Wily Manager member Matt, wrote to ask the Wily Manager guys how to deal with a team that is unmotivated and without any career aspirations. This week Jed and Bob tackle Matt’s question with their list of five things any manager can do to motivate her team. It’s not about expensive team building activities, but rather leading people with a few simple guidelines.
Monday’s Tip: Treat People as Individuals. When it comes to motivating people, one size doesn’t fit all. Any action you take must be meaningful in the eyes of the recipient. What you intend really doesn’t matter.
Tuesday’s Tip: Create Crystal Clear Expectations. The more clear you are about what you want people to do, the more likely they are to do it well. Doing something well is very motivating – make sure you set people up to do so.
Wednesday’s Tip: Consistently Reinforce and Apply Consequences. You need to reinforce the behaviors you want, and apply appropriate consequences to the behaviors you don’t want. By doing this consistently, people know what to expect, and will react accordingly.
Thursday’s Tip: Promote Healthy Competition. Don’t go overboard on the competition, but by rewarding top performers, it can create some healthy competition that can motivate people.
Friday’s Tip: Remove People as a Last Resort. When you’ve made every effort to help people be successful, and they choose not to be, it is time to remove that person from your team in fairness to all the others on your team.