If salary increases actually do improve employee morale, you would expect to see performance and productivity go up in line with the increases, wouldn’t you? Mmm. Well, you probably know the answer to that one.

Frederick Hertzberg took a look at the factors that bring job satisfaction and dis-satisfaction. He identifies two sets or groups of factors that affected employee motivation, and called them hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors included things like working conditions, pay, status and security. When these are poor, work is dis-satisfying, said Hertzberg. When they are acceptable, work is not dis-satisfying. Adding more hygiene factors does not increase employee motivation.

However, the motivators are things that influence employee satisfaction based on the fulfilment of intrinsic, or higher-level, needs. These needs include opportunities for growth, recognition, achievement, and the quality of the work itself. Motivators, says Hertzberg, improve worker satisfaction and motivation much more than hygiene factors alone ever could.

Top performance employees want to be appreciated for the quality of the work done and recognised for the efforts and abilities that they show. It’s only the poor performers who think that extra pay will produce actual motivation. Actually, I believe the extra pay only attempts to make up for the poor opportunities or the boring work they have to continually carry out. It mutes the pain for a while, until the effect wears off and the money loses its meaning.

So our second myth is “Employees are Motivated by Salary Increases”

If you have increased salaries recently and expected an improvement in performance or productivity and it didn’t materialise, Hertzberg explains why.

Increased pay will never deal with intrinsic motivation. Recognising what specifically motivates people working for you, and tapping into their motivational instincts, are the only ways that you are going to get to the real essence of what makes people turn themselves on at work.

Thanks again

Sean

Many of the activities we carry out show that managers have little idea of what makes the difference between having a proper team working together in harmony, and a group of people who just happen to be working in the same department.

The truth is, people can work together without having a ‘team’ ethic. But how do you create the environment for all persons in the department to pull together and be a team? Well, let’s first see what a successful team actually does.

A successful team is one in which the team members not only achieve something worthwhile, but feel that they have contributed to and participated in a project with a purpose.

Teams create various levels of deep working relationships within them. Just because people happen to be in the same office doesn’t necessarily mean they get the best out of each other. The relationships that real teams build provide that firm foundation for growth.

Teams have an emotional connection with each other so that they all ‘stand for’ something. If you asked each team member why the team exists, would everyone come up with the same answer, or totally different ideas? This connection will either drive the performance forward or drag it down.

Real teams develop their own internal motivation and stimulus to perform. If your team are dragging their feet or bickering with each other, or showing negative signals, you have to question their real motivations for being there.

Teams build their qualities through synergistic interactions. This involves each person contributing their strengths, opinions, talents and ideas to the team and building on their ideas with each other. Knowledge is shared and made openly available at meetings and on projects.

Teams always know they need to develop, perform and improve. In real teams, they contribute to each other’s’ skills and talents, learning and researching while growing together.

Without each of these traits, people tend to be looking for reasons to stand out in teams for their own motives, and the team ethic falls apart as they just work within the group they have been assigned to.

So, work with your team to help them analyse what level they are at as a team. Get them to formulate plans to improve the connections within the team. Identify individuals who are natural team builders and help others to model their mind-sets so the group you have working with you feel they have the skills and qualities to turn themselves into a committed and special team, growing with every opportunity.

Thanks again

Sean

(Image by David Castillo Dominici)

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

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Is there anything you can do to manage absenteeism without risking claims of discrimination? Yes, there is. There are several things you can do to protect your team and business, including a) understand the scale of the problem, b) discover the underlying causes and c) take a positive and methodical approach to solving the problem. You can read some interesting ways to get absentees back to work here

First, can you actually measure the effects of absence?

One way is the Bradford Factor, which takes account of the fact that persistent short spells of absence are much more costly and disruptive than occasional long ones. It measures irregularity of attendance as follows:

Bradford Factor = S x S x D

In this equation, S = the number of spells of absence over a time period (say, one year), and D is the number of days absence in the same period.

For example, if a person has been absent for one period of 10 days, the figures would read: 1 x 1 x 10, which equals 10.

But if they were absent for 10 separate days over the same period, the figures would read: 10 x 10 x 10, which equals 1,000.

It may only be a crude measure, but many employers use the scale as a realistic comparison of disruption.

