In addition to all of their other duties, managers are squarely charged with keeping the team “charged-up.” Have you ever witnessed the performance of someone who was personally challenged in the motivation department as they attempted to motivate others by word or deed?
It takes about five seconds until you will concede the important role a manager’s personal motivation level plays in the success of your operation and all of your endeavors. In fact, most people might say that it is a practical impossibility for someone lacking motivation to accomplish anything great. Keeping managers motivated is usually a multi-faceted effort — a steady paycheck, a chance to move up, some benefits, some bonuses, and perhaps, some serious sit-downs. We all know that people may say they work for the company whose name is on the paycheck, but it has been shown that on a daily basis what they really do (or don’t do) is driven by the leaders they see the most. So, if you’re leading managers what can you really do to make a positive difference?
- Connect the dots — Be upfront about what is required for each management position and provide the why-dos, the how-tos, and not just the must-dos.
- Buddy System — When you hire/promote someone as a manager, pair them off with an experienced peer — someone to show them the ropes/how to best utilize your system. The “wisdom box” does not exclusively reside in the top layer of leadership within your group. Utilize and maximize the relationship building aspect of encouraging managers in different stores or states to mentor each other. Scouts don’t send folks off alone into the woods and neither should you.
- Provide fair pay — A clear path to more money is one of the most impactful motivators you can provide. In our current age of transparency, your managers can easily find competitor pay ranges and national averages. Don’t be murky about what you expect in terms of performance and likewise, don’t be murky about what you will give in return.
- Provide fair play — Ensure a level playing field with regard to ethics, rules, regulations, accountability, and sensibility. ‘Nuff said!
- Shoot straight — The cowpoke’s approach. Make sure that people know where they stand and what you stand for. There should never be a surprise (sprung like a bear-trap) at a performance review.
- Give ’em a voice — Maybe every manager won’t be given a vote on every item on the company punch-list, but you can surely find a way for interested parties to become involved through action committees, special projects, or community activism. No matter how much of a hassle you might think it is to create and honor paths to internal involvement, it beats the alternative every time.
- Celebrate strong performances — Otherwise, they will think you are too “busy” for them, you don’t really care about the stuff you’ve been emphasizing, or you’re too thick to know it when you see it.
- On-call rotation — If you are large enough to have an HQ, most of the good folks who work there are on a Monday thru Friday gig. At 52 weeks a year plus holidays that translates to more than 100 days a year where you might face a delay of more than 2 days getting the right person to wrap their arms around a problem. Create a round robin rotation with top dogs (DOs/MUMs, VPs, C-levels, lead GMs) and provide meaningful trade gift-cards (that you trade your gift-cards for) in return for manning the 24/7 weekend manager help-line. I have had a fire suppression system blow off at 3 a.m. in an empty building, harassment complaints originate, food poisoning accusations, frozen pipes with subsequent flooding of an entire unit, and the murder of a manager all happen on a weekend/holiday. If you want to keep people motivated, help them when they really (really) need it!
- Put a cork in it — Walk away when tempted to lose it, snap it, or go ape. Everyone gets bent at something yet teachable moments abound when you handle crisis/bad news as a responsible professional as opposed to the immature/self indulgent child. Remember, respect is a two-way street and it has to be earned, just like money in the bank.
- Bring success; it breeds belonging — Managers want to work for winners. If you are not the newest, shiniest, largest, fastest growing or most profitable, then explain what you are doing that is great (or in transition from good to great) and prove that sticking around/following you/the plan is the prudent thing to do.
Everyone who has ever attempted to motivate other people knows that the big trick is to find people who are self-motivated. Keeping motivated managers from distraction, all the while involved and striving is a full time undertaking. If all of the above are not in your current repertoire, pick a few that are new and add them in. Your managers will thank you.
*Chase LeBlanc is a hospitality manager/leader/operator and performance coach. He has served in virtually every leadership role within the hospitality industry, and is now the CEO hospitality consultancy firm Leadagers LLC. He also is the author of “High Impact Hospitality, Upgrade Your Purpose, Performance and Profits.” Reprinted with permission from fastcasual.com.