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1. Set Understandable Goals

This seems simple enough and yet some managers still do not make themselves understood. This is because what makes sense to one person may not make sense to another. One team member may need to see the detail in writing and another may prefer a diagram. Others may prefer real life examples or some to demonstrate it for them. So the answer is allow for different communication styles and check understanding using open questions.

Communicating goals effectively is vital otherwise people will become demotivated when they get it wrong and you will be frustrated!

2. Evaluate Capability

Each year when we set ever more challenging objectives for our team we need to check that people are keeping pace with these demands. As companies look for more productivity with less staff some of your people will be overwhelmed. It is common for managers (and employees) to overlook how long tasks can take during a normal working day. We often hear managers say, ‘That’s easy, it shouldn’t take you long!’ This may be true without everything else we have to do, interruptions and problems.

These days people are more reluctant to say that they cannot cope in fear that they may be seen as failures and even worse may lose their job. Always check to see the level of people’s workload and skills to get everything done. It can be easy to lose someone with valuable experience just because we were unaware that there was a problem getting everything done.

Just by taking the time and trouble to find out will help to motivate people in your team.

3. Plug The Gaps

This can cover many different areas. Having evaluated capability you may have identified some issues that may prevent the person meeting their objectives. If they are overwhelmed as mentioned above then you will need to re-assess the spread of work in the team. It is also worth considering whether there are tasks that can be eliminated or made easier. The gap could also be the skills and knowledge of the individual doing the task. It can be easy to assume that the person has them already. Undertake a ‘training needs analysis’ to see who in your team needs developing through training and coaching.

4. Check For Motivation Levels

Even if someone has the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job we cannot assume that they also have the motivation they need to carry it out.This can be done through observation of body language as you give them the task or just be asking them! One useful technique to use in this situation is scaling. This is where you ask individuals to indicate their level of motivation (and separately, confidence) on a scale of 1 to 10. By encouraging them to be honest with you it can be a great way of gauging how they feel about the task. Remember it is rare to get a ten and you will need to se your knowledge of that person to see what is reasonable. Anybody who is less than a seven will beindicating that there is a problem. In this situation you will need to explore it by saying, ‘What do we need to do to bring you up one point?’ and ask for reasons.

5. Review Progress & Provide Necessary Support

Even if somebody is totally confident, competent and motivated it always pays to review progress. Experienced people can get complacent and some people may hesitate to let you know if it’s not going well.

As long as you explain how and progress will be monitored then there should be no resentment. Most people are motivated by achievement, job satisfaction and recognition. Helping someone to achieve all these things by reviewing progress is a great motivator. If they are doing well, praise and recognise them by asking them to tell you how it is going in their own words.

If they are struggling, ask them what support they need from you and where possible provide that support. If they need rescuing then provide the ‘lifeline’ in a sensitive way that protects their pride and helps them to learn from it.

6. Ask Them What Motivates Them!

Of course you could have asked this at the beginning. The idea here is that you do all the basics of being a manager as outlined in the steps above. This is generally what people expect or hope you will as their manager and they will usually be motivated by this behaviour. However if this doesn’t seem to make a difference then ask! If you are familiar will Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, you will be aware that there may be other needs if someone’s life that are not being met that may affect their performance and this may be why you need to ask.

We hope you find these steps useful and if you need help motivating your team or particular team members then consider contacting MTD for some management coaching. We can provide discreet coaching to assist you overcome these challenging situations.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

(Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post 6 Steps To Increasing Your Employees’ Motivation appeared first on MTD.

1. Intimidation

There are many reasons why some people believe intimidation and bullying can get the results they want. There is often an underlying form of insecurity in people who do this. Whilst they may need as much help as the person being bullied, they have to recognise that such behaviour is unacceptable. In some instances it may be intimidation towards people in other parts of the business. Some people think they can take advantage of others with an easy going nature who are unlikely to push back. It is your job as manager to ensure this does not happen.

2. Discrimination

When we discuss discrimination, most people think of racial or sexual discrimination. In fact it goes way beyond these two areas and includes any situation where people are not treated equally because of something that makes them different from others. This can include physical appearance, personality, place of origin even if in the same country, hobbies and way of working. Apart from being illegal it affects self-esteem, morale and productivity.

3. Harassment

Nobody wants to be harassed in any way and certainly not from a sexual perspective. Sometimes harassment may include where people become obsessed with someone else for whatever reason. It may be quite innocent but if someone pays too much attention to a colleague it can be quite uncomfortable for the person on the receiving end.

