How to motivate staff

[mughead]

Hi

 

I havent read this whole thread but as soon as you have got a problem with your staff to this extent i would sugguest starting from scratch and getting a new team together. Its extremely important for the company you work for to have a strong team and also that they can keep the reputation of the company in tact which means they need to conduct themselves in a professional manner.

 

Dont settle for a team that isnt working when you can get a fresh new team with new enthusiasm for working with you and working hard. But it does seem like you need to change the way you are running things too.

 

It seems that you have lost your current teams respect, you may be too friendly with them. You need to put in place firmer rules and stick to them. I think its always a good thing that the staff fear you to some sort of degree otherwise the authority has been lost.

 

Maybe you need to find a new job... or go on a training course.

[Grandad.Malky]

Exactly, I think the phrase in communist russia was 'they pretend to pay us and we pretend to work'.

 

On the + side it keeps someone in a job collating all the figures and producing nice little bar charts / pie charts for everyone to laugh at, heres one I prepared earlier

 

http://www.jpowered.com/php-scripts/pie-chart/images/pie-chart-small.png

[Ms Macbeth]

I agree it is, I came to this dept in Sept and they had a Manager before me who wanted to be the best of friends with them all so let she them tell her how they wanted to work. She didn't have any confidence to deal with them as she was afraid of them not liking her - this is why she went and I got employed..

 

I go online on my IPhone adnd I can't access the internet from work (my reply to the above post)

I asked for advice on how to motivate the staff not for judgement about my net usage!!!!!!

 

I don't know why people can't just respond to requests, but feel they have to be judgemental. Its such a negative attribute.

 

I accept its very difficult trying to change the culture of a whole department when its historically been run on the same lines with the same group of people. Many of the problems start with recruitment. I'm guessing you may work in the public sector? If you do, some of the suggestions on here like sacking just aren't feasible.

 

Could you arrange a team away day, and include your manager? Beforehand, tell the team they aren't being effective, and ask them to come up with reasons for it, and ask for suggestions to improve the situation - these can form the basis for discussion on the day. Tell them that they have been identified by other departments as not pulling their weight and having no office etiquette, and ask them why this should be?

 

The day can be partly enjoyment, but mainly focussed on getting your team into shape. Get them to look at the competencies needed for their jobs and carry out a a skills audit. Suggest that relevant training might be needed and get their responses. Hold regular team meetings where any issues can be discussed, and make sure they know you'll listen to genuine issues. (not tittle tattle though!)

 

I've managed teams in the public sector, and although the majority of staff were great, a few of the inherited ones really shouldn't have even been employed! But there often isn't a quick way to deal with them, unlike in much of the private sector.

[BettyBooHoo!]

Well in that case people are just going to slack it in the week and spin it out until Friday, KPI are a waste of time.

 

I always found them quite the opposite.

 

If you know your staff well enough, you should be aware of what they're capable off achieving and can set them objectives that just slightly push them to achieving a little bit more. The option to slack it in the week would not be there if the KPIs are set correctly in line with the individual's ability.

 

With objectives/targets/KPIs whatever you want to call them, everyone knows where they stand and what's expected of them, plus it's documented performance that can be used (as a last option obviously) to justify a dismissal if the person isn't performing as they should.

[Grandad.Malky]

But there often isn't a quick way to deal with them, unlike in much of the private sector.

 

Isn’t that the problem with the public sector, a job for life and a tax payer assured golden pension at the end of it

[epiphany]

What kind of pay scheme does your company have?

 

My productivity would drop significantly if any previous increase in productivity had gone unrewarded.

[Grandad.Malky]

if the person isn't performing as they should.

 

There are many reasons as to why a person may not be performing as they should; a X on a bar chart is rarely one of them.

[truconstruct]

Isn’t that the problem with the public sector, a job for life and a tax payer assured golden pension at the end of it

 

Absolutely, with a system so wishy washy, a free ride on the gravey train, how could any manager maintain a hold on staff.

 

A few sackings is what's needed, and maybe that's just what might happen with this new government.

[BettyBooHoo!]

There are many reasons as to why a person may not be performing as they should; a X on a bar chart is rarely one of them.

 

Keh???? Not sure what the X on the bar chart is? If you are saying bar charts are a waste of time, i totally agree.

[Aries22]

What about giving them targets to reach each day, then you will soon see who is working well or who are the slackers.