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Transcript

How to Motivate Team Through Change · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Motivating teams through change is a challenge that every manager will face year in, year out, because businesses keep changing.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, I take you through eight factors that, if you get right, will result in your team being a lot more motivated through a period of change, which can make a massive difference to you, the manager.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles, and I've led and managed teams for over 25 years in corporates and household names through to SMEs.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: I've had to motivate teams through periods of change, in high growth companies to turning around failing businesses.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: I've also won best team prizes at national magazine level and at company level.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're new to this podcast, enhanced.training provides online business courses to help professionals, managers and business owners improve their performance.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhance.training.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: The business and competitive environment will keep changing, and the business in which you work will have to change with it to survive and thrive.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: So as a manager, from junior to senior, we're going to be constantly faced with motivating our teams through change.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Each person, ourselves and our team members, react a little differently to the prospect of change.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: I mean some view change as exciting, filled with new possibilities and challenges.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: And some view it as scary and filled with the effort of learning new skills or learning new ways of doing things.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: So how do we, as managers and leaders, keep our teams motivated during these periods of change?
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: I share eight factors that I have found make a big impact on team motivation and particularly through periods of change.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: And the first factor is that how do you feel about change yourself?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Depending on your management position, you may be the instigator of that change.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Or more likely, you'll be subject to change being imposed upon you and you have to implement these changes successfully with your team.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: You'll be going through the same emotions and have the same reactions that your team are likely to experience.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you are expected to implement change, then getting as comfortable and as bought into the changes as possible is a really really good starting point.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Your feelings and reactions will have an impact on the team that you manage.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: If you're bought into and are championing the changes that you're required to implement, then the team will be much more willing to do the same.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: If you have doubts or are openly hostile to change, then your team are much more willing to follow that negative example.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: Spend time with your manager to understand the changes, why the changes are being made and what the end goal is.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Take time to reflect on your emotions and reactions before speaking with your team.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Manage your own emotions and reactions first before starting to motivate your team through the change.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: The second factor we're going to talk about is what motivates each team member.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: We are all different, therefore each team member is motivated by different things.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Some motivating factors might be, for instance, the opportunity to do more interesting work, or getting greater recognition, or maybe seeing the end result of the work they do, or it could be getting more responsibility, or it might be having more opportunities for development, and there are many others.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: The best way to find out is to ask each staff member.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Discuss what they're looking for, what they enjoy and what motivates them.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Once you understand each team member's motivations, planning some changes of responsibility within the wider changes being implemented can be a great way to meet each individual person's motivational requirements.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Try to help each person and be seen to be helping each person.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: It is fantastic to have a manager trying to look out for you and develop you.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: The third factor is to communicate the changes openly and honestly.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: The fear of the unknown and the potential upheaval that comes with change is usually much worse than the actual change itself.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Once you know and understand what is happening, then you can start working through what it will mean for you and what you need to do to adapt.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: You can plan and take action.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: For this reason, make sure that you tell team members openly and honestly of the changes that will need to be implemented.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And use different ways of communicating this to the team.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: For example, you could write a summary of the changes and email it round to the team members.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Or you could talk through the changes with each person in one-to-one meetings and make sure you ask the team member for their questions and spend time actually answering those questions.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Or for instance, you might talk about the changes in a formal team meeting.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: There are so many different ways of communicating.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: So use different communication styles and that will help the different team members take in the changes planned.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Talk through the ways in which the team members can help make the changes a success.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Tell the team why the changes are happening and what it will mean for the company, the team, and the individuals.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: The more knowledge and understanding the team members have, then the more comfortable they will be and therefore they'll be better motivated.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth factor we're going to talk about is knowing your team.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: So what do we mean by this?
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Well, finding out which of your team members will be active supporters of any change they believe in and which will be more cautious or even resistance towards change.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Work out where each of the team members sit.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: For instance, when you're talking to them, watch the team members' body language and who's being silent and who's asking questions.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: These sorts of things give you a pretty good indication.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Put in extra effort early in the planning process to explain the changes to the potential supporters and answer all their questions.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Or even better, get them involved in planning out how to implement the changes.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: You need to get them on board as quickly as possible.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: They will help you persuade the remaining team members, and peer pressure is a really powerful motivator.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Once you have the supporters of the change on side, you can put more attention into mitigating those who might be detractors or working through their fears and objections with them, which will help move them towards becoming supporters.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the strongest supporters I've had in the past were those who were initially quite skeptical.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: The fifth factor to talk about is to remove all those annoyances and demotivating factors.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: There is nothing worse than having to do boring, repetitive tasks with no apparent purpose.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: It is a great idea to regularly ask team members firstly, what tasks or activities should we keep?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, what should we change?
