Good managers agree that the establishment of a well-thought-out strategic plan with various goals, objectives, strategies and action plans is critical to running a successful company. Effective leaders will agree that as important as a comprehensive strategic plan is, implementation of the plan is much more important. After all, one bank's strategies generally are not that unbelievably unique from another bank's. What differentiates those that succeed from those that fall short is getting the job done through your people. This abstract addresses what is arguably the most challenging aspect of management: "the human side."
Despite the plethora of books and articles that have been written on the subject of motivation and productivity, we all know that many managers continue to practice classical (Taylorism) management style. You will recall that this authoritarian style incorporates fear and intimidation to stimulate behavior rather than proven "sustainable" motivation styles such as Development management, Management by Consensus (MBC), Management by Objectives (MBO), and Participative Management.
A style that fits in well with the mention of this subject is "Contingency Management", in which the manager attempts to adapt to a given situation the management style which he believes is most effective based on events and individual personalities. However, in order to utilize Contingency Management effectively, the manager must agree that motives are internal; people do things for their reasons-not yours, that "my motives are different than yours", and that motives change with time.
If the manager accepts this reality, then the next step is to attempt to understand employee motives, create an environment for them to motivate themselves and, finally, reward desired or positive behavior in a timely fashion. By timely, it means as close as possible to the behavior that you would like to reinforce. Recognition and rewards may either be monetary or nonmonetary. Accolades about employee accomplishments in front of others or a pat on the back are simple but effective motivators. Many good leaders consider "attaboys" to be the cornerstone of good management. People at all levels need positive feedback. In fact, effective managers go out of their way to identify desired behavior so it can be rewarded immediately.
Without exception the most rewarding motivational techniques put employees
and customers first because, when implemented effectively, the results are improved productivity and bottom-line performance. A great example is the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. This company has demonstrated that it is possible to have a passion-filled, fun work environment only when you get employee involvement in creating a desired culture. It is encouraged for everyone to read the books available on the "Fish! Philosophy", not only because it may encourage you to rethink your style and culture, but it will also improve how you interrelate with others in your personal life as well.Very briefly, the Fish! Philosophy entails four steps:
1 Choose Your Attitude. Each day we have the ability to decide who we want to be and how we want to be perceived.
2 Play. Work made fun gets done. Play is not just an activity; it's a state of mind.
3 Make Their Day. This applies to doing something special for your customer. Something that makes them feel special and appreciated.
4 Be There. Being fully present and attentive to one another.
ok, that book shall be on my purchase list.
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