Robbins has identified six basic human needs and believes everyone is—or can be—motivated by their desire to fulfill these needs.

You may want to consider these needs when thinking about developing and driving performance through your people. The question to ask is, “What need or needs can I affect and fulfill for my team member at work?”

1. Certainty/Comfort. We all want comfort. And much of this comfort comes from certainty. Of course there is never total certainty, but we want certainty about our job security, our salary will be paid this month and our company will still be here next year. So think about how you can fulfill this particular need for physical and psychological certainty for people.

2. Variety. At the same time we want certainty, we also crave variety. Paradoxically, there needs to be enough UNcertainty to provide interest and variety in our jobs. Help people to manage projects rather than just do jobs. That way, they do different things each day, against the backdrop of certainty that has been provided.

3. Significance. Deep down, we all want to be important. We want our life to have meaning and significance. If a team member is simply doing a job that doesn’t appear to contribute very much and doesn’t drive their motivation, they won’t feel significant or that they are making a difference. Make sure that you acknowledge the significance of each employee as often as possible.

4. Connection/Love. It would be hard to argue against the need for belonging. We want to feel part of a community. We want to be cared for and cared about. This drives performance because people want to feel part of a team and that they matter to their colleagues. Give teamwork a chance to develop and help people work together towards a common goal.

5. Growth. Some managers on our programmes say that they have team members who say they don’t want to grow, but I think they’re simply fearful of doing so—or perhaps NOT doing so. To become better, to improve our skills, to stretch and excel may be more evident in some than others, but it’s there. Everyone will want to grow in some area; we just have to find out which area that is.

6. Contribution. The desire to contribute something of value is deep down in all of us. Everyone wants to feel they have contributed to something, somewhere, to somebody. This highest needs corresponds to Maslow’s self-actualisation, the thought that our life, our work, actually matters and we have made a difference simply by being here. Leaving a legacy at work should be one of our goals; we can make that a goal for every team member, also.

Robbins recognises that each person has these basic needs. As managers, we can be really successful if we make sure we assist our teams to fulfil each of these. The more you can do that, the better they will feel about themselves, and about you, and the more motivated they will feel.

Many thanks

Nick Hill

Training Director

MTD Management Training Course

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Although there are many different styles we can adopt, we will address two different ones here: Advocacy and Inquiry.

What is the difference between the two?

Well, you function differently when you are in advocacy mode to when you are in inquiry mode.

Advocacy communication puts you in a position of “standing for”, or advocating a particular action, position or set of principles. In other words you are trying to persuade and argue for the position you are advocating.

Inquiry communication is different because the point of inquiry is to UNDERSTAND the position of the other person or people, rather than to change their minds or opinions.

There is certainly a place for both kinds of communication. However, the problem with advocacy communication is that it can interfere with understanding and short circuit listening on both sides. We tend to live in an advocacy type culture and society, and that accounts for a great deal of unnecessary conflict, where both sides try to convince the other, and neither side understands the other. That’s
a major problem and weakness.

There is a solution, and may prove to be a difficult one for those who “advocate”. First try to understand the other side, and once you understand, then and only then should you advocate.

That has several benefits and strengths, not the least of which your advocacy will be more effective since you can hook into the perceptions and point of view of the other side. The second benefit is that when you try to understand first, you may find that either it is pointless to continue to advocate (like trying to sell snow to Eskimos), or, you find that there is no need to advocate since both parties agree with each other.

Next time you communicate with someone, notice whether you are putting a position of power across (your own opinion, your facts as you see them, your own position) or whether you should  find out more details about their position before you talk about your own. The order may well prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations when you communicate effectively.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

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First, the reasons people resist? Well, some reasons are based on human nature and others on organisational dynamics:

* Selective Perception: People tend to focus on how they will be personally affected by change, rather than seeing the overall bigger organisational picture. The change may not fit in with their specific personal beliefs and values. Also, people live by the psychological Law of Certainty, and any changes can affect that law, as far as they are concerned.

