founder of naked leader
The Top 20 Ways to Motivate People (Part 2)
Time to Read: 2 mins 19 sec
10. Put fun back into work
Genuine internal advertisement that attracted 3 responses from a company with 4,000 people.
| Department | Information Systems |
| Team | Applications Development |
| Job Title | Senior Analyst |
| Job Grade | 6 (Pending Appeal) |
| Hours | Standard with Overtime |
| Description of Role | (Too long and boring to reprint here) |
| To Apply | To Apply Phone HR Department – Int : 2477 |
Next internal advertisement for same job in same team, which attracted 92 responses
| If You Want A Quiet Life… | Join a Monastery |
| If you want some fun, | join us |
| Phone Mike – Int: 2477 |
9. Know everyone’s name
8. Make sure you have fast, focused and flexible structures
Make it circular with you in the centre, or if HR won’t allow that make it upside down, with you at the bottom and your customers at the top. Ideally don’t have a structure, rather have “domains” of responsibility, with each domain having an owner, and people move in and out of domains according to work and project demand. That way you get over the “subordinates = power” syndrome.
7. Have an Employee of the Moment
6. Catch people doing things right
– And tell them
5. Put in place a Specialist Ladder for technical people
4. Find out why people stay, or enjoy working with your company (ask them)
3. Set them free
Ensure people know what decisions they can and cannot make, and set them free within those
guidelines. Trust them within certain boundaries and they will deliver. (Naked Leader Fried Egg)
2. Self-determined Pay
How far dare you go…?
Step One (A Given)
Avoid the stress of performance assessment by putting in 360 degree appraisals (Everyone is assessed from above, below and from their peers)
Step Two (Brave)
Avoid the greater stress of pay time by asking people to self-assess what they earn – when you get the culture right you will find people will mark themselves down, and include yourself in this
Step Three (You hero)
If you feel really brave, let your people decide how much you should receive. Get them together and tell them the “pot” is 100%. Invite them to split it openly with full agreement. If they cannot, ask them privately to indicate what they feel they each personally deserve, however make it clear you have the final say. I know several teams that decide their own pay every year.
1. Put in place a Contract:
You promise to
- Guarantee their skill development
- Support them in this development
- Involve them in real decision making
- Open up real opportunities
And in return, your people promise to:
- Develop and apply the skills we need
- Take collective responsibility
- Behave consistent with agreed values
- Be team players with a commitment to each other
From The Naked Leader Experience (adapted)
With my love and best wishes
David X
Ps. How do you motivate people? – share below in the comments.
I care about people and help them see who’s in charge (They are). It’s that easy. I left a large organisation 5 months ago and one of my direct reports hugged me and said “You have given me so much Tom, you just really care about me…”
I do love the self assessed payment model, this becomes real empowerment and engagement. Where have you seen this work?
Employee of the moment…genius!
Guaranteeing support and development is so important.
Training people up to be the right people to be front line in your office. Crucial.
Being brave, you have to be that in business.
Being team players is an intersting one on The Appentice.
Have to be part of the team, but are there as an individual.
Fascinating TV.
Getting to know people and working out what makes them take. I find that helps enormously in the running of a team.
We all have strengths. Do you really understand what your people’s are?
If not, why not?
Supporting people in their own development is certainly key.