belief in them on a regular basis?
Too often we seem to operate on the basis of finding things wrong, telling people what they need to do better.
In the various roles we have in life, Manager, Mother, Father, Friend, Colleague etc, how often do we take time out to tell someone we care about, that we believe in them, that we value them?
It works for Torres, why can’t it work for them?
To finish on Torres, here’s one of my favourite ads:
Inspirational figures
Feb 13th
It’s not a sin to get knocked down; it’s a sin to stay down.
– Carl M. Brashear
Master Chief Brashear was the first African-American US Master Diver.
Brashear faced an uphill battle when he joined the Navy in 1948 at the age of 17, not long after the U.S. military desegregated.
“I went to the Army office, and they weren’t too friendly. But the Navy recruiter was a lot nicer. Looking back, I was placed in my calling.”
Brashear quickly decided after boot camp that he wanted to become a deep-sea diver.
“Growing up on a farm in Kentucky, I always dreamed of doing something challenging,” he said. “When I saw the divers for the first time, I knew it was just what I wanted.”
In 1954, he was accepted and graduated from the diving program, despite daily battles with discrimination.
“Hate notes were left on my bunk,” he said. “They didn’t want me to make it through the program.”
Brashear retired from the Navy in 1979 after more than 30 years of service. He was the first Navy diver to be restored to full active duty as an amputee, the result of a leg injury he sustained during a salvage operation to recover a bomb from the sea bed..
During the mission, Brashear was struck below his left knee by a pipe that the crew was using to hoist the bomb out of the water. Brashear was airlifted to a naval hospital where the bottom of his left leg was amputated to avoid gangrene. It later was replaced with a prosthetic leg.
The Navy was ready to retire Brashear from active duty, but he soon began a grueling training program that included diving and running.
“Sometimes I would come back from a run, and my artificial leg would have a puddle of blood from my stump. I wouldn’t go to sick bay because they would have taken me out of the program,” Brashear said “Instead, I’d go hide somewhere and soak my leg in a bucket of hot water with salt in it — that’s an old remedy I learned growing up.”
After completing 600-foot to 1,000-foot-deep dives while being evaluated for five weeks at the Experimental Diving Unit in Washington, D.C., Brashear became a master diver in 1970.
