Motivation
HCS 325

Motivation
The decision to downsize is always a difficult one. But how do you motivate a team when downsizing is imminent? There are many techniques that can be employed to keep a team motivated and excited during difficult times. A few techniques that can be are; show your team respect, get them invested in their professional future and the easiest one of all, just listen to their concerns and needs. With proper motivation a team can thrive in even the most difficult times.
The first part of motivating in difficult times we will tackle is the all too overlooked step of listening. As a manger and leader it is important that your team feels they can come to you with their problems, they may not all be work related but that is ok. If a teammate isn’t focused at work because of outside distractions, that needs to be addressed. Victor Lipman says you need to listen, “To employees’ ideas for job improvement… or their problems, concerns, frustrations, conflicts, dramas, kids’ issues, parents’ issues, grandparents’ issues,” (2013) Basically if something is distracting a team member and they feel they can come to and be heard their productivity will increase. This doesn’t mean that every problem brought to your attention will warrant equal attention, some people may try to take advantage of an open door policy on hearing their problems “If someone is a chronic malingerer, and carps for the sake of carping, just tell them to knock it off and get back to work.” (Lipman, 2013) Sometimes a stern approach is needed. If you actually listen, and not just wait for your turn to talk or bark orders at the team, your team will naturally become more motivated.
How can we motivate someone by showing interest in the future of their career path? There are a few ways to tackle that. One is the goal setting theory. “The theory’s basic premise is that task goals can be highly motivating—if they are properly set and if they are well managed.” (Lombardi, 2007) Working with each team member to set general goals and goals specific to them can have an immediate impact on their motivation level. Goals should be have specific requirements and be challenging but not impossible to meet. They can be set as accomplishing certain training that will lead to advancement. When this goal is combined with coaching and mentoring the challenge of, “how do I show an interest in my team’s future?” is answered. And of course when the goals are met there needs to be a reward or recognition for meeting the challenge. “Don’t let positive accomplishments pass unnoticed; reward people for doing what they set out to do.” (Lombardi, 2007)
Another method in motivating is helping the team attain a proper work life to home life balance or “work-life balance” While this may not be the best term, some have suggested work-play balance, it basically calls for there to be balance in in what you do at work and what you do at home. As managers we can play a positive part in this by working with our teams schedules to allow for them to take their kids to doctor’s appointments, or attend their children’s school functions. Little things like this can eliminate some of the distractions we have talked about and increase focus at work. “Poor work life balance is rarely caused by people working too hard or long - it's about how they're treated. Every leader wants workers who are like warriors - passionate, committed, focused, and go the extra mile to get superior results.” (Bell, 2012) Bell’s statement ties in to our next idea on how to keep our team motivated, respect.
Respect is something that is often overlooked when motivating a team. It seems too obvious that someone who feels respected will be more motivated, and yet this is often the case. The golden rule, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (Mathew 7:12 New International Version) If you follow this rule it will show people that not only do you respect the work they do for you but that you respect them as individuals as well. A recent study by Dale Carnegie shows that 80% of employees who are dissatisfied with their immediate supervisor are disengaged at work (2013) Showing respect will allow your team to continue to feel valued and appreciated and in return make it easier for them to stay engaged in their work.
When talking about how to keep your team motivated it is also important to know what to avoid so you do not demotivate your team. A study done at the Harvard Business School shows that in 85% of companies’ employee motivation drops after six months. (Sirota, 2006) The problem isn’t with the employees but with management itself. “Rather than motivating people, management’s style and overall behavior can be a strong demotivational force that saps the natural energy and willingness of employees to do their best.” (Bilinsky, 2006) There are numerous ways that management manages to accomplish this. One such way is being emotionally stingy with praise and being disrespectful. These are the inverse of two of our motivational ideas. People like praise, getting positive reactions about your good work will make you want to do more. However, having your work ignored or being told that was horrible will cause a lack of motivation to settle in. Another way to demotivate your employees is not standing up for them when the situation calls for it. Your team wants to know that you have their back when problems arise and that you aren’t going to force them to go it alone in difficult times. “Furthermore, when management thinks that the problem lies with the employees (of course it doesn’t lie with management!) they then implement policies that only accentuate the difficulties faced by the employees. You now have a downward spiral with management believing that they must ‘crack down’ further as they perceive their employee have a problem with motivation.” (Bilinsky, 2006)
There will always be ups and downs in our work lives. Change in healthcare is a constant and sometimes this change may be negative in nature. But even when a negative change occurs, it is the responsibility of the health care management to keep their teams motivated and working towards the department goal. Setting goals for your team, showing respect and not making mountains out of mole hills are ways to keep motivation high while not demotivating your team. When you can keep your motivation high work productivity will remain high and can make it that much easier to ride out the storm.

References
Bell, C. R. (2012). Work-Life Balance. Leadership Excellence, 16-17.

Bilinsky, D. J. (2006). How to do a Good Job at Turning Off Your Employees. Bar Talk, 25.

Dale Carenegie Training. (2013). Employee Engagment.

Lipman, V. (2013). 5 Easy Ways To Motivate - And Demotivate - Employees. Forbes, 44.

Lombardi, D. J. (2007). Health Care Management . John Wiley and Sons.

Sirota, D. M. (2006). Why Your Employees AreLosing Motivation. Boston: Harvard Business School.