So, you need to formulate a policy in order to tackle absenteeism effectively. The most effective absence management policies are based on the following principles:

* A balance of concern for cost and concern for people

* Keeping people informed

* Quality Information

Whatever your absence management policy, there are some actions you can take to help you achieve better results in this area:

Act Early: If you notice increase in absence or changes in the pattern of absences, investigate and take action before it becomes a major problem. You don’t want it to become so overlooked that it is seen by some as an acquired right to extra leave.

Seek Advice Early: Some issues may involve medical, psychological, legal and contractual situations, so try to get specialist advice before making any decisions on how to approach it. Avoid impulsive decisions and actions, and get HR or your people development department involved. Talk about chances and opportunities for transitional roles for the person who is the subject of your absence enquiries.

Be Methodical: Collect data consistently and carefully. Keep good records, see that everyone has a return-to-work interview and communicate fully and completely with people involved. This way fairness and relevance never becomes an issue of contention.

Be aware that some people may take absence because they have outgrown their role and are ‘rebelling’ against the systems or processes you are running. Boredom can be just as stressful as overwork, so be aware of the rationale people use to justify their being away from work.

If it has become a real problem, discuss other opportunities the person may have within or without your department. You don’t want to pass the problem onto someone else within your organisation, but you cannot afford to carry passengers, so let the person know that you need their help in dealing with the issue as well.

That way, you are offering them the chance to deal with their absence issues in an adult and professional way. Help the person to realise the impact their absence is having on results and their team mates. Employ a culture of care within the department, and encourage people to bring their problems to you before they become the foundation of a culture of absence.

Thanks again

Sean

(Image by Avital Pinnick) 

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
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In dealing with other departments, begin with an assumption that they are as competent as you are. Everyone is doing his or her best, and everyone is busy. Remember that ultimately, you’re all on the same team. Your positive attitude will get better results than complaining and whining about the lack of help you get. Treat them as you would like to be treated.

Handle your special requests of other departments as you would handle a task that you would delegate:

- Clarify the task to be done and the standards to be met.

- Establish a timetable.

- Ask if there is anything else that the person needs to complete the task.

- Confirm the commitment that they made (don’t make it for them).

If others let you down, be careful not to react with one of two opposite emotions; aggression and passive behaviour.

Aggression is fighting back, yelling, name calling, threatening to go to a higher authority, becoming impatient and being forceful.

Passive behaviour involves giving in, ignoring an issue, procrastinating, apologizing or walking away.

Be assertive instead. Use the person’s name. Be polite but firm. Ask, don’t tell.

Be straightforward with your request. “Our department needs this by tomorrow.” Adding an explanation helps to validate the request. Then ask if there’s anything else they need, or anything you can do to help the process. Clarify the agreement made.

If the person objects for any reason, repeat the request, stating it slightly differently each time.

“Jo, I’d like to get a copy of that report by tomorrow.”
She answers that she’s too busy.

“I can understand how you’ve got a big workload. (Avoid the dreaded “but”) I do need the report finished by tomorrow, so can we find a way to complete it somehow?”

Ask “Would it be helpful if I……..” Sometimes they can do a better job if you help first. Your offer also displays genuine empathy.

Use the phrase, “What would have to happen…” For instance, “I understand that you’re busy, but what would have to happen for this to be finished by tomorrow morning?”

Sometimes the person might suggest a solution that you can help achieve: “Well I’d have to send it by courier and I don’t have the authority to do that.”

Maybe they can’t  and maybe you can.

Don’t appeal to a higher authority. If you say “I need this done, and I can get my boss to speed things up if I have to,” you may not be successful. Instead, build a relationship. Take an interest in things that are important to them.

If problems persist, keep a log of transactions. Include the date you sent something to another department and the date you got it back. Use this to support process improvement, not to blame someone.

Create routines for standard requests from other departments that are repeated. For instance, automate monthly report processes. This increases efficiency.

Find out what’s causing some of the roadblocks. Meet to outline your concerns. The other department might identify blocks that can be removed.

By being proactive in dealing with these concerns, you open up opportunities to assist other departments and identify how co-operation can be enhanced, rather than destroyed.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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The study, conducted by researchers at University College London, found that employees who regularly worked 11-hour days or longer were 67 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who worked seven- or eight-hour days.