* Lack of Information: If people don’t understand or appreciate why change is so important, they may think ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. If reasons for change aren’t clearly presented, they may assume the worse in terms of initiator intentions and personal impact. They also might not know what to do or how to do it.

* Fear of the Unknown: They may ask ‘how will this change affect my personal job security?’ They may fear loss of position, income, stability, power of status. Social changes may occur that would affect their job satisfaction. All these things contribute to resistance because of that Law of Certainty

* Habit: People prefer actions and events they are familiar with; it enhances their feeling of self-worth when they able to efficiently and effectively carry out their tasks. Breaking a habit is hard work for many, even if the new behaviour leads to favourable outcomes. So be aware of the effect habitual working patterns have on some people

* Not Liking the Initiator: When people’s thoughts and feelings about change are not considered, they feel controlled and fear they are losing autonomy over their work lives. These fears decrease trust in the initiator’s intentions, so they breed resentment, distrust and resistance to change

* Structural stability: Organisations create groups, subgroups, working norms, rules, processes, procedures, values and hierarchies in order to produce stability and order. Organisational changes usually alter this stability, and so are resisted

All these, and more, can produce resistance to any change initiative.

John Kotter and Len Schlesinger have developed six strategies that help in overcoming resistance to change. Each strategy is most appropriate in certain kinds of situations, and many of them can be applied simultaneously:

Firstly, Education and Communication: Extensive communication will help reduce anxiety and ensure people undersatnd the reasons for what is happening, what will be expected of them and how they will be supported through the change. You should let people know beforehand what is happening and why. If people are informed and persuaded that the change is necessary and result in benefits, it will help with implementation

Next, Participation and Involvement: This increases understanding, enhances feelings of control, reduces uncertainty and promotes a feeling of ownership. Encourage those involved in change to help design and implement the changes; that way, it is difficult for them to resist those things they have driven themselves

Then, Facilitation and Support: People’s anxiety should be seen as legitimate, so encouragement and support, training, coaching, counseling and facilitation can reduce resistance from those involved in the changes

Next, Negotiation and Agreement: With powerful resistors, you may have to offer incentives in return for agreement to changes. This is useful when people will clearly lose out because of the changes, but it also alerts people that they may be able to hold out for extra benefits if they continue resisting the change

Then, Manipulation: When the previous change stages don’t work or are too expensive, this can be a relatively quick and inexpensive way to avoid negotiation. It involves framing and selectively using information and implied incentives to maximise the likelihood of acceptance to the change. For example, the only way we can avoid redundancies is for us all to accept pay cuts has been a tried and trusted tactic used by many firms, even if the eventual redundancies could well have been avoided by other measures

Finally, Coercion: At times, managers may have to use their power and authority to threaten negative incentives to force acceptance of the proposed change. For example, if the necessary changes aren’t implemented, it may be necessary to close down the plant, cut salaries or lay people off. Where speed is essential and initiators have the power, this is an easy way to overcome resistance. However, if the change is not framed to benefit the organisation, it can promote distrust, anger and disharmony.

Change often means loss, which for many people is difficult to deal with. You’ll recall the change cycle that many people go through, involving denial, insecurity, resentment, anger and worry. When this occurs, it is best to employ one or more of the above tactics to ensure you get the best possible chance of buy-in from the people affected by the change implementation.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

Matching is the process where you adjust the same aspects of your external behaviour to approximate those same aspects of the other person’s external behaviour.

Because most of our body language that we exhibit is at the subconscious level, we rarely, if ever, are aware of the exact signals our body is giving off. Therefore, if someone else matches us, we are likely to only register it at that subconscious level, and not be consciously aware of what is happening.

The ongoing process of matching is called Pacing; that is, you move as the other person moves, matching their sequence of movements.

