How do I motivate my employees? #5

 

As opposed to looking at what leaders need to do to motivate employees, let's look at what they must not do because it demotivates people. What demotivates good people? Mediocrity. If I work hard and achieve results, but the guy next to me who just cruises gets the same pay and bonus as I do, I will question why am I going above and beyond. Good work must be recognised. Poor work must be penalised. It takes conscious effort to make sure these are done. 

Motivation is not about endlessly creating new incentives. It is just establishing a fair and merit-based culture. 

How do I motivate my employees? #4

Being leaders, one challenge we often think about is how to motivate our people to do good work. Here is one important angle on employee motivation shared by Jim Collins in the book Good to Great - Don't motivate your people. If your people need to be constantly motivated, you are doing it wrong. You should not have recruited them in the first place. 

Bring the right people on board, and put them in the right roles. You want people who motivate themselves and want to do well. You want people who enjoy and take pride in their work. Not people who need babysitting and constant pushing. 

How do I motivate my employees? #3

 

I learned this concept from one of my students. I was conducting a training session about motivating employees when I posed this question to the class - what motivates YOU at your work? Now according to the course content, the three major intrinsic motivations are autonomy, mastery and purpose. I waited for my students to mention reasons which were related to one of these, so that I could expand on them and explain the concepts. One answer took me by surprise because I could not easily fit it to any of the three. That answer was "I am motivated because I have a good team."

Many leadership principles and frameworks being taught in leadership training are developed by authors and thinkers from the west. That is why autonomy is one of the biggest motivators. Western culture is more individualistic. Here in the east, we have a different culture. We are collective. A feeling of belonging and being supported is often more important than the freedom to do things my way. 

As leaders, do we create such environments for our people? Where people enjoy working with their colleagues. Where people respect one another. Where people are always ready to help one another. I realise that in my own past experience, several times when I had difficult periods at work, it was because of, or for, the team around me, that I was able to persist. 

How do I motivate my employees? #1

 

This is one of the questions I get asked many times. Let's do a series to explore this topic. In the context of the workplace, the elephant in the room is compensation. All of us work for money. Don't believe anyone who tells you money doesn't motivate employees. It does. Just that it is not the only thing, and often it is not the most important thing. 

Money is several things at once. Money is survival. If we don't pay enough that our employees worry about making ends meet, they will not be able to focus. Money is fairness. If they are paid the same as a low-performing colleague, they will not be motivated to do well. Money is recognition and appreciation. A good boss gives praise for good work done, and also wants to give you tangible rewards. 

Money is a sanitary factor. If you don't pay enough, your employees will not be happy. If you pay enough, paying more does not increase employee satisfaction significantly. Once they are in a financially stable position, they look for more than money. As leaders we must think about what money means to our people. Money is not just money. 

Master negotiator tip #8

 

In cross-cultural negotiations, focus on the person, not the culture. 

When we need to negotiate with a person from a different country, or industry, or background, we tend to be alert about the differences in culture, especially when we are not familiar with our counterpart's culture. It is a natural instinct and the intention is good. However we have to be careful not to make the wrong assumptions, read signals incorrectly, or to lose perspective because we incorrectly think that's what our counterpart's culture is like and we should accept it. 

One European company negotiating with an Asian company for the first time was surprised at how demanding their counterpart was. The Asian company told them that was the norm when conducting business in Asia, and they accepted that. Only later, after a lopsided deal had been signed, they learned that it was not true. 

Don't assume a person will be brash and aggressive in negotiations because of their nationality. Similarly don't assume a person will be reserved and rigid. Knowing the culture can be an initial guide, but it is more important to get to know the person, and to learn how best to work with them at a personal level. 

Master negotiator tip #7

 

Know your counterpart's intention. 

Is he here to take, or is he here to truly negotiate a give-and-take? Everyone wants a positive outcome from a negotiation, but not all negotiations will work out. If you identify early that your counterpart is manipulative and wants to take advantage of the situation, you may need to be prepared to walk away, or you must show your strong grasp of the situation and that you will not be easily forced into a bad deal. 

When you understand your opponent's intention, you will know how to better negotiate, and when to stop wasting time.

Master negotiator tip #6

 

Look beyond what you are negotiating. 

If both parties fixate on the price, and neither are willing to concede, the negotiation goes nowhere. You need to explore what else you can ask for from your counterpart which is also important to you, or what else you can offer which is important to them. 

When teaching negotiation skills, I give my students this negotiation scenario for discussion. A ship has been captured by pirates, and the pirates are asking the shipping company for a ransom. If you are the negotiator of the shipping company, what else other than the ransom can you offer which will influence the kidnappers to be more cooperative? What will you ask for in return? 

1. The kidnappers are certainly worried that when you hand over the money there is an ambush with SWAT teams waiting for them. If you can find a way that is safe for them, they will be listening. 
2. You want to make sure the hostages are unharmed. 
3. You want to ask that the kidnappers do not just rob another one of your ships next month. 

