A Supervisor's Dilemma: How
to Motivate Employees in Today's Economy
Supervisors at all levels and
in different types of organizations find it harder than
ever to create a loyal and motivated work team, who will
perform according to management and customers' high
expectations.
Gone are the days when organizations were content
with average employees who were rewarded with lifetime
job security as a reward for expected performance levels
and good attendance. And gone are the days when
employees were content with an average wage, enabling
them to satisfy basic personal needs. Reality has
created a new set of rules.
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today's shifting economy, organizations and businesses
find themselves in a constant struggle for survival,
often sacrificing jobs and employees along the way. As a
result, employees' strongest drive also became one for
survival. Trust and loyalty towards employer evaporated
into thin air and have been replaced by economic
interests. Employers and supervisors must understand
this scenario before attempting to regain employees'
trust, dedication and "love for the job".
It is supervisors who are sandwiched in
between. They too are victim of the market realities
which bring frequent company acquisitions, mergers,
restructuring and downsizing of operations. Supervisors
themselves fear for their jobs and their future. Yet, to
gain some sort of solid footing in the new environment,
they must prove their worth and succeed in achieving
company goals. They cannot do so without their
employees' cooperation. They must ignore their own fears
and feelings of insecurity, doubts about the employer's
agenda, and deliver a crew of first-class performers.
They are judged by results and results depend on their
capacity to lead a dedicated crew of flawless
performers. The pressure is great.
Unfortunately, many supervisors attained their
position based on yardsticks other than proven
leadership skills: technical know-how and past
experiences unrelated to similar crisis situations. The
problem is further compounded by the fact that, in their
quest to cut down on expenses, employers do not offer
supervisors the specialized support and training they
need. Supervisors are left to fend on their own. Their
drive to succeed becomes one for survival. Yet, this is
a secret they must keep to themselves.
They become avid readers of books and articles on the
subject of employee motivation. They conduct searches on
the internet. They join newsgroups to either "listen in"
anonymously, ask questions, or discover the magic key.
They try to understand and internalize motivational
theories, written for different economic and market
situations.
In the course of their search, they cast aside any
awareness or insight they may have had about the root of
the problem and the reasons which led to employees'
mistrust and changed behaviour. They try to instill
enthusiasm among employees and are taken aback when
their best performers suddenly leave or behave like the
rest. In this dogfight for survival in an uncertain
future, supervisors are quite often undermined by their
own assistants who have an eye on their position.
Assistants too are driven by a fierce survival instinct
and are not ready to wait for their careers to take its
natural course. They do not trust the future. With the
emergence of technology, job positions are being merged
and eliminated by the day.
Unless
supervisors get backing and commitment from upper
management to deal with employees' fear and loss of
trust, there is little they can do. Left to their
own resources, all they can hope to accomplish is crisis
management. Business owners and upper management often
forget this heavy burden the supervisor carries. Most of
their efforts are focused on economic issues.
They fail to see that supervisors are the unit
leaders they send to the battlefield to win the war.
They also fail to see the value of the rank-and-file
without whom the war cannot be won. They seem oblivious
to what is happening in the minds and hearts of their
people. They are too quick to condemn and replace. Most
supervisors face the dilemma of having to choose between
appealing to management for the help and guidance they
urgently need, at the risk of losing their standing or
position within the organization, or trying to run the
show on their own.
Motivational theories that can assist in
understanding the issues
To help guide supervisors in their search for
solutions for employee motivation, here are brief
descriptions of the motivational theories worth
studying:
Abraham Maslow's theory of Motivation based on
Needs: Self-Actualization, Ego, Social Needs, Safety
Needs, Physiological Needs
As applied to the workplace, we can translate it as
follows, starting with the basic essentials:
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS - Job security, basic physical
needs: the ability to acquire food, shelter, clothing
and other basics to survive
SAFETY NEEDS - A safe and non-threatening work
environment, job security, safe equipment and
installations
SOCIAL NEEDS - Contact and friendship with
fellow-workers, social activities and opportunities
EGO - Recognition, acknowledgment, rewards
SELF-ACTUALIZATION - Realizing one's dreams and
potential, reaching the heights of one's gifts and
talents.
Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Y, whereby he
links employee motivation to the way managers express
themselves through attitude, behaviour and
organizational policies, and his encouragement to manage
through democratic involvement rather than unilateral
authority.
Frederick Herzberg's two-dimensional theory,
distinguishing between "Hygiene Factors" and
"Motivational Factors". He explains the hygiene factors
(company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations,
working conditions and salary) as those elements of the
work environment which do not by themselves cause
motivation but whose absence lead to job
dissatisfaction; while the motivational factors
(achievement, recognition, the work itself,
responsibility and advancement) do in effect cause
increased job motivation.
William Ouchi's Theory Z, based on the model
of Japanese management and the theory that workers want
to have a close, cooperative and participative working
relationship with the people they work for. Ouchi's
motivational theory is also built around people's
individual value and the role they have in determining
the organization's success.
All the theories make sense. Though expressed from
different perspectives, they carry the same underlying
message: Clarify objectives, get well organized in
management, know your employees well, extend to them
respect and acknowledgment, discover their assets and
resourcefulness, use these democratically to accomplish
your goals, share goals with them, and reward them for
their contribution in achieving these goals.
It sounds logical and simple, but requires the
commitment of upper management, an investment in time,
effort and money for actual application. In a situation
where upper management is not too ready to invest along
those lines, the supervisor is left to his own
resources. He has the challenge of turning the situation
around on his own. With a clear objective, adequate
preparation, organization, and systematic
implementation, he not only comes out the winner, but
also leads to a win/win situation between management and
employees.
Growth through problem-solving
The best supervisors can do when embarking on such a
project on their own, is to adopt a problem-solving
approach. To the extent possible, they must distance
themselves from their own personal interests and study
the situation objectively. If they feel comfortable
approaching upper management, they can ask for outside
coaching assistance. If not, they can try doing it on
their own with a 'learning' attitude. Instead of wasting
energy on frustration, they can use their time to study
and analyze the organization, upper management's motives
and strategies, employee morale, performance, needs and
expectations.
They can draw a plan on how management goals and
employee goals can meet half-way or, in the best of
situations, merge. Bearing in mind that action plans by
themselves do not appeal to upper management unless
translated into the costs involved, supervisors are well
advised to study and write down all the pros and cons,
and costs involved. The work must be thorough. In the
course of their problem-solving, supervisors must
remember that the uppermost thought and question of any
party to a proposed solution is "What's in it for me?".
The proposal they submit must answer this all-important
question, even if not articulated.
The supervisor grows and becomes a better leader
through the problem-solving process. It motivates him
towards successful accomplishment. At this stage, it
would be wise for the supervisor to examine the changes
he himself is going through, the new skills he acquires,
his thoughts and emotions towards employees and the
organization.
Can the same learning process be applied to
employees?
If the supervisor presents them with a problem to
solve, will it create this excitement and selfless drive
for successful achievement regardless of the existing
work environment? Will their thoughts and efforts be
directed towards constructive solutions rather than
defensive and disruptive action? The supervisor can test
this notion by sharing with employees a work performance
problem, inviting them to solve it as a team.
If the discussion is held in a cooperative fashion,
inviting their input, he would be surprised to witness
in them a change of attitude and eagerness to display
their knowledge and capability. The supervisor will
discover that employees give their best when treated as
intelligent adults and are invited to participate in
policies and decisions which affect their lives and the
business itself.
Employees often come up with solutions which
escape management. They care for the company's
success. However, this success must not be at the
sacrifice of their own well-being and security but must
be interwoven with their personal and professional
goals.
Driven by the survival instinct, and motivated to
find solutions, employees' creativity now comes into
play. They make suggestions for business growth,
untapped markets, and unexplored opportunities such as
possible new products and services. The supervisor
discovers a wealth of resources among his employees. He
gains their involvement and commitment. From supervisor,
he turns into a leader. In the process he also succeeds
in regaining their trust. They now expect him to
influence upper management.
To maintain this trust, the supervisor acknowledges
input and gives credit where due. When presenting a
winning idea to management, which may translate into
increased profits for the company, he makes sure to
single out the employee or group of employees who
suggested it.
