Supervisors at all levels and in different types of organizations find it harder than ever to create a loyal and motivated work team, who will perform according to management and customers' high expectations.

Gone are the days when organizations were content with average employees who were rewarded with lifetime job security as a reward for expected performance levels and good attendance. And gone are the days when employees were content with an average wage, enabling them to satisfy basic personal needs. Reality has created a new set of rules.

In today's shifting economy, organizations and businesses find themselves in a constant struggle for survival, often sacrificing jobs and employees along the way. As a result, employees' strongest drive also became one for survival. Trust and loyalty towards employer evaporated into thin air and have been replaced by economic interests. Employers and supervisors must understand this scenario before attempting to regain employees' trust, dedication and "love for the job".

It is supervisors who are sandwiched in between. They too are victim of the market realities which bring frequent company acquisitions, mergers, restructuring and downsizing of operations. Supervisors themselves fear for their jobs and their future. Yet, to gain some sort of solid footing in the new environment, they must prove their worth and succeed in achieving company goals. They cannot do so without their employees' cooperation. They must ignore their own fears and feelings of insecurity, doubts about the employer's agenda, and deliver a crew of first-class performers. They are judged by results and results depend on their capacity to lead a dedicated crew of flawless performers. The pressure is great.

Unfortunately, many supervisors attained their position based on yardsticks other than proven leadership skills: technical know-how and past experiences unrelated to similar crisis situations. The problem is further compounded by the fact that, in their quest to cut down on expenses, employers do not offer supervisors the specialized support and training they need. Supervisors are left to fend on their own. Their drive to succeed becomes one for survival. Yet, this is a secret they must keep to themselves.

They become avid readers of books and articles on the subject of employee motivation. They conduct searches on the internet. They join newsgroups to either "listen in" anonymously, ask questions, or discover the magic key. They try to understand and internalize motivational theories, written for different economic and market situations.

In the course of their search, they cast aside any awareness or insight they may have had about the root of the problem and the reasons which led to employees' mistrust and changed behaviour. They try to instill enthusiasm among employees and are taken aback when their best performers suddenly leave or behave like the rest. In this dogfight for survival in an uncertain future, supervisors are quite often undermined by their own assistants who have an eye on their position. Assistants too are driven by a fierce survival instinct and are not ready to wait for their careers to take its natural course. They do not trust the future. With the emergence of technology, job positions are being merged and eliminated by the day.

Unless supervisors get backing and commitment from upper management to deal with employees' fear and loss of trust, there is little they can do. Left to their own resources, all they can hope to accomplish is crisis management. Business owners and upper management often forget this heavy burden the supervisor carries. Most of their efforts are focused on economic issues.

They fail to see that supervisors are the unit leaders they send to the battlefield to win the war. They also fail to see the value of the rank-and-file without whom the war cannot be won. They seem oblivious to what is happening in the minds and hearts of their people. They are too quick to condemn and replace. Most supervisors face the dilemma of having to choose between appealing to management for the help and guidance they urgently need, at the risk of losing their standing or position within the organization, or trying to run the show on their own.

Motivational theories that can assist in understanding the issues

To help guide supervisors in their search for solutions for employee motivation, here are brief descriptions of the motivational theories worth studying:

Abraham Maslow's theory of Motivation based on Needs:

Self-Actualization, Ego, Social Needs, Safety Needs, Physiological Needs

As applied to the workplace, we can translate it as follows, starting with the basic essentials:

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS - Job security, basic physical needs: the ability to acquire food, shelter, clothing and other basics to survive

SAFETY NEEDS - A safe and non-threatening work environment, job security, safe equipment and installations

SOCIAL NEEDS - Contact and friendship with fellow-workers, social activities and opportunities

EGO - Recognition, acknowledgment, rewards

SELF-ACTUALIZATION - Realizing one's dreams and potential, reaching the heights of one's gifts and talents.

Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Y, whereby he links employee motivation to the way managers express themselves through attitude, behaviour and organizational policies, and his encouragement to manage through democratic involvement rather than unilateral authority.

Frederick Herzberg's two-dimensional theory, distinguishing between "Hygiene Factors" and "Motivational Factors". He explains the hygiene factors (company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions and salary) as those elements of the work environment which do not by themselves cause motivation but whose absence lead to job dissatisfaction; while the motivational factors (achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and advancement) do in effect cause increased job motivation.

William Ouchi's Theory Z, based on the model of Japanese management and the theory that workers want to have a close, cooperative and participative working relationship with the people they work for. Ouchi's motivational theory is also built around people's individual value and the role they have in determining the organization's success.

All the theories make sense. Though expressed from different perspectives, they carry the same underlying message: Clarify objectives, get well organized in management, know your employees well, extend to them respect and acknowledgment, discover their assets and resourcefulness, use these democratically to accomplish your goals, share goals with them, and reward them for their contribution in achieving these goals.

It sounds logical and simple, but requires the commitment of upper management, an investment in time, effort and money for actual application. In a situation where upper management is not too ready to invest along those lines, the supervisor is left to his own resources. He has the challenge of turning the situation around on his own. With a clear objective, adequate preparation, organization, and systematic implementation, he not only comes out the winner, but also leads to a win/win situation between management and employees.

Growth through problem-solving

The best supervisors can do when embarking on such a project on their own, is to adopt a problem-solving approach. To the extent possible, they must distance themselves from their own personal interests and study the situation objectively. If they feel comfortable approaching upper management, they can ask for outside coaching assistance. If not, they can try doing it on their own with a 'learning' attitude. Instead of wasting energy on frustration, they can use their time to study and analyze the organization, upper management's motives and strategies, employee morale, performance, needs and expectations.