4. Rudeness

The majority of people are brought up correctly by their parents or guardians to respect others. Unfortunately some believe that they can be rude to others including customers! There is always going to be a consequence of such behaviour and your job as manager is to intervene before it gets out of hand. There is often an underlying reason and you may need to explore this especially if it is out of character. Even if it is part of the person’s personality this does not mean it is acceptable.

5. Lateness

Whilst this is a very British thing where lateness is seen as being dis-respectful, it is also pushing the boundaries with you as the manager. There is always going to be a time when transport conditions let us down or other unforeseen circumstances. When lateness becomes regular for some people then it is time to investigate. You may need to be creative to find a solution if childcare or other issues are causing problems. If you are able to help in this respect then it is likely that you will end up with a grateful and motivated employee.

When discovering that any of these behaviours are occurring within your team, make sure that you have solid facts and reliable witnesses. If you start making accusations to the individual without these you will find yourself in trouble. If you are unable to obtain this, consider holding a team meeting and warning people what is unacceptable and point out the consequences if it is repeated. You will need to spell out what is considered inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour so people are left in no doubt what it means.

It will be just as important for you to enforce this at the first instance you or supervisors observe inappropriate behaviour. You will also need to check your own behaviours to see whether they could be mis-construed. Your team will need to see that you are prepared to take action and that they know the consequences should they step over the line. You may also need to coach any victims in techniques in how to respond correctly should it happen again.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

(Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post 5 Behaviours You Shouldn’t Tolerate From Your Staff appeared first on MTD.

‘People leave managers, not companies’ is often quoted in management circles and also hotly debated as to whether it is true or not.

In this article we look at possible evidence for supporting this notion too see how your management and leadership behaviours may affect employee retention.

1. Understanding what motivates employees

Although this may seem obvious it is often ignored by managers who are only focused on short-term results.The top motivators for employees tend to be recognition, personal development, reward package, job satisfaction, progression, variety of work, autonomy and feeling that they are making a contribution to the organisation. The challenge comes when you try to figure out which of these is most important to individual team members. Many managers think they know or just assume that it is money. This is a mistake and can lead you to attempt to motivate in the wrong way.

One way to find out what motivates people is to ask them. Another way is to ask your people to take part in personal motivator and behaviour surveys. These surveys help people to recognise their own motivators using objective methods and can be very useful for both managers and employees alike. If you would like to know more about these surveys please contact us to find out these can be used effectively in developing your team.

2. Gain a reputation for developing great employees

We learn from managers we work with – good and bad. Those managers who show a genuine interest in developing people and helping them gain promotion will attract good people. As human beings we like to progress in life and if we find someone who can help us do this we are more likely to want to join their team.

This can be obtained by asking team members about their ambitions and what they want to achieve if life inside and outside work. It may be that the job they are currently doing may not be their ideal job. If you can help them find work that interests them either within the team or in another team in the organisation they will be very grateful and motivated. If they have a particular talent that you can use they you are onto a real winner.

3. Protect your employees from others in the organisation

People are also motivated by a manager who will fight their corner. Criticism can come from other departments or even your own boss when things are not going well. Whether it is justified or not, it is your job as manager to shield people and defend the situation. Likewise when things go well, it is your job to give your team members the recognition.

People need to know that they have the confidence of their own manager. Publicly criticising your team or any individuals undermines confidence and often results in demotivation and a drop in productivity. This is the opposite to what you want in order to achieve results.

It is acceptable to have a constructive feedback session in private with individuals to help them develop. When doing so always remember to recognise the contribution they making before focusing on one or two areas for improving. Focusing on ‘negative’ elements all the time can be very demoralising and may ultimately encourage people to find someone who will appreciate their efforts.

These are just a few ideas for improving retention levels in your organisation. High levels of turnover can be expensive in terms of recruitment and training costs. In the long term it is worth putting in the extra time and effort to keep hold of people, especially the good ones.

Remember, stability is good for managers, business and customers.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

(Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post As A Manager Can You Really Help Improve Employee Retention? appeared first on MTD.

Watch this short video on ideas to take into consideration to become an ideal manager.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post What Makes An Ideal Manager? – Video Blog appeared first on MTD.

Empowering people literally means giving them the power or authority to get something done whilst you still retain ultimate responsibility. So, how can you do this effectively? Read on to find out five key ways to do so.

1. Agree upon a project they can undertake

By agreeing upon a project there is a greater chance that it will motivate as well as empower them to get it done. To find the right project that will spark their imagination you might want to ask which parts of their job they enjoy the most. You could also ask them what they would like to improve in the job given the chance.

