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Leading and Motivating: A Challenging Management Function for New Managers

By: 'Emerson A. de Lemon, MBA Student, Camarines Norte State College, Philippines'

LEADING

When I started my first management position in the year 2010 as a Team Leader for the acquisition team in the Retail Banking Department of one of the leading bank UAE, I feel conflicted. It was really intimidating to establish authority with my employees I've never worked with before or don't know very well. I want my team to trust and respect me, I need to build a professional relationship with them, learn about their interest and needs as workers.

Upper management are observing since this is a new role for me, they will rely on my decisions in the future on what I can do for the team to increase our corporate clients who are willing to sign a contract in our bank. And it was really a great challenge for me, aside from being an Asian manager, all the eyes of other departments with mostly Arabs and Western White bosses is with me, waiting for what I can accomplished and how I will satisfy the top level management.

Here are my 4 important suggestive points for new managers who will be leading a team, I want to share:

1. Schedule brief one-on-one meetings. Get to know your workers individually and learn their strengths, weaknesses, goals and priorities. Familiarize yourself with your new team with one-on-one meetings so you can understand how best to manage them.

By scheduling frequent meetings with employees, managers are proving that they care about their development. Plus, it gives managers the opportunity to communicate changes so that the entire team is working towards shared goals.

2. Determine how employees prefer to give and receive feedback. Feedback allows workers to understand what is expected of them, what they're doing well and what they need to work on. While the process might be intimidating to your employees, as a manager, you can alleviate tension by listening to your team's preferences. Personalize how you deliver feedback based on employees' needs; during these conversations, managers should also determine how each employee prefers to receive feedback and tailor their management style accordingly. When you provide feedback, make sure each member knows that you have their best interests in mind, both professionally and personally. This will make them more perceptive and encourage them to share their own feedback. Give employees the opportunity to provide honest feedback on managers' performance so they can course-correct where necessary.

It is recommended asking questions about their wants and needs from the company, issues they face, their workload, etc. to prompt a conversation. Act as a coach instead of a dictator to ensure employees feel comfortable providing feedback on their own performance – as well as your own progress as their supervisor.

3. Establish open communication. Open communication breeds new ideas and collaboration, which is crucial for any team. Each person should feel they have a voice in the company, no matter their position.

It's an important step toward establishing that the new manager simply isn't a taskmaster but an advocate for team members' professional development and growth.

4. Gauge current roadblocks and offer solutions. As a new manager, you might feel discouraged by any shortcomings or complications you face off the bat, but it's important to acknowledge any problems that arise and work with your team to solve them.

Ideally, managers aren't going into situations where they're blindsided by serious issues. However, if they're unexpectedly confronted with problems on a team, they might actually be at an advantage. New managers arrive with a clean slate and can ask honest questions about the issues.

Don't be afraid to turn to your workers for support or guidance. You are a team, after all.

MOTIVATING

The need to motivate employees to work hard and use their talents and abilities to make the best contribution they can, is vitally important in the organization I worked for. Passive or disengaged employees are likely to do the minimum they feel is acceptable and unlikely to give our employers the benefit of any discretionary efforts. They may even became toxic, acting as a negative influence on others and damaging constructive working relationships. Ultimately, failure to pay attention to levels of motivation and engagement will result in a loss of competitiveness and profits.

For me, maintaining motivation is particularly important and challenging during times of rapid change and uncertainty. It was the time when UAE experience economic recession, employee morale can sink dramatically due to the insecurity that change can bring. In addition, it may be difficult to stimulate the motivation of employees if they are on short term temporary contracts because most of the employees in our banks are mostly expatriates. In spite of the many theories and practical examples available to draw on, motivation is still I viewed as a difficult matter to handle.

I once a team member for a long time before I got my position to handle a team. I gathered all the advice of my previous bosses on how I will motivate a team, here are some of my view points to motivate:

1. Think about what motivates you and others Which aspects of your working life that have been important to you? What has motivated you or de-motivated you in the past? Are you motivated by intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli? Do you find the same aspects of your current role motivate you in the same way as in your earlier career? Remember, motivators can change over time.

Money can be a strong motivator for some. But everyone is different, and for many others, powerful motivators may include being given more autonomy and responsibility in their work, positive support when things go wrong, meaningful work, status or influence, a sense of belonging, the ability to –develop their skills and abilities, or contributing to an organisation whose work they consider valuable or important. Don’t underestimate the part played in motivation by the working environment itself. Bear in mind that people from different cultural backgrounds may be motivated in different ways.

2. Be aware of the importance of your role as a manager Remember that, as a manager, you are the key motivating or de-motivating factor for people in your team. The team atmosphere you create and the relationships you build will be a main route to earning people’s co-operation and discretionary effort.

3. Find out what people want most from their jobs People may want more status, more pay, better working conditions, and a choice of fringe benefits. But find out what their main motivators are by asking what they want most from themselves and from the job. You might do this at performance appraisals, by carrying out an employee survey, or through informal discussions.

Pay particular attention to what energises individuals – those tasks or activities that appear to ignite and excite them. Remember that open and honest two-way communication is essential, especially during times of change.

4. Decide on actions to improve motivation Having gained some understanding of what motivates members of your team, you are now in a better position to work with them to create more scope for them to do their best and to improve levels of motivation and performance across the team.

Empowerment can be a powerful motivator for many people, but be clear in setting the boundaries within which team members can work, and be sure to give them your full support, as long as they operate within the limits set.

5. Demonstrate support Your organisation’s culture matters. Working in an organisation whose culture isn’t conducive to motivation and engagement will be challenging for any manager seeking to improve levels of motivation within their team. Nonetheless, look for ways to work within the prevailing culture and keep your team motivated despite workplace hindrances. Always do your best to honour any assurances you give people. If, for any reason you are unable to do so, be sure to explain what happened and how it affected your actions.

6. Express thanks and appreciation On a daily basis look to find someone doing something well and tell them so. Say ‘thank you’ and give credit where it is due. Show a genuine interest, but don’t go overboard. Avoid appearing to be peering over people’s shoulders to keep tabs on them. If you have ideas for improvements, don't dictate them. Instead, help job-holders to find their own ways to improve their work. You don’t need to be able do everything better than your team - in fact the opposite is likely to be the case. But set a good example, and make it clear what levels of support you will give to others. The visibility and trust of managers is vital, especially in times of change. Be prepared to give time to listen to people’s ideas and weigh the viability of each one carefully before making a decision.

7. Provide developmental feedback Feedback can fuel the motivation cycle if it is given positively and effectively. Overcome any reluctance to engage employees in discussions about their progress and achievements. Offer thoughtful comments on areas for development or improvement, and discuss the next steps or future targets. Performance appraisals and development reviews provide ideal opportunities to develop your skills in encouraging and motivating team members. At the same time, make sure that constructive feedback is given regularly and in a timely manner and that employees are also given opportunities to voice their own views on how things are going and what needs to change.

References:

Designing the purposeful organization: how to inspire business performance beyond boundaries, Clive Wilson London: Kogan Page, 2015

The business of people: how to nurture potential and performance, Shirley Soodeen Panoma Press, 2015

Beyond the call: why some of your team go the extra mile and others don’t show, Marc Woods and Steve Coomber Chichester: Wiley, 2013