When you can look beyond the initial scope, you may find that your counterpart is willing to concede after all, or even you are willing to concede, because you can get something else also important to you. 

Master negotiator tip #5

 

Name it to tame it - address the emotions. 

This will sound like a rather "Western" thing. In Asian culture, people usually don't talk about emotions. Certainly we don't consider it in business or work related negotiations. So this feels awkward to us. 

Explicitly addressing an emotion can be an important step in preventing a negotiation from being derailed by impulse and ego. 

"I sense you are frustrated when I ask that you provide ROI projections."  Stating this makes your counterpart realise he doesn't need to get frustrated, or it allows him to express why he is frustrated, so that you can better understand his concerns. 

"When I suggest this alternative, you reject it immediately before I explain the details. I feel disappointed and it seems to me you are not willing to hear my perspective."  Stating this helps your counterpart see from your angle and empathise with your position. At the same time it anchors you to stay calm. 

Naming the emotion resets and centres the negotiation to working out a win-win. 

Master negotiator tip #4

 

Ask open questions. 

Don't be fixated on the parts you get stuck on, else you cannot move forward. Ask open questions so that you can discover more about what is important to your counterpart. Open questions invite your counterpart to share information and views which you otherwise might not know. From there maybe there is something else you can offer. An HR Manager looking to retain talent may ask, "What would it take for you to reconsider staying with us?" 

Don't ask "why" questions, because they are often interpreted as challenges or judgement. Ask "what" and "how" questions. "How can I structure this deal so that it makes more sense to you?" 

Master negotiator tip #3

 

Keep your own ego in check.  

We want to win. We think highly of ourselves. We feel we deserve more. We feel insulted when the other party offers less than what we expected. Sometimes it is because of our ego that we become stubborn and unable, or even unwilling, to see the true picture. So yes, sometimes we are the problem. Now this is not about always giving in to the other party's requests. It is about taking a fair and unbiased view. 

In one negotiation I have experienced personally, when presented with the initial offer, my first instinct was this was a lowball offer and an insult. I wanted to respond by stating my ask, and telling them to just take it or leave it. I stopped myself, and spent some time researching the market rates for this nature of work. I found out that even considering the various factors like my experience and the topic of training, the offer was reasonable. I accepted it, and avoided the unnecessary tedious haggling, which might not have produced results anyway. It saved everyone's time, and we all got what we wanted. 

Master negotiator tip #2

 

Understand and address the emotions. 

Some negotiations go nowhere because both parties are emotionally charged. People become stubborn and unreasonable when they are emotionally charged. In many negotiations, the physical items being fought over, or the tasks being debated, are not actually the main point. You need to address the emotions involved. 

One minor shareholder who has been with the business for 20 years wants to exit and wants to sell his shares to the majority shareholder. He asks for a much higher price than the market value. The majority shareholder wants to buy the shares, but not at such a price. They are stuck because no one is willing to give in. What emotions are not being addressed? For the minor shareholder, money is not the only thing he wants. Even if he does not say it, he wants to feel appreciated and recognised for his contributions to the company for those 20 years of his life. Possibly he is asking for a high price because he feels he has been underappreciated for many years. If this is never discussed or addressed, the two parties may never reach an outcome they are both happy with. 

Master negotiator tip #1

 

Be on the same side. 

Most people when they consider themselves in a negotiation, they automatically see themselves in a zero sum game. You and the other party are on opposite ends of a table. When one side gains, the other loses. So both sides fight mercilessly to get what they want. This limiting mindset results in many people walking away from negotiations having gained little or nothing. 

What master negotiators do is they learn to understand their counterpart and see from their perspective. They build trust and try to help their counterpart achieve what is most important for them. When you frame a negotiation as a problem to solve together instead of a tug of war, you will be more creative in finding a solution. 

How leaders handle incompetence #3

 

Train your people. Teach them. Guide them. Give them learning resources. Assign them mentors. Motivate them to want to learn and be better at their jobs. I'm not saying this just because I am a leadership trainer and more companies looking for training means more business for me. When you know the reason your staff cannot do their jobs is they don't know how to do it, the simple answer is they need to learn. 

In some companies this is a glaring gap. Yet often no action is taken to address it. There is a reason why mature and international companies have a Learning & Development department. This is something SME's can learn from - being deliberate in identifying skill gaps and investing in upskilling the workforce. People need skills to do their jobs. They need skills to be able to create more value for the company. 

How leaders handle incompetence #1

 

All of us experience this. An employee who simply doesn't get the job done. You give him the time and resources he needs. What you ask of him is not complicated. Yet he makes mistakes which are so fundamental that it makes you wonder whether he is qualified for his position in the first place. It is frustrating. 

The first thing you need to ask is this - are you making it worse? 

