Why Managers hold the key to motivation (and how to get it right)
The results of the poll show one of the areas that scored highly is Motivating Personalities. Something that HR & L&D leaders are often asked. According to evidence gained from CIPD, CMI and wider research, the evidence is clear that the single biggest factor in motivation is…
'The Manager'
It's not well written policies, brilliant perks or initiatives. Nor is pay an overall factor.
According to the Good Work index (CIPD), data shows only half of the workforce feel enthusiastic and immersed in their roles, whilst 15% feel lonely, miserable or bored at work. Furthermore, 20% report being exhausted or under excessive pressure.
It all depends on what stats you look at. People Insights report that only 10% of the UK workforce are engaged according to People Management.
Why is this?
Stats show that only 30% of employees receive training, 54% receive little or no feedback and 61% lack career conversations. (GoJoe.com) This isn't an engagement issue, it's management capabilities.
So what motivates people?
Psychological safe spaces, where employees feel, energised, committed and able to focus help. So does understanding how people feel about their work and it is proven that this approach will outperform the 'carrot and stick approach'.
The critical driver however, is…. The Manager Effect.
A supportive manager is the difference between people feeling valued and included. In addition, and at the very basis of any team cohesion, is 'trust' in leadership as this links engagement, performance and retention. We've all heard of and seen numerous posts on social media quoting "People leave managers not organisations" - a statement taken from Marcus Buckingham's book First Break all the rules.
Image courtesy of Quote Fancy
How do we avoid this and What can we do to support our manager's?
A start could be to follow the motivate framework:
Meaning: Do people understand why their work matters in line with the wider organisational goals?
Ownership: Do people have autonomy?
Trust: Are psychological safe spaces provided for discussions to take place?
Input: Do people feel their voices are heard?
Value: Are people recognised?
Advance: What options are available to staff for development?
Team: Do people have a sense of belonging?
Energy: Is the wellbeing of staff supported?
It's important to demonstrate that motivation is built through everyday leadership behaviours and not annual initiatives.
What's missing for our managers?
Managers fall into the habit of treating everyone the same and this becomes a huge barrier. Managers need to be self-aware, understand their leadership style, how they impact others and where they unintentionally demotivate.
This is where I use a selection of powerful tools from my trainer's toolbox.
- The Insights Discovery 'Self-Aware Leader' followed by a Transformational Leadership profile. The combination of both shifts the manager from transactional (tasks, target and control) to transformational through inspiration, growth, and empowerment.
- LEGO® Serious Play® : To bring to life what building motivation looks like – the hidden frustrations that surface, lack of recognition, poor communication and invisible workloads.
- 5 Behaviours of a Cohesive Team
You can't motivate others effectively, until you understand yourself and how you show up as a leader.
Motivation isn't something you give your team. It's something you create through how you lead. The future of organisational performance will be defined by self-aware, adaptable, and transformational leaders.
If you are interested to hear more about how I help managers motivate their staff, reduce silo working and improve productivity and performance, please drop me an email with 'Motivation drivers' in the subject field and I will gladly send you the 8 drivers of motivation for you to keep.
PLUS: If you are serious about improving your skills as a manager, then book a 30-minute FREE discovery call with me.