Though there are plenty of low-cost strategies for educating and motivating employees, there is only so much a manager can do. If there are major problems that can't be addressed in an acceptable time frame, then it may be better for the manager to help the employee find another opportunity where they can succeed. A happy alum replaced by a productive worker can help your organization more than an unsatisfied, unproductive worker.
Some companies in the Silicon Valley are even making the opportunity to leave a fringe benefit of joining a firm. As The New York Times reported in "Silicon Valley Hiring Perks: Meals, iPads and Cubicle for Spot" some high-tech firms are offering employees classes on starting their own businesses.
Why does that make sense? Because entrepreneurs tend to want the freedom to control their time and create their own schedules. No matter how flat or progressive a company is, employees have to report to supervisors. The bigger the organization, the more likely there are to be policies and regulations that inhibit freedom.
What should managers do, and when should they decide it is time to help employees find new opportunities?
First, managers and organizations have to try.
An organization that does not provide reasonable opportunities for employees to update their knowledge and skill sets is one that, frankly, does not value their employees enough. There are plenty of low-cost ways to train and develop people -- but there is always at least a cost of time. A consulting firm whose managers say "You can go to free seminars and webinars, but you still have to have the same amount of billable hours" is not making any reasonable effort to develop employees.
And if an organization says it can't afford to train and develop people, it should not be buying new furniture or giving nice perks for its executives. Smart employees know that organizations reveal what they value by what they spend. If you spend more money on where you park your assets than on the people who made the spending possible, expect there to be widespread unhappiness.
Harder for many managers is dealing with employees' emotional states. It's easy to identify skill sets and places where employees can get them. But sometimes employees themselves aren't sure why they're unhappy, or what motivates them. Also, if the employees' issues are due to problems outside the office, managers can be rightfully concerned about going into areas of psychological counseling that they are not equipped to handle. (If your organization has a human resources department, trained professionals there should deal with employee emotional issues. If there is no HR department, the executives and directors of the firm may have to learn enough to diagnose problems they can't handle themselves. Organizations without HR departments should be aware of human resources consultants.)
You can start by simply asking employees what they like, or don't like, about their job and the organization. But be aware that if an employee does not trust you, or you are part of the "don't like" column, the employee is not going to be candid. If you don't already have a good relationship with an employee, it is better to let someone else ask the questions.
It's useful to know what employees value most. One way is to ask them, after they complete their lists of likes and dislikes, to identify, in order, what they would be willing to give up if they had to, and what they would be willing to get rid of if they could.
Another tool for understanding what motivates employees is Career Anchors. It is a tool developed by management guru Edgar Schein that helps those who use it better understand what they want in their careers. People who value independence above other things will probably be unhappy in rule-bound bureaucratic organizations. People who value stability more might find it too stressful to work for a small, tight-budget nonprofit.
There may be other tools that your human resources colleague or consultant might recommend as a better fit for your situation.
When you have a better understanding of what most motivates employees, determine what you can change, and what you can't. If what can't change in a reasonable period of time is important to the employee, then it is time to help the employee find new opportunities.
Having the talk with the employee is difficult. The employee might think that he or she is going to get fired, and you are providing a subtle form of advance notice. If that is not the case, make it clear. If it is the case, let the employee know what he or she can do, if anything, to change the decision.
Then through your contacts, job boards, or other ways you're comfortable with, help the employee find a new opportunity in an organization that can help yours. If the employee goes to a competing organization, the employee's new supervisors would look down on that person helping you in the future.
Encourage the employee to stay in touch. Or better yet, create or expand an organizational network to include alumni. Some large law firms, like colleges, have their own alumni organizations. These help maintain good relationships and generate good leads.
There are three ways that people in knowledge-based industries leave their jobs:
- They lose their motivation, which reduces the energy they put into the job and makes them less creative, productive and committed to resolving problems.
- They lose their interest, which leads to distractions and mistakes.
- They spend more time away from work, either voluntarily (coming in late, overly long lunches) or otherwise (when the stress causes illness or injury, increasing the number of sick days used)
If unhappy employees are going to leave, help them go in ways that benefit everyone.
Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, is the Director of the Professional Development Institute and The Leading Institute at Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. The institutes offer continuing education courses in leadership and management. Learn more about the Professional Development Institute, The Leading Institute and upcoming courses.
No comments:
Post a Comment