Motivational Management Prime Aim 4

All employees are given feedback and are supported by the organisation to develop the capacity to meet future expectations.

If prime aims two and three are the nuts and bolts of Motivational Management, then with this fourth prime aim we are moving into the area of softer management.  We are moving into the realms of Performance Management and Personal Development.   

Performance management is the process of managing the business objectives, and making sure that they are achieved.  We have discussed how working towards objectives can be motivational on its own, however if your team members get regular feedback on their performance, through the performance management process, they will be motivated even further.  

You will be looking at the effectiveness of each of your team members, and supporting them so that any actual, apparent or potential difficulties can be dealt with as they occur.  This will make employees feel involved, committed and motivated.  The former Mayor of New York, Ed Koch, used to open his speeches when he was in office by asking “How’m I doing?”  This sums up the purpose of Performance Management, to let employees know how they are doing. Feedback is very motivational. 

Performance Management looks into the past and provides feedback on an individual’s performance against business objectives.  Personal Development Meetings are the one time that the business can focus on the needs of the individual.  The really important element of the meeting is the chance to look into the future and discuss how the employee might wish to develop, and to help prepare them for a more responsible role.  For example if you have a senior member of your team, who wants to move into a more senior role of team leader or supervisor, this can be discussed in the meeting, and some form of development agreed, in the form of supervisory training, or shadowing an existing supervisor.  This will motivate the employee and also prepare them for a new role in advance, rather than leaving the training until they are already in the new post.

 While most businesses will only consider personal development that is of benefit to the business as well as to the individual, it can help sometimes to think outside the box.  A few years ago we were working with a Holiday Park in the West Country, and while doing a Training Needs Analysis with a senior receptionist, we found out that she had always wanted to be able to drive a fork lift truck.  She had been with the business for over twelve years, and was a major cog in the management team.  We suggested to the General Manager that he should consider sending her on the course.  He did and contacted us some time later to say that she loved the course, and since returning to work her performance had improved, even compared to her performance beforehand.  Now that’s really Motivational Management.

These principles sounds good, but how do I actually do this? 

Look at Workshops associated with this Prime Aim

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