Whether they learn it from a seminar or glean it instead from years of hard-earned experience, most seasoned managers eventually realize that, when it comes to motivation and skill, they have four basic categories of employees:
- Those who have neither the motivation nor skills required of the job,
- Those who have the motivation, but not the skills required of the job,
- Those who lack the motivation, but have the skills required of the job, and
- Those who have both the motivation and skills required of the job.
You may know each grouping by other labels, but you’ve undoubtedly encountered more than one example of these four combinations.
- If you’re stuck managing members of the first group – and I hope you never are – you’re pretty much relegated to micromanaging them every step of the way, at least until they’ve gained the skills and motivation required of the job. But, long term success with such employees is unlikely.
- If you’re called upon to manage a member of the second group, long term prospects are decidedly better. Their innate motivation will serve them well in mastering the skills required of the job.
- If you’ve a member of third group to manage, you needn’t micromanage their method of performing the job, but must still constantly monitor their focus on the job, while trying to identify the key to their future motivation, if such a key exists. Here again, prospects of long term success are often poor.
- If you’re lucky enough to manage members of the fourth group – and I hope you forever are – you need only communicate the goals you want them to achieve and provide them with the tools needed to get the job done most efficiently, all while feeding them a steady diet of the challenges upon which they thrive. Whatever you do, don’t micromanage them. Their long term prospects are limited only by your ability to supply the continuing challenges they require.
In another recent post, I described an encounter with a retail manager and one of her floor stockers during which I suggested that Zebra Technologies’ QL220 wireless mobile printer might solve some of their more obvious shelf-edge label challenges. When the young stocker volunteered that he’d be happy to personally purchase a Zebra QLN220 if the company was unwilling to supply them, I was reminded of that much-desired category of motivated, skilled employees and how best to assist them: by providing the tools they need to do their jobs most efficiently and then staying out of their way.
Motivated, skilled team members are most effective when granted as much autonomy as possible, and nothing communicates autonomy like unrestrained wireless mobile solutions to repetitive processes. Consider entrusting your most motivated and skilled team members with the autonomy of a Zebra’s wireless mobile printing solutions. Then just step aside and watch them prosper!