Motivator-On-Call.com - REDUCING THE STRESS WHEN MANAGING PEOPLE

Reducing the Stress When Managing People

In this time in our history, now more than ever before, people managers (bosses, supervisors, department heads) must be conscious of enhancing their strategies to maximize the best in their people and not fumble during these critical times. Crisis brings out the best and the worst in the leadership of any business organization. Therefore, the November/December Motivator-On-Call.Com is dedicated to all who are interested in improving performance and obtaining higher results through better communication – more positive human interaction – and greater understanding and empathy.

So, readers, here are a few of the important components to taking the stress out of managing people. If you would like to know about the best scripting with which to criticize people, ask the motivator and this will be addressed at a future time. If you are being challenged in your managerial role, ask the motivator for some help. Until we connect again, be safe and well and remember to enjoy the excitement of this special day.

WHAT MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO PERFORM BETTER AND BE LOYAL TO THE COMPANY?

As any human behavior specialist knows, people are more likely to perform and commit if they are driven by their internal needs. Two major drivers tend to be pleasure and pain. Therefore, when people anticipate getting pleasure and/or feeling as if they are empowered to reduce any of their stress or pain, they are more likely to act. The main INTRINSIC MOTIVATORS ARE: feeling value, respected, and appreciated, enjoying the skills needed for the job, feeling valued, respected, and appreciated, being challenged, given opportunities to grow and improve, feeling valued, respected, and appreciated, developing fulfilling relationships, feeling as if management listens and takes them seriously, feeling as if being a member of the team counts, participating in decision-making activities, and, one more time, feeling valued, respected, and appreciated.

Traditionally, many people managers reinforced the kind of culture in their companies that emphasized money, promotion, salary and benefits when trying to motivate people and nurture loyalty to the business organization. The main EXTRINSIC MOTIVATORS ARE: compensation (bonus, salary), vacation and days off, status indicators (such as titles, office space, etc.), promotions, incentive programs, and public praise.

HOW CAN YOU MAXIMIZE THE BEST IN PEOPLE WITH CRITICISM?

People managers must remember that criticism is an evaluation strategy, a kind of judgment call that enables them to help people to build on their strengths and to reduce or remove their weaknesses. This people management tool can be offered in the shape of a STROKER: a statement that tells a person what behavior(s) to grow and continue to do. Call it a compliment that catches people when they do a good job, or went beyond the call of expected duty, or showed change and improvement. Criticism is also the kind of people management tool that can be offered in the form of a SHAPER: a statement that tells a person what behavior(s) to change or stop using. The shaper does not only point out a need for change, it also instructs the receiver of this kind of criticism as to how to change. Included in this kind of feedback is the offer for on-going assistance and follow-up. In other words, shapers are not used to simply leave the recipient hanging without instruction and direction.

People managers must create an atmosphere in which criticism, on-going feedback, is welcomed. This can be done with both compliments to give feedback as well as suggestions for change. Any kind of feedback should clearly express the following:

What behavior is (behaviors are) expected
At what levels of performance does this expectation occur
Who is involved?
When is this all expected?

If used effectively, people welcome criticism. The saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies only to machines and not to human beings. People yearn to grow to greater and more superior levels of performance. Their capacity for growth is high. By giving continual feedback, people managers remind people of what they are doing and not only of what they are not doing. Effective, motivating people managers show that they care about the people they manage.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE MANAGERS WHO INFLUENCE THE BEST IN THE PEOPLE THEY MANAGE?

1. Excellent people managers catch people doing something right twice as many times as they catch them doing something wrong or exhibiting inappropriate behaviors. They also acknowledge the ‘good’ in people when they least expect it. In fact, being called into the office of these excellent people managers does not typically result in the kind of reaction that says: “uh-oh, what did I do wrong now?”

2. Excellent people managers look at the people they supervise and see their potential. Their basic philosophy of their responsibility in the managerial role encompasses the belief that if people are doing the best they know how to do today, then how can they be influenced to do even better tomorrow?

3. Excellent people managers sound and look nonjudgmental, objective, caring and sincere. They know how to build trust and respect among their team members.

4. Excellent people managers also realize that timing is very important.

They criticize when unprofessional emotions (heightened emotions) are under control. They also focus on current behaviors and actions and do not continually bring up the past.

5. Excellent people managers also model the behaviors they want copied by the people they manage. They practice what they preach and coach. They listened to the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Clean your finger before you point at my spots.”