One U.S. expert said many factors could account for the rise in risk among those tied too long to the office.

“Those working long hours may have less time for exercise, healthy eating and physicians visits,” said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, associate chief of cardiology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. “They may be exposed to more stress, get less sleep and engage in other behaviors which contribute to cardiovascular risk.”

The study, published in the April 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed a low-risk population of almost 7,100 British civil servants from 1991 until 2004, screening out those with signs of heart disease.

About 70 percent of the workers were men, and most (91 percent) were white. Roughly 2.7 percent developed coronary heart disease by the end of the study, the researchers found.

Participants reported how many hours they spent on the job, including work they took home with them. More than half (54 percent) put in between seven and eight hours a day, while 21 percent worked a nine-hour day, and 15 percent spent 10 hours on the job daily, the study found. Slightly more than 10 percent worked 11 hours or more.

This proves that managers have a duty of care with their staff. How often do you actually talk with your team members to discuss what impact long working hours are having on them? Do you even bring the subject up? How are your team members’ sick days tally matching up with last year’s and the year before?

It would be good to check on what is actually happening within your team and identify if long hours are having any kind of effect on the quality of work they are producing and their overall health. You don’t want any of your team becoming a statistic, do you?

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
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But what about employee loyalty? What about the measurements you use to test how loyal your staff are to your company? This interesting quote by Frederick Reichheld compares the relationship between employee loyalty and customer loyalty…

“We found that there was a cause-and-effect relationship between the two; that it was impossible to maintain a loyal customer base without a base of loyal employees; and that the best employees prefer to work for companies that deliver the kind of superior value that builds customer loyalty… building loyalty has in fact become the acid test of leadership.”

Read that last sentence again…he claims that the acid test of leadership is building the loyalty of your staff to your company. Food for thought, eh?

When you think that a “totally satisfied” customer contributes 2.6 times as much revenue as a “somewhat satisfied” customer, it must be worth your while identifying not only what makes people loyal to your business, but also what you can do to build loyalty within your team.

So, how do you keep employees loyal? Real improvements in customer service start with providing superior service and support to the employees themselves. It’s a win/win situation. Treat your employees like royalty, and they’ll treat your customers the same. But treat your employees like dirt, and you can imagine how that message will be passed on to the customer base.

Here are some examples of the research showing the connection between internal and external service:

• The best predictor of customer satisfaction among workplace attributes is what Vanderbilt professor Roland Rust calls service climate: “those attributes of overall workplace climate that characterise how well equipped employees are to deliver customer service, such as the adequacy of resources and equipment and job skills development.”

• For every one percent increase in internal service climate there is a two percent increase in revenue.

• In cardiac care units where nurses’ moods were depressed, patient death rates were four times higher than in comparable units.

• Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration found that employees’ emotional commitment and sense of identity with the company is a key factor in providing excellent service.

• A study of call-centres found that “satisfied call-centre employees make for satisfied and loyal customers… customers decide whether or not to make future purchasing decisions with a company, or to recommend its services to others, as a direct result of their experiences with a call-centre rep… key indicators of call-center representative satisfaction include relationships with co-workers and management, job challenges, and frequency of development or training opportunities… sense of pride with their job and within the overall company.”

Interesting findings. And it all goes to show that a company’s external customer service is only as strong as the company’s internal leadership, and the culture of commitment that this leadership creates. It really is all up to you as leader in retail environments. If you want loyal customers, make sure you have loyal employees.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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He mentioned that, even though it may have seemed a trivial matter to the manager concerned, the rest of his team members were taking it very seriously and much wailing and gnashing of teeth was surrounding the whole department.

The manager was obviously unaware of the perception that he was giving to the rest of the team by his favouring one team member over the others.

This is a subtle issue that can creep up on many managers, as we are only human, and we often have preferences for the way one team member works, as it complements our values and ways of working. But it can also affect the whole culture of the department.

Resentment can build quickly when favouritism is suspected. Resentment quickly becomes bitterness, and bitterness leads to all sorts of behaviour which can create problems within the department. Productivity can be affected, bitter infighting on a subtle level, divisions between the favoured employee and their team members, absenteeism and higher staff turnover.

