6 Responses

1. Crikey

   Can I be the first to say Chris….. you’ve been given a real dog of a job there.

   Good luck 

2. not so much a motivation activity but…..

   Chris

   I have recently written and delivered a successful one hour webinar/virtual classroom on the topic~but I was working with the line managers on how they motivate their staff (Chutzpah’s comment about dogs should actually be about werewolves; training cannot deliver the silver bullet that managers are failing to deliver!)

   I would recommend the book Shackleton’s Way……the man was able to motivate a team for 18 months when all hope could have been lost.  He then motivated them to sail 600 miles across the ocean in a rowing boat and then he motivated them to hike over an uncharted mountain range.  All so they could get back to civilisation and go and fight in the trenches!

   Then those that survived were all motivated to go back and join him again in the Antarctic!

   Good luck with this one, (notwithstanding my belief that you shouldn’t accept it on the grounds that it isn’t appropriate for the training function to be given the job of line management)

    

   Rus

3. Where’s The Real Problem?

   Hello Chris ~ On the face of it this looks like something Training and Development is likely to have very little impact on if you undertake what is being asked of you. In this context it is virtually impossible to train motivation into somebody.

   This has all the hallmarks of a management function using the Training Department as an extension of the Catholic Church, believing that by sending their staff on a course they themselves are absolved of their sins.

   What I might constructively suggest here is that you go back to the requesting manager and ask to undertake an analysis in the problem area. That is to say; look at what is happening in the unmotivated department and try to determine what the source is. Clearly there is a performance gap, but to me it looks like the potential real source of the problem; line managers are being side stepped and instead the operating level function targeted, not an unusual occurrence.

   Without prejudging anything I suspect you would discover that line management is failing to communicate, set appropriate goals and targets, provide feedback and adopt appropriate management styles when managing and leading their staff. The consequences of which in conjunction with the other pressures you face is demotivation and a lack of commitment.

   If management decline this request do an analysis of what this training is going to cost in terms of lost time hours, salaries and your time and wage and make it very clear that every single penny and minute will be as good as flushed down the toilet as it is virtually guaranteed that not a single long term improvement will result from this intervention.

   In a nutshell; if it isn’t knowledge or skill that the target group are missing and there are no other supporting processes taking place then training and development is going to have little to no impact.

    

4. This is not a training need

    I agree with everyone else. If there is a training need, it is not for the team – it is for the managers. It is the managers’ job to ensure that the communication ‘climate’ in the organisation makes people feel motivated.

   Maybe morale will improve if managers explain to team members why more is being asked for less. They also need to make sure that team members’ efforts are appreciated in these difficult times. Much can be done if managers know how to build good relationships and make the most of opportunities to offer coaching and support.

5. Low motivation

   I agree with everyone that this doesn’t seem to be a learning & development issue. However, that doesn’t help you, Chris, or the team in question. Managers often haven’t identified a real need before asking for the Harry Potter School of learning & development to step in – they want a spell, potion or pill to solve their problem!

   I’ve found that holding a series of focus groups to identify the issues involved and to gain some ideas about how the team and others can address it can help. I start with what’s going well and we want to continue, then move onto what isn’t working and how we can address it, ensuring that there are a variety of options involved including those to be taken by the manager, the team and also the learning & development specialists.

   Often people seem to be energised by getting involved in solving their own problems rather than having a solution forced upon them. And you don’t have to talk to them about their low motivation at all – they will tell you that this is how people are feeling.

   It does than mean that you need to discuss the issues raised with the manager to get their buy-in to take the actions needed. often addressing some of the small niggling issues first can get quick wins and ease the path for the tougher things.

   Using an appreciative enquiry approach helps generate a positive spiral rather than a negative one!

   Good luck – I have a similar situation on my hands at present but with a much smaller team.

   Linda

6. Remotivating Teams

   Hi Chris, how is it going? I recognise that your post was 3 weeks ago and guess you are now much further. I have recently been involved in helping a team to remotivate and get their energy levels back up. I agree with the others that it is a challenging topic, but I think it is also facinating and important to address. I don’t think it is impossible to move people on in a short space of time. You just need to ask the right questions. I would love to here how you approached this issue and what happend in the last 3 weeks. I am happy to tell you more about what I did. It would be great to exchange ideas. Just give me a ring on 07905933220. All the best. Cornelia