Key problems part 1
Money
Money is only a problem if you believe it will solve motivational issues.
It may have a short term effect but will not hold water in the long term.
It may not be a motivator but it can certainly de-motivate if it is not satisfactory.
It also de-motivates if you think you are being undervalued compared to a colleague.
Perks
Whilst items like crèches, flexitime, favourable working hours etc are nice to have they don’t keep you motivated over a period of time.
The boss
In a working relationship the boss is meant to provide you with support for potential promotion, salaries, time and guidance.
In practice, the boss is always more important to you than you are to him. The relationship is unequal.
You will probably spend more time (see The Complete Time Management package) getting to know your boss than your own staff.
If a boss doesn’t provide all of these basic needs, that you feel you ought to have in a job, your working motivation drops quickly.
This is in effect a contract that may be a little biased towards your boss.
If your boss is poor and shows no interest in your career your motivation will be low.
Remember, any negative aspects that you see in your boss your staff will also be looking for in you.
Integrity
Your boss should be your leader. For him or her to lead they must have influence which derives from honest and integrity.
If you can’t trust your boss you will not follow, your motivation will evaporate.
Does your boss tell you you’re doing great and then gives you a poor appraisal?
This sort of behaviour is not gong to make your feel loyal.
If a leader hands out praise for good performance and just withholds praise for bad performance his or her leadership may be undermined.
The former employee will like the leader and the latter will take advantage of the leader.
Once gained it is very easy to lose integrity. Then, once gone it is a long way back.
When you act in a dishonest manner it is often the case that you believe no one else will notice.
This is definitely not the case, people will know and take their own action.
Of course, any comments here relating to your boss will apply equally to yourself as a manager.
Goals
If you don’t know where you are heading it creates insecurities.
If the company doesn’t have any vision then it will have no goals and objectives.
One of the hardest things to accept is constant change for no apparent reason.
If there appears to be no captain of the ship motivation and mutiny quickly follow.
Without goals and objectives success criteria evaporate and control disappears.
This is covered in more detail in ‘The Complete Project management package’.
Recognition
There is very little incentive to do a job if you are just told how poor you are at the end of the year in the appraisal.
Everyone needs recognition.
Make sure that you take all opportunities to praise your staff. It is easy, when you are results driven, to focus on the negative aspects that need correction.
This does no good for morale and completely de-motivates. You should be looking for opportunities to praise.
If you can praise in the presence of a senior manager, or other colleagues, that is even better.
No recognition means you are little valued and just another cog in the wheel.
No leader will get followers in this way.