But what can you use to match another person? This list offers a variety of behavioural outputs to match that can lead to very powerful states of Rapport. Mastering the art of matching will develop your ability (and give you choices) to establish rapport with whoever you choose:

Whole body matching: Adjust your body to approximate the other person’s postural shifts

Body part matching: Pacing any consistent or stylistic use of body movements, e.g the pace of eye blinking

Half-body matching: Match the upper or lower portion of the person’s body

Head/shoulder angle patterns: Match characteristic poses that the other person shows with their head or shoulders

Vocal (analogue) qualities: Match shifts in tonality, tempo, volume, timbre and intonation patterns

Verbal: Hear and use the sensory system predicates and match and pace the system of representational systems (like visual, auditory and kinaesthetic) that the other uses

Facial expressions: See the way the other person uses their face to express themselves

Gestures: There may be specific things the person does to express themselves with gestures. Make sure any matches are done elegantly and respectfully. Don’t copy, as this will be seen as mimicking

Repetitive phrasing: Hear and utilise the repeated phrases of the other person

Breathing: Adjust your breathing pattern to match the other person’s

Indirect matching: Using one aspect of your behaviour to match a different aspect of the other person’s behaviour, e.g. adjust the pace of your voice to match their breathing pattern, or pacing the other’s eye blinks with your head nods

As you can see, there are many ways to build bodily rapport with someone. Just make sure you do it with respect and with integrity. That way, your rapport will be genuine and recorded only at the subconscious level. This leads to effortless connection and influence with the other person. When you are able to do this, your overall communication with other people can only improve.

Many thanks

Nick Hill

Training Director

MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

When change has been recognised as a key component to successful future performance, it is time to analyse what steps you can take to implement it. There are several questions that need to be addressed at this point:

* What are our performance gaps between actual and desired states? You must be absolutely clear on what the current performance is and where you want it to be

* What are the reasons for this gap? Do you have the right resources and people in place, and are the reasons for shortfall within your area of influence?

* What are our specific goals? These are different to what we want to achieve overall, as they are more specific and precise

* Who are the involved stakeholders? Who exactly will be affected and involved in any changes we implement?

* What processes will have to change to achieve the goals? If there are process-changes needed, what implications will they have on clients or other parts of the business?

* What consequences do we anticipate from the changes? What other areas will be affected if we go through with it?

* Who will be responsible for the change? Do they know what their roles will be during the process?

* How will we measure success? Milestones have to be put in along the way, so we can see we are plotting the right direction for a successful implementation

By clarifying these thoughts, you give yourself great opportunities to plan any change initiative successfully.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

Many managers I speak to rarely think past the next campaign or project, never mind what the distant future may hold! But I always believe that your present creates your future, so what you do today will naturally build your destiny.

One manager told me that he would like to leave his department in better shape than when he started. Admirable goal! Then what was he doing today that would set a firm foundation for achieving that goal tomorrow?

Actually, not very much. He was stuck in today’s urgency, rather than building for tomorrow’s importance. He hadn’t committed to excellence or decided to do something that would drive him towards that end result. To him, it was a dream, something that he would like to have people say about him. Then it was back into that urgent report or that manic project deadline.

A legacy takes time to determine in reality. You can’t just write something down on the back of a fag-packet and expect that it will motivate you or keep driving your performance. No, it needs thought and application.

Ask these questions: What was my department like when I started here? What was the culture when I arrived? What qualities did my people have back then?

Now, what would I like people to say about me after I move on? Is that realistic or just a dream? How could I make it into a reality? What must I start doing today that will create the future legacy I desire? How must I become consistent in my approach? What do I need to learn or reapply myself to so this all becomes what I stand for?

You will leave some sort of legacy, whether you want to or not. Only you can prove that legacy to be one you are proud of or one that you will regret.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

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Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

The best way yet found to increase knowledge is to ask questions. So here are a few questions to ask that will help you discover what your team expect of you:

Management role: How do you define the quality of work I produce? What do you expect of me as your manager? How should I communicate with you?

Decision-Making: What do you expect me to do when making and communicating decisions? How should I include you when I make decisions? When would you like to be involved when decisions are made?

The working environment: What environment would you expect me to build and maintain? How would you define the company/department culture, and is this what you want it to be?

Creativity: How important is innovative thinking and creativity to our roles? Do I encourage creative thinking or is it ‘same-old, same-old’? How would you like to be motivated to generate new ideas?