Once you have found something you will need to assess what support they might need to see it through to the end. For example do they have any experience or organising skills to get on with it? Also consider whether they are natural ‘starters’ or ‘finishers’. A natural ‘starter’ will be very enthusiastic at the beginning and then might get bored and not see it through. This is not a criticism, just part of their behavioural style. Other people may not be good at getting things going, yet they are very good at completing once it has begun. You can usually tell this through observation of existing tasks or simply by asking them. Whatever is missing you may need to provide to help them be successful.

2. Increase their current level of authority

Consider which parts of your job your team members rely upon you to make a decision. For example are you responsible for signing off certain purchases (even stationery) or expenses in the team? By putting the proper controls and guidelines in place this authority can be delegated. As you retain ultimate responsibility you will need to have a robust system of monitoring from time to time. Also make sure that the person doing the task knows that you will be doing so just as part of your role and not because you don’t trust them!

3. Seek their opinion

Participative management can be very inspirational. When people in your team are asked their opinion on specific areas or problems they feel valued, involved and motivated. Be sure to take their opinions and suggestions seriously and be prepared give them a go just to see what happens. Even if it doesn’t work out it can be a great learning experience. If it does work then you have learned something.

4. Give them responsibility for looking after a section or specific customer

As businesses grow you may need to hand over responsibility for whole sections or even liaison with certain customers to somebody within the team. Who knows they may even do a better job than you. This will enable you to focus on other more strategic demands as you look to the future.

5. Let go and trust them!

This really sums up everything we have said about empowerment. Develop trust in your people by making sure they are ready to be given the chance to fly. If you just delegate without being clear of your expectations and don’t provide any measure or support then both you and your staff could be heading for a fall. Show that you are prepared to trust them and let them get on with it whilst still being around in the background should they need you.

This is your opportunity to grow a team that feel competent and confident. It helps to develop a team that can cope without you, letting you take time off without worrying that it will all collapse when you’re not there. This is a sign of a good leader.

The post 5 Ways To Empower Your Employees appeared first on MTD.

Watch this short video  for tips on how to become an effective manager.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post Effective Management Skills- Video Blog appeared first on MTD.

This inforgraphic below breaks down the steps in which you can influence a positive attitude to your co-workers during change.  Follow these steps  to be a change management champion!

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post Change Management Champion- Infographic appeared first on MTD.

Only read your emails at set times during the day
Unfortunately many people are addicted to their email and every time the sound alerts them to a new email they stop what they’re doing and check it. This is a bit like sitting near your front door so that every time the postman delivers a letter you can stand up and pick up your post. Unless you work in a role where you have to act upon ALL emails there and then, STOP the alerts or pop ups and get on with your work. After an in house programme recently I noticed that the delegate had changed the auto responder on his email programme. It said something like, ‘Thank you for your message. Please note that emails are only checked between 11:00 and 12:00 on weekdays. If your request is urgent please call me on my mobile ………’ This is brilliant if you can get away with it. It sets expectations, creates discipline whilst still providing options for urgent communication.

Reduce the number of meetings you attend
Manager we work with often tell us how they waste so much time in boring meetings when the time could be better spent doing other stuff. Some firms have meetings for meetings sake and invite people who don’t really need to be there. Consider asking the meeting chair person whether you could receive the information another way i.e. brief minutes by email afterwards. See what happens if you don’t go to one where you have no great involvement.

Control the meetings you organise yourself
There are many techniques for keeping your meetings short and sweet. Enforce a time limit by whatever method you can. For example where you know meeting rooms are used regularly try to arrange a time where you know you will have to vacate the room after a certain period of time. This means you will find it hard to go over time. You can also set time limits for each item on the agenda and appoint a different time keeper for each meeting to tell you when time is up and keep to it. Once people get used to this they will learn how to talk succinctly and within the time allowed.

Encourage your colleagues to give you information in a brief format
When people are advising you of any information, tell them you would like to receive this is a shortened format. For example bullet points for emails and reports or 5 minutes if it’s verbal. If they do not conform consider not reading it or stop listening and see what happens! If it’s really important allocate the right amount for a separate dedicated discussion.

Switch off your mobile and record a personal message everyday
With smart phones being used more for social networking, texting and as a games console, it can be a great time stealer. If you record a personal message that tells people how to contact you in the office (if you want them too) then it may increase your productivity.

These are just a few examples of what you can do to keep communication from being an overload and converting it to a useful tool controlled by you. Try them out and see what works for you.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

(Image by Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post How To Deal With Workplace Communication Overload appeared first on MTD.

Some members of your team will be goal driven, Some members of your team will content with life- work but play harder.

As a manager and leader it is up to your management styles and skills to make sure that each is motivated in different ways. So is there a right or wrong to success?

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

http://www.m-t-d.co.uk

Click on the image below for a free 5 part email management course

The post Success & The Mexican Fisherman- Video Blog appeared first on MTD.