Time and again, I observe leaders who worsen the performance of their staff. Yes, often these employees are indeed not performing up to par, and it is understandable that we feel frustrated. However, when we only show impatience and distrust, and we mercilessly criticise every mistake, it doesn't help the situation. It only helps us vent. There are more practical steps we can take. The first thing we need to have awareness of is whether we are making things worse. If our employees constantly work in fear, their performance will likely worsen, not improve. 

Do you know how to break rules?

 

I recently conducted my business simulation activity Rivers and Lakes with a group of entrepreneurs. It is amazing to see how creative they are not only in solving problems, but also in supporting one another, and interestingly, also in breaking rules.

As part of this learning activity, I designed a rule which forbids participants from showing a piece of information to others. It is a trick I play on them. There are ways to share and obtain this information, circumventing the rules, and it is important to do so. Most groups I have conducted this activity with do not fully grasp this. This particular group of entrepreneurs passed this test with flying colours.

To achieve success:
(1) We follow rules
(2) We understand why the rules are the way they are
(3) We break rules
(4) We make rules
(5) And we do this all over again

What would you do if you get to play doctor for a day?

 

This was what I kind of did, when I had the opportunity to put on professional grade medical scrubs from Oslo Scrubs (https://www.iamoslozen.com). I had this opportunity because of the BNI business network I am in. I started my own business as a leadership trainer only 5 years ago. Back then I had run other people's businesses, but I had not built my own from scratch. It was my business community, the BNI Lighthouse Chapter, which helped me tremendously to get my business off the ground and to a sustainable stage. I learned to be a better entrepreneur. I received business referrals. I also built meaningful friendships. Being able to cosplay is just a minor perk. If you are in business, find a community of like-minded business leaders, and you will grow as your help others grow too. 

The challenge of 2nd generation businesses #2

 

Lack of exposure outside of the family business. 

Some 2nd generation business owners started their career in the family business right after graduation. They have never worked for someone else other than family. They have not played the role of just an employee. They have always been the scion, the successor. They have a world view which is different. It gives them different insights, and also comes with limitations and blind spots. 

If this has been your path for the past 20 years, you can't go back to change that. What you can do is to spend time with people who have walked different paths. Not just your employees, but also friends with whom you have no business transactions or business interest. Acknowledge you want to leverage others' experience, and that will save you time and pain.

The challenge of 2nd generation businesses #1

 

Conflict between 2nd generation owners and 1st generation staff. 

If you are the 2nd gen, and these uncles and aunties have known you since you were a kid, it may not be easy for you to ask them to change the way they work. "We have be operating this way for years and we have been fine." It is hard for people who have worked in the same company for 20 years to get out of their comfort zone. Also, some have strong egos. What can a young 2nd gen do? 

Start with the soft approach. Respect the elders. Build relationships and trust. If you have known them for years, it helps with this approach. If you want change, they need time to gain confidence in you. Build your credibility and prove your capability and sincerity before pushing for drastic changes. Let them feel listened to. Despite all the above, you still need to be prepared that some may not be willing to change or may not be capable of change. Then you eventually have to proceed without them. 

Do you have a door mat Whatsapp group?

 

Do you have one or several? I am in some WhatsApp groups which are not particularly important. I don't read all the messages. I get those good morning and generic motivational messages. There are many messages in such groups - a lot of noise. Sometimes there is useful information, but the signal-to-noise ratio is low. There is one particular way I use these unimportant groups which stops me from leaving. They are my door mats. Let me explain. 

I use WhatsApp groups and messages heavily in my work. They are my inbox. My to-do list. When messages come in, usually I can read parts of them from the phone notification system. I don't necessary have to open them. I often don't want to open them yet, because a chat group or a chat with another person with unread messages means a task I need to do. I use the unread status as my to-do list. If I read a message, and there is something I need to do about it, I prefer to get it done immediately. For example simply responding to it. Or sometimes I need to get something else done which may take more time. When I can't complete the task immediately, I get a little anxious because that chat is no longer unread. I might forget that I need to do something because there is no unread status to remind me. 

This is how unimportant groups help me. If I read a message snippet from a notification and I know there is something I need to do, but I don't have time yet, I don't open the message. I stay in one of my unimportant groups. I know it is safe to ignore messages from the unimportant group. It is my door mat I can stand on without "dirtying" my other important chats. I don't want to click into my important chats and lose the unread status. 

Does anyone else do this? Or do you use WhatsApp or messaging apps in your own unusual way? 

Conducting effective meetings tip #6 - pre-reading

 

Read the materials beforehand. For complex issues, handouts should be distributed beforehand, and everyone is responsible to read them before the meeting. Meeting time should not be spent by the presenter reading a document or a set of slides. You should immediately go into the key discussion points or address clarification questions. If no one has questions or concerns about the proposal, the meeting can end in 15 minutes. Or you don't need to have the meeting.