They can draw a plan on how management goals and employee goals can meet half-way or, in the best of situations, merge. Bearing in mind that action plans by themselves do not appeal to upper management unless translated into the costs involved, supervisors are well advised to study and write down all the pros and cons, and costs involved. The work must be thorough. In the course of their problem-solving, supervisors must remember that the uppermost thought and question of any party to a proposed solution is "What's in it for me?". The proposal they submit must answer this all-important question, even if not articulated.

The supervisor grows and becomes a better leader through the problem-solving process. It motivates him towards successful accomplishment. At this stage, it would be wise for the supervisor to examine the changes he himself is going through, the new skills he acquires, his thoughts and emotions towards employees and the organization.

Can the same learning process be applied to employees?

If the supervisor presents them with a problem to solve, will it create this excitement and selfless drive for successful achievement regardless of the existing work environment? Will their thoughts and efforts be directed towards constructive solutions rather than defensive and disruptive action? The supervisor can test this notion by sharing with employees a work performance problem, inviting them to solve it as a team.

If the discussion is held in a cooperative fashion, inviting their input, he would be surprised to witness in them a change of attitude and eagerness to display their knowledge and capability. The supervisor will discover that employees give their best when treated as intelligent adults and are invited to participate in policies and decisions which affect their lives and the business itself.

Employees often come up with solutions which escape management. They care for the company's success. However, this success must not be at the sacrifice of their own well-being and security but must be interwoven with their personal and professional goals.

Driven by the survival instinct, and motivated to find solutions, employees' creativity now comes into play. They make suggestions for business growth, untapped markets, and unexplored opportunities such as possible new products and services. The supervisor discovers a wealth of resources among his employees. He gains their involvement and commitment. From supervisor, he turns into a leader. In the process he also succeeds in regaining their trust. They now expect him to influence upper management.

To maintain this trust, the supervisor acknowledges input and gives credit where due. When presenting a winning idea to management, which may translate into increased profits for the company, he makes sure to single out the employee or group of employees who suggested it.

He can suggest developing the idea further with the involvement of those who offered it. He can make sure the employees in question are acknowledged and rewarded. This results in high employee motivation and even leads to additional input by others. Employees now realize that they themselves can do something to help secure their place of employment. Upper management realizes the value of their employees. Through this example, management's stance may change to one of sharing and joint problem-solving.

Whatever their level of education, the people who perform the actual work come across situations which trigger thoughts for improvement. Supervisors must realize this, and so should upper management. They should also realize that company secrets are hard to keep. The busy grapevine keeps even the lowest ranking employee informed of higher-up decisions and plans. Instead of letting fears and doubts pervade the workplace, managers and supervisors can share future planning with employees and help prepare them for opportunities and different scenarios.

In his book JobShift - How to Prosper in a Workplace without Jobs, William Bridges explains the employment and training needs of the new economy. He says that the traditional concept of "job", as related to a specific position within a company, is fast disappearing, being replaced by temporary team projects and task forces with specific mandates. He advocates cross-training and advises employers to work together with labour unions to create a multi-skilled work force who can dynamically respond to company and market needs.

William Bridges goes even further, recommending that employers train employees in business management and entrepreneurship. Their understanding of business principles will help them contribute effectively to the company's success. Should they lose their job, it will also help them establish their own independent businesses to provide contracting services to the organization for which they worked. His reasoning is that through this investment companies will gain efficient, loyal contractors, attuned to the needs of the company. This concern for, and investment in, future scenarios will ingrain unshakable trust and loyalty towards the company.

Before embarking on such a course, supervisors and managers must discover the specific qualifications and shortcomings of all employees. Some of them may be born leaders, coaches, facilitators, mediators, or may perform best when given clear directives and placed in "active" roles. Shortcomings can be remedied. The entire philosophy here is to share and help each other's survival and growth. The approach is a caring one, as expected in a family setting. In the long run, it works out for the best interests of all parties.

Organizations may not be ready yet for such a heavy commitment in employee training and a sharing of responsibility for the future. However, this philosophy has its merits and can inspire the supervisor in his quest for solutions within the present work environment. If convinced of the need to care for employees' future, the supervisor will find the solution which will best fit the organization and its people.

He will succeed in influencing management thinking one step at a time. Employees will sense this and will acknowledge him as leader. He will find his motivational problems resolved. Employee motivation is closely related to the quality and style of leadership. By creating a "caring" and participative environment, the supervisor succeeds in motivating his employees even when the organization is not yet ready to face work force realities.

Recommended Reading

Maslow on Management by Abraham H. Maslow

Motivation and Personality by Abraham H. Maslow

The Professional Manager by Douglas McGregor

Leaderhip and Motivation by Douglas McGregor

The Motivation To Work by Frederick Herzberg

Work and the Nature of Man by Frederick Herzberg

The Human Side of Enterprise Annotated Edition by Douglas McGregor

Theory Z

by William Ouchi

JobShift - How to Prosper in a Workplace without Jobs by William Bridges

Managing Transitions by William Bridges

The Character of Organizations by William Bridges

All Rights Reserved, Copyright © 2006 Claire Belilos www.easytraining.com

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Claire Belilos, President of CHIC Hospitality Consulting Services, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, is a management consultant specializing in human resources, training and development. She comes from a hospitality background, having served with Hilton International Hotels in Belgium and Israel. She helped the Jerusalem Hilton win distinction in Training and Development with Hilton International's Award of Merit for Training and Development and a First Prize in Safety Training from the City of Jerusalem. She was co-planner of the first national training program organized by the Israel Hotel Association and, during her tenure at the Jerusalem Hilton, turned this hotel into a prime choice for industry training for local and international Hotel Management Students. She can be contacted at www.easytraining.com

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