Motivating in Difficult Times

Hello Enlightened Managers!

I'm back in town after my week off, and coming back to the blog is like coming back to an old friend.  I had all these plans to blog from my cell phone while I was vacationing, but I only managed one post.  I imagine you'll forgive me. :)

This week I wanted to talk about a subject I've touched on before - how to motivate staff and keep people productive in "difficult times."  (Yes, I know that "these difficult economic times" has become a cliche.)   But I think that the fear and despair that many people are feeling remain real. 

Tips for Motivating in Difficult Times:

1) Acknowledge hardships and uncertainties, but don't dwell on them.
2) Acknowledge that while we can't control external factors (like the economy), we can control our response to those conditions.
3) Give examples of what you can control.  (We can decide to stay productive.  We can decide to focus on customer service.  We can decide to use our downtime to innovate.  We can decide to.....)
4) Hold a Lemonade Drive - Hold a contest to turn economic lemons into lemonade.  Demand may be lower, but that frees up some time.  What is the best use of that time?  Gather ideas.  Serve lemonade. 
5) Seize the Advantage - Many companies are cutting back, perhaps in a way that will hamper them when things turn.  Engage staff in preparing the business to be faster and better than the competition when demand recovers.  Emerge stronger, not weaker.
6) Reward Innovation -  Did someone come up with a smart idea to save the company 10K?  Let a little of those savings flow into their pocket.
7) Keep the Faith - By continuing to work hard, believe in the company, and talk about your own tenacity in the face of obstacles, you will give others permission to do the same.

Let's keep our hearts hopeful and our minds sharp.  This recession is going to topple some giants and elevate some smart but lesser known companies up to the top of the pack. 

I plan to be scrambling up, not down.  How about you? :)  Getting your team on board is the first step.

Comments

[John Hunter]

Most organizations have plenty of dis-function that managers should be protecting staff from. As the stress increases (difficult times) the value of protecting staff from that dis-function increases. Managers need to eliminate de-motivators, not "motivate." http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2008/10/07/motivate-or-eliminate-de-motivation/