Team development and productivity: What does a great team look like? How would you like me to help you develop your own skills and abilities? How would you like me to deal with poor performance?

Communication: What does effective communication mean to you? In meetings, what would you expect to see and hear? How would you like me to communicate with you if I see problems or challenges?

Partnership: How important is the way we partner and collaborate to you? In what ways would you like to see partnership and collaboration improve?

Growth and advancement: In what ways would you like to see me grow and advance? Which areas require more work than others?

If you think you already know the answers that your team will give, think again! Things change fast in business and people’s attitudes and ideas can change just as fast. Ask these questions annually at least, and have an open mind when you discuss their answers. Expect to be told things that will make you think. And consider changing things that you can when you hear things that show your team’s expectations are different to what you thought.

Many thanks

Nick Hill

Training Director

MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

People make individual choices about what to do and how to do it based on two things; their understanding of expectations of quality and their intrinsic motivations.

So how do we define ‘excellence’? Imagine that your team is performing at the top of its game, to its true potential. What would you see people doing? What communication is taking place? What time issues are people dealing with? What happens when they confront problems? How are they showing creativity? What does it look like when projects exceed expectations to clients and customers? How are people learning from their experiences?

You could put answers to these questions down on paper, and then ask your team to add to it so you all create a vision of excellence, one that can be agreed and committed to by all.

Here are some examples of excellence that you can build on:

• Teams are focused on what’s most important, clear on priorities and know how their work ties into corporate and departmental goals

• Team members feel challenges and important. Communication is focused and open. They are driven by their internal drivers of excellence and accomplishment

• Time is used wisely. Meetings are held only when necessary, not because it’s a certain time of the day or week. People want to contribute ideas and are encouraged to be creative

• You make sure your people aren’t buried beneath tons of projects and they have time to devote to quality rather than quantity

• Your department knows how to serve the best interests of internal as well as external customers

• Everyone recognises that change is the only constant. You recognise your role involves helping the team become comfortable with changing environments driven by progress and customer needs

• You model excellence in all you do, not allowing prejudices and favouritism to bounce you off course. People respect you for your integrity and you don’t say things behind people’s backs that you wouldn’t say to their face. You are trustworthy and reliable.

As you see, this is a journey. Imagine what it will feel like when you reach the destination. Imagine the impact on your team and its results as they all follow the example of excellence. Gone will be the lame excuses. No more ‘it-will-do’ attitudes. Less time spent moaning and groaning about things out of their control.

The possibilities and potential results are many-fold. It just takes one person to make the decision that ‘excellence will be the norm round here’. Let that person be you.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

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Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

He analyses various management models, characteristics, and approaches to managing.  He examines commonalities and differences in managing in various contexts, including business, government, health care, and social services.

By shadowing 29 managers through a day in their lives, he reveals how managing is affected by many factors — including national and industry cultures, organisational differences, level of the manager in the organization, and personal styles — and examines the various strategies that managers adopt to deal with these factors.

Mintzberg then identifies the main “conundrums” or dilemmas that managers must wrestle with (such as delegating versus retaining control, balancing order and flexibility, and gathering more data versus needing to take action) and describes how managers deal with those conundrums.  And he offers provocative and powerful new understandings of what makes managers effective and ineffective.

I found the book deep enough to challenge my ideas on management in the future and instill many new thoughts for designing development programs. Well worth a good look, along with other books that we have discussed.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

Then an engineer came along and looked at the managers struggling. He silently approached the flagpole, pulled it out of the ground, laid it on the ground, took out his tape and measured it, gave the measurement to one of the managers and then walked away, with a sly smile on his face.

After he left, the managers discussed what had happened with each other. “Isn’t that typical of an engineer!” said one. “We’re looking for the height, and he gives us the length!”

By looking at things from a different perspective, the engineer saw the answer in a way the managers didn’t see. Instead of asking what we need to do, identify the results we require to get. That way, we concentrate on consequences, not activity; effectiveness, not just efficiency.

Many thanks

Nick Hill

Training Director

MTD Management Training Course

(Image by Odalaigh)

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”