So, Should all team members be treated equally?

Don’t get me wrong…I believe good performance should be rewarded. And a single management style won’t work with everyone. Some employees need extra attention to reach their potential, while others are more intrinsically motivated and can achieve great things without much outside influence. What we are talking about here is when an employee receives extra benefits or special treatment resulting from a ‘special relationship’ with their boss, rather than because of their observed and accepted excellent job performance.

And it’s the perception of the favourite employee that causes the damage, and this is just as damaging as the real thing. Don’t think that just because what others are saying about you can be defended by fobbing it off as jealousy or backbiting; perception is reality to team members, so how can you ensure this situation doesn’t raise its head in your department?

Here are some ideas that will keep perceptions going the right way:

1. With everything you do, make sure that rewards, promotions and perks can be measured by objective performance measurements
2.    Although you can’t treat people exactly the same, make sure everyone is treated fairly.
3.    Be open and objective in your communication style – this will build trust within the team
4.    Build a team environment that allows a culture of trust to develop, enabling team members to approach you with any concerns they may have
5.    Be aware of any actions you might be taking that could be misinterpreted as favouring one employee over another, and let team members know the reasons why that employee is being rewarded
6.    Create clear and objective measurements that all team members can recognise as achievable and fair, so all have the same possibilities of achievement.

By carrying out these ideas, you minimise the risks of the perception of favouritism being an issue within the department

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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The three main authority types are as follows:

• Line authority
• Staff authority
• Functional authority

Individuals with line authority are managers who have the ability to supervise employees or, in some cases, other managers. They give direct orders, evaluation performances, reprimand mistakes, and reward positive behaviours.

Those with staff authority are seen as advisors. They don’t necessarily have direct control over their subordinates but will help the managers beneath them to make decisions. They can and do have authority over their subordinates and can exercise that authority if the need arises. For the most part he will simply offer advice or assistance as it is needed in between taking care of his own day to day tasks.

Functional authority is often exercised by managers with staff authority as well. Functional authority gives individuals the ability to make decisions regarding the way a department will be run. They can create, manipulate, or change procedures in order to complete a project. Functional authority applies to the department the manager works in and no other. The marketing manager, for example, can not tell the accounting department that they must change their procedures.

What type of authority do you currently have in your own management position? Are you exercising your authority or are you depending on others because you are unsure of your own position?

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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In my experience there are four main reasons an organisation will fold. While it may seem to you, as a lower or middle level manager, that you are responsible for your department ultimately succeeding (and that your department contributes to the overall success of the organisation) there are some critical components you may not have considered.

The main 4 reasons for organisational failure are:

• System and structural failures – the systems you have in place to get the job done are flawed, at best.
• Financial management failure – the accounting department does not properly track expenses and departments are overspending, thus cutting into the organisation’s profit margin.
• Customer and marketing failure – you have a poor marketing plan and you have no idea who your niche client base really is.
• Failure at the top – upper management isn’t making educated decisions (or members of upper management are simply making very bad decisions despite the resources they have available).

These aren’t all things you can necessarily control but they are all things you can be acutely aware of as you progress throughout your day. Take a look at your organisation as it stands now. Are you set up for failure or success?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

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There are four main factors that indicate the success of an organisation. They include:

• Happiness – Here you have to consider whether or not everyone is happy within the organisation. Are your employees happy to come to work every day? Do your customers enjoy working with your employees?
• Achievement – Has your organisation found solutions to the real problems it aims to solve? Have you created plans to achieve those goals?
• Significance – Do people find your products and services valuable? Do they remember you when they need the type of product or service you offer?
• Legacy – Is everyone who works for your organisation invested in continuing your high levels of innovation, customer service, and high quality development?

Running a successful organisation doesn’t need to be a difficult task. The key is making sure everyone is happy with your products and the way they are delivered. This doesn’t mean compromising to a fault (allowing employees and customers to dictate everything you do) but it does mean allowing the use of innovative ideas and thought processes to find the most effective ways to solve the problems at hand.

Are you part of a truly successful organisation? Are you merely profiting, or are you completely happy with your work and your prospects for the future?

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”