Collaborative Leadership

I find Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, a fascinating character.  As a gradual (and sceptical) convert to Apple products, from an iPod to an iPhone to a Macbook, it is great to hear the insights of how the company, and particularly it’s leader, operates.

In this shortened version of an interview, Jobs explains how he is a ‘facilitator’, not a manager, and how committees are frowned upon.  What I like is the recognition that to attract and retain key people means accepting that they will often know more than the man at the top.

Fire Your Grumpy Staff?

I read a great article recently with the above title.   The essence of the message was “I can’t for the life of me see how great customer service can be delivered by staff who hate – or don’t enjoy – their jobs. Great service experiences are always a result of someone who is engaged and sees the problem through the customer’s eyes.”

Couldn’t agree more.  However, you don’t need to fire all of them.  A Motivation Review of the team would soon establish if you had the right people in the right roles to deliver excellent customer service.  More importantly it gives leaders the opportunity to engage with staff at a different, emotional, level – to identify the reasons behind any grumpiness.

A small change in a leader’s reward strategy to each individual will then make a big difference to employee motivation – and customer service.

In It For Fun, Not Money

Before you read this I have to admit to being a Branson fan.  I found Sir Richard’s blog on fun-not-money very interesting and very relevant to the work I do around what motivates individuals and teams, and how that can drive success.

I disagree that most people start businesses because they “feel that they can create something that is going to make a difference to other people’s lives”.  I think people start businesses for all sorts of reasons.  However I strongly agree that people who DO start a business for this reason are most likely to be successful, as they will put customers first.

So perhaps this gives us an insight into the motivators that will make the most successful entrepreneurs?  Making a difference is the Searcher motivator.  Add some Spirit (autonomy) and Creator (innovation) and that could be the recipe for success!

Let me know if you’d like to find out what motivates you.

Total Reward

I like this article by the Paul Bissell in the CIPD blog, for Total Reward.

The messages are very much in line with this presentation of mine, Motivating Without Money.

Too many employees and managers focus on monetary rewards, when there are so many other reasons why we go to work.  A better understanding of your own motivators and those of your staff will give you a whole new perspective.

Meaning At Work

I read People Management’s interview with Dave Ulrich with interest – see The Why Guy.

The most compelling part for me is the affirmation that the responsibility for motivating staff, or providing meaning for what they do, sits firmly with business leaders.

That’s why we engage at C- level, with the support of HR, when dealing with Motivation Reviews.  When a leader invests from their P&L and sees the benefits directly (increased sales, customer satisfaction, productivity) everyone wins.

When organisations are really smart, the leader also empowers their direct reports with this responsibility.  This means the organisation is focussed on success through the motivation of  its employees – a powerful way to drive results.

How Motivation Drives Performance – Spirit Profile

So we’ve seen how Searchers, those of us who are driven by making a difference, can maintain and increase their motivation levels.  Now let’s take a look at the Spirit.

If you have Spirit as one of your top motivators, you will need freedom, autonomy.  You are independent and happy to work alone, so long as you are allowed to make decisions on your own.  For that reason you are best motivated when you are your own boss – either literally running a business, or that your boss trusts you enough to leave you to your own devices.

How Motivation Drives Performance – Searcher Profile

Motivation is a complex subject, as we discovered in the Introduction to How Motivation Drives Performance.

Probably the most prevalent motivator is the Searcher – the need to make a difference at work, to do a good job, to improve the quality of work and life.

How Motivation Drives Performance – introduction

We all have a complex mixture of motivators within us, which ultimately determines how we perform at work, and how much we enjoy our work. These motivators are not a conscious decision, but rather emerge from our self-concept, beliefs, expectations and personality.

Most managers are not totally aware of these motivators, even for themselves, so they have little chance of working out what is important to their staff, colleagues, bosses or their customers.

Keeping the MD Fresh

How many senior leaders do you know who ‘complain’ about not having enough time, or working at evenings and weekends?  Recently I ran a team development workshop for a client, where the MD rarely complains about anything – that’s an inspiration in itself.

However, it took me by surprise when their team was concerned about the MD’s evening and weekend working, and could clearly see the risk to the business that could pose.