He
can suggest developing the idea further with the
involvement of those who offered it. He can make sure
the employees in question are acknowledged and rewarded.
This results in high employee motivation and even leads
to additional input by others. Employees now realize
that they themselves can do something to help secure
their place of employment. Upper management realizes the
value of their employees. Through this example,
management's stance may change to one of sharing and
joint problem-solving.
Whatever their level of education, the people who
perform the actual work come across situations which
trigger thoughts for improvement. Supervisors must
realize this, and so should upper management. They
should also realize that company secrets are hard to
keep. The busy grapevine keeps even the lowest ranking
employee informed of higher-up decisions and plans.
Instead of letting fears and doubts pervade the
workplace, managers and supervisors can share future
planning with employees and help prepare them for
opportunities and different scenarios.
In his book JobShift - How to Prosper in a
Workplace without Jobs, William Bridges explains the
employment and training needs of the new economy. He
says that the traditional concept of "job", as related
to a specific position within a company, is fast
disappearing, being replaced by temporary team projects
and task forces with specific mandates. He advocates
cross-training and advises employers to work together
with labour unions to create a multi-skilled work force
who can dynamically respond to company and market needs.
William Bridges goes even further, recommending that
employers train employees in business management and
entrepreneurship. Their understanding of business
principles will help them contribute effectively to the
company's success. Should they lose their job, it will
also help them establish their own independent
businesses to provide contracting services to the
organization for which they worked. His reasoning is
that through this investment companies will gain
efficient, loyal contractors, attuned to the needs of
the company. This concern for, and investment in, future
scenarios will ingrain unshakable trust and loyalty
towards the company.
Before embarking on such a course, supervisors and
managers must discover the specific qualifications and
shortcomings of all employees. Some of them may be born
leaders, coaches, facilitators, mediators, or may
perform best when given clear directives and placed in
"active" roles. Shortcomings can be remedied. The entire
philosophy here is to share and help each other's
survival and growth. The approach is a caring one, as
expected in a family setting. In the long run, it works
out for the best interests of all parties.
Organizations may not be ready yet for such a heavy
commitment in employee training and a sharing of
responsibility for the future. However, this philosophy
has its merits and can inspire the supervisor in his
quest for solutions within the present work environment.
If convinced of the need to care for employees' future,
the supervisor will find the solution which will best
fit the organization and its people.
He will succeed in influencing management thinking
one step at a time. Employees will sense this and will
acknowledge him as leader. He will find his motivational
problems resolved. Employee motivation is closely
related to the quality and style of leadership. By
creating a "caring" and participative environment, the
supervisor succeeds in motivating his employees even
when the organization is not yet ready to face work
force realities.
Recommended Reading
Maslow on Management by Abraham H.
Maslow
Motivation and Personality by Abraham H.
Maslow
The Professional Manager by Douglas
McGregor
Leaderhip and Motivation by Douglas
McGregor
The Motivation To Work by Frederick
Herzberg
Work and the Nature of Man by Frederick
Herzberg
The Human Side of Enterprise Annotated
Edition by Douglas McGregor
Theory Z by William Ouchi
JobShift - How to Prosper in a Workplace
without Jobs by William Bridges
Managing Transitions by William
Bridges
The Character of Organizations by
William Bridges
All Rights Reserved, Copyright © 2006 Claire Belilos
http://www.easytraining.com/
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Claire Belilos, President of CHIC Hospitality
Consulting Services, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, is a
management consultant specializing in human resources,
training and development. She comes from a hospitality
background, having served with Hilton International
Hotels in Belgium and Israel. She helped the Jerusalem
Hilton win distinction in Training and Development with
Hilton International's Award of Merit for Training and
Development and a First Prize in Safety Training from
the City of Jerusalem. She was co-planner of the first
national training program organized by the Israel Hotel
Association and, during her tenure at the Jerusalem
Hilton, turned this hotel into a prime choice for
industry training for local and international Hotel
Management Students. She can be contacted at http://www.easytraining.com/
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Chicago Tour
2007
