I talk to lots of people each day and that I hear is a lack of love, support, motivation, and recognition from their direct manager or supervisor. Too many people in management positions think the only reason someone works is for money. Many managers believe that the paycheck is why people work and there is no reason to […]
I talk to lots of people each day and that I hear is a lack of love, support, motivation, and recognition from their direct manager or supervisor. Too many people in management positions think the only reason someone works is for money. Many managers believe that the paycheck is why people work and there is no reason to tell anyone thanks for doing a great job. We nitpick things they are doing wrong and fail to recognize and celebrate what they are doing right.
These people I am talking to are ready to leave, want to leave, or are waiting for the job they really want. When you lose an employee today it is much harder to find a replacement. Especially someone good.
Each day you can motivate your staff or turn them off. When you put employees down, they get depressed, and their effectiveness disappears. A manager’s job is to coach up your workforce and bring out the best in everyone you manage to help foster their success and your success.
When organizations treat their employees well, coach them effectively, and continually work to motivate empowered performance — everyone wins.
The typical supervisor and manager have had virtually no training on leadership, management, and coaching skills. It is critical that you spend time and money each year developing these skills.
Coaching focuses on proper motivation, teamwork, expectations, and collaboration rather than a command-and-control approach. The modern manager as coach works as a team leader as well as a team member.
Employees think of managers as paper pushers, number crunchers, or administrators, while coaches are teachers and mentors who have their interests in mind in addition to the organization’s business goals. Managers are standoffish and reticent. In the eyes of employees, coaches are approachable. They are open-minded and accessible. Employees want to work with someone who is willing to see them as the people they are. They want to impress them and do their part to help the entire team succeed.
Employees want to feel wanted
We’re human: we want to feel wanted — by everyone in our workplace. This is especially true of you, the employees’ coach. When you or a co-worker doesn’t want an employee around, it is obvious to everyone. They will process that standoffishness consciously or subconsciously to the detriment of the team’s performance.
Employees want to feel needed
Employees want to know that their skills and talents are being used by their team and by the organization. Many of your staff members toil for years honing their skills and improving their experience. They want to feel like they are using what they have learned and that those skills are being utilized appropriately.
Employees want to feel like they belong
Employees want to feel like there is a place for them not only within the organization, but also within the team. Workers will spend more time at their job than any other single place during their lives except at their home. As humans, we thrive on creating and subsisting within our interpersonal relationships.
Employees want to feel valued
Employees desire recognition for the effort and performance from you, your organization, and from their co-workers. Not only do employees want to feel like they are using their skills, but they also want to feel like the organization appreciates their talents and values them when they meet and exceed expectations. Providing recognition is a way you can show employees that they are valued.
An employee who feels wanted, needed, and valued feels secure and supported in her job. This can lead to positive outcomes, including:
• Employees make more empowered decisions
• Employees work better with their customers and their co-workers
• Employees are unafraid to take risks
Keeping employees and motivating them for greater success is critical. Employees are 10 times more fragile than you think they are. Your success is in their hands.
John Tschohl is a professional speaker, trainer, and consultant. He is president and founder of Service Quality Institute, a global customer-service strategy and training firm with operations in more than 40 countries.