Often I’m asked to deliver a developmental program to increase productivity, to improve moral, to reduce tension – in other words to “fix them”! Too often the desire to “fix them” is hidden under the term “motivate!”
In such situations, the client believes motivation is a balm, an elixir that once applied to or consumed by the workforce magically produces better attitudes and better outcomes when the client just wants to reduce the bitching, turnover, tension, stress, or (add your own term here).
The client doesn’t really want to fix the problem because most times the newly “motivated” workforce is destined to return to same conditions that de-motivated them in the first place.
My question is “Why not spend your time and money figuring out what de-motivated them in the first place?” And once you find the answer to this question, stop doing it!
Now don’t get me wrong, a well designed and facilitated developmental program can be a great motivator! Ideally though, outcomes need to be quantified in terms of increased productivity, reduced errors, greater satisfaction, or higher repeat sales using Level 3 or 4 assessments that focus on pre-defined metrics.
In these situations, there should be no rush to inoculate the workforce with the latest brand of motivation.
In these situations, the workforce would be prepared to do battle, and then assembled under a large banner that says “Here’s How to Apply What You Learned On-The-Job!”
In these situations, the work environment would be evaluated to determine inefficiencies of process, procedure, or policy with each being fixed in support of the developmental program.
The next time you face a “fix them” situation, begin by evaluating the work environment – make every effort to avoid putting the workforce back into the same environment that caused the problem in the first place.
You may be surprised, because sometimes the need to inject motivation disappears on its own!
