*
How do you motivate your people?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Learn more about the benefits and compliance details for the DOE's new water heater energy-efficiency standards.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
Back when I had people (not in the construction industry), I motivated them by respecting them as people, by acknowledging that this was their job not their life, by demanding high standards in product and service, by demanding the same from myself, by having an open door, and once in awhile I would even pay them.
Rich Beckman
*I employ seasonal labor, not in the construction business, but people are the same - I agree with Rich B on his points, and would add; tasks should be well defined and achievable. necessary equipment to achieve tasks should be availible, in safe working order. job site needs to be clean and as safe as possible. little things, like coffee on cold days, shows concern for the employee as a human. the boss leads by example, if there is some aspect of a job causing difficulty, I will demonstrate how it is done (safely and sanely - if otherwise, the boss better figure out how to make it so) and remain with the employee until they they can handle it, if the jobsite needs cleaned up, I can weild a broom with the best of them - a boss that is a facilitator, shows compentence in their job, and treats people fairly (not necessarily equally) will be respected by most employees - which comes to the point that sometimesthere are humans that just will not work out in the team, these people need job/attitude training, reassignment to other tasks, or termination so that they do not destroy moral - DOUD
*Yell louder and they will respect you.I learned that on one job. Watching another crew. Never tried it yet though.Seriously, a good topic.
*Remember Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs. Figure out why people work for you(build experience, make quick money, long term career, like you, etc). Match the two and your answer is clear.Not a specific answer but the best motivation comes from understanding the situation: Not from applying a cookbook recipe.
*The big trouble is that being a good manager / leader is hard, hard work. It is also so very much different from doing those other things that you have become highly skilled at because those other things tend to be physical, and more directly controlled by you and your efforts than this slippery fish of an issue is.Motivating people is closely joined with being a good leader and I fear that there are way too many people around who have chosen to take on the role of leader without having also chosen to work to become a good one. For me, what motivates me to try and work harder than those that work for me, and searching for ways to inspire them is the satisfaction of seeing them do well. Maybe it is easier for me because I have never had a family and they sorta become my children, in a way, but I think that finding out the reason WHY you want to be successful at this stuff is worth considering before you work on HOW.Working at Toyota has shown me many excellent methods used to get the most out of people - their Fremont, CA plant was one of the worst in the country before they took it over in the late '80s (worst absentee, quality, drug problems, and so on). Now that it is a Toyota plant (still UAW, pretty much the same work force and building) it has become one of the best plants in North America, winning many awards for quality, worker morale, low absentee / turnover, etc.The differences between before and after are too many to list here, but the gist of it is empowering the workers to be in control of their own jobs. They are each trained to be able to do that, and then truly given the means to decide as much about their work as is possible. The result is more satisfied workers, who put in more energy willingly to get the job done and to constantly seek out ways to make it better (for themselves and for better product).The problem with this is that it takes time, lots of it with each employee, and energy, lots of it from each manager / leader. But once it is in place it starts to work under its own power and is amazing to watch in action.I think that many of you will have seen crews like that, where there has developed a kind of bond between the members that transcended ordinary worker / boss relations. Teams like that do not guarantee results and success, but they probably have great likelihood of finding it.But with a transient work force, an unpredictable work flow (how do you keep it together thru the lean times?) its gonna be hard to do this kind of thing in construction...My advice: - take leadership training class (Steven Covey (Franklin/Covey Planner people) basically teaches what Toyota does in his leadership training, though he doesn't know it). - talk with your workers and ask their input on issues. - give more responsibility to your best workers (CLOSELY monitored at first if need be, but make the time to provide them with the opportunities to shine on their own - realize that this is an EXPENSIVE investment of your time and energy but can be very worth it to you if you approach it with the right, positive attitude. - developing the respect from your workers will involve not just being the best at whatever you do (though it helps, it is not always possible if you've got some real stars working for you), it also comes from providing the work environment for them that is the most positive (any thing from being first one at the site and last one to leave, to being a boss who will work with someone to be able to give them that day off when it really matters to them, to being firm with someone on the team who's not pulling their weight). If your interest is in their success, and consider that, in turn, to be your success and reward, then you will be already doing better than probably 80% of the other 'leaders' out there.Sometimes you have to fire a good worker, who's attitude is dragging down everyone around them, in order to truly get the best out of all the other good workers in a team. Done properly, dealing with a bad situation like that will do much to earn the respect of the whole team. In Toyota it is very, very hard to get fired because there are several performance reviews during the year where the worker and the boss go over the goals for the year and how well they are being achieved. They work together in finding ways to help the worker achieve them. In this way the boss is almost as responsible for a poorly performing worker as the worker is. So we find that most often, the "bad" workers are able to turn around and become great workers (sometimes the best!).hope some of this is helpful, good luck.
*kerr: my 1988 Nova came out of that Nummi (Toyota/GM) plant in Fremont. 283,000 miles, still going fine. Needs a $100 repair about every 100,000 miles. So I'd say they're doing something right. -David
*Well the 2 previous bosses I was working for were utter and complete morons. Thye did nothing but harrass the guys never said thank you and took credit for our work. Then came my present boss in the first meeting we had he told You guys been around here a long time I trust just on doing what your doing(His predisessor was there and almost keeled over). Then he went on to show us and prove to us that he did. He supported us when we needed it including protecting us from our(his )upper mgmt. There is nothing I wouldnt due for the guy. not only me but the rest of the team. he took a team that was mentally on strike and in total rebellion and turned it around to a loyal hard working team that will bend over backwards for him. Believe me , we used to stand in front of the old bosses office and discuss how many resumes we had sent out and compared job openings ect right in front of him.
*Be kind and let the workers do the best job that they can. This is a lot harder than it sounds.
*You broke the code; been there too I guess.
*(tongue planted firmly in cheek)Arrggghhhhhhhh!! I've always found the lash to be an effective motivational tool. If that doesn't work, A good keel-hauling might be in order.Captain Bligh
*Maybe 1982...I had taken over the management of the Domino's Pizza on the west side of Richmond, IN. I had been there maybe one month when my supervisor shows up and pulls me into the office wanting to know what did I do?? I'm asking him what he's talking about. He explains that before I took over that store, he felt that it had the worst crew in the company (some 30 stores?), hands down. But here I had only been there a short time, I hadn't fired anyone, I hadn't hired anyone, but now it was one of the best crews. What was my secret??At the time I had no idea. But it sure felt good.That voice in my head says I've posted this story before. Oh well!Rich Beckman
*Any true motivation comes from within.
*Yes sir!
*
How do you motivate your people?