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: And thirdly, what should we stop?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: These are three simple questions which give a surprising list of potential tasks to change or stop.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Take as many of those annoying tasks out from the team as practical.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: The easier you make it for your team members to carry out their day-to-day activities and reach the team goals, the more effective and motivated the team will be.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Take the time to find those annoyances and remove them where possible.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: The sixth factor is to create opportunities for development and challenge.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Wider changes can create opportunities for you to develop different members of your team.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: New opportunities to learn and new challenges are great motivators for many of the team.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: It is so important to make the most of these opportunities.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Can you set the goal to reach and then coach the team to develop how they're going to get to that goal?
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great way to develop problem-solving skills amongst the team as well as execution skills, those skills needed to turn ideas and plans into reality.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Are you able to move responsibilities and tasks around the team so that everyone has got something new to get their teeth into while playing to their strengths as much as possible?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, you know, in periods of big change, you have to be careful about how much change you introduce.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: So it you know it may be a no-no to think about moving things around the team, but use your judgment.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Take the opportunities to develop the team when you have them.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, you get a stronger, more capable team, and secondly, you have a more motivated team.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: The seventh fact we're going to talk about is demonstrating support for your team.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: There can be nothing worse than telling the team to achieve X, Y, and Z and then not helping them when they need help with how they're going to achieve those results.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Book in weekly one-to-one meetings with each of your direct reports and ask your direct reports to do likewise with theirs.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then use these meetings to help mentor and coach your reports on how to achieve the goals that they've been set.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: I've always felt that two heads are better than one in problem solving.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you're not the expert, there is a lot you can do to help your team members be as successful as possible.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: The other part of supporting the team is protecting them from less important tasks, projects or requests to ensure that they are not swamped and do have the capacity to deliver against the most or highest priority goals.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Manage the expectations of your managers and the other teams and stakeholders that are involved in any of the changes being implemented.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: The better stakeholders outside the team are managed, the less challenges, requests and other issues that interfere with your team's ability to deliver on the changes that they are responsible for.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: So protect your team and invest the time in supporting each of your team members to do the best that they're able to do.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Both will really help the team be effective, be engaged and be motivated.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: And the final factor, factor eight, is about celebrating successes.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone likes to be told they've done a good job.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Positive reinforcement works so much better than criticizing what's not gone well.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, studies have shown that to keep a colleague or a team member happy, you need to compliment them at least three times as much as being critical.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Three times.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: How many managers achieve this?
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: A pretty small number I would bet.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure that when you celebrate successes, you are specific and not general with your comments.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Being specific makes the comments you make so much more valuable and appreciated.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Look out for opportunities to praise team members for work well done or demonstrating great behaviour.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: There are so many ways of celebrating success.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: A couple of examples could be sending an email praising work, or when you're chatting by the water call, giving them compliments about work recently done.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Or it could be when you're in your one-to-one meetings, you might go through some work that you really appreciate and compliment them about that.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: Or it could be in public in front of other team members giving them compliments, or it could be in a formal team meeting and you might give out prizes for great work or great behaviour.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: Use a mix of different ways of celebrating success.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: The more you do this, the more the team will feel appreciated and motivated to do more great work.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, compliment at least three times as much as being critical and be specific with your compliments.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: So in summary, they have eight important factors in motivating teams.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: This is not an exhaustive list, but it will give you a very good start in helping you motivate your teams through change or just in the day-to-day work.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: You can achieve amazing things with a good and motivated team.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Make the best of the opportunity by keeping their motivation and development up.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: And this does take work and effort on your part, but what you get back personally pays for this effort many, many times over.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Do visit us at enhance.training and take a look at the courses and resources to help you manage your team.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhance.training.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you soon.