Jack was always late for work and when he arrived he was not as productive as he had been in the past. His supervisor, Bill, spoke to him about it, documented formal counseling sessions, and explained that Jack would lose his job if he didn’t start showing up on time. Each time Bill spoke to him Jack improved, but only for a day or two, then it was back to being late.
Bill was quite upset when he finally came to me requesting that Jack be fired. We discussed the situation and Bill commented that Jack used to be a good worker, and seemed to enjoy tackling difficult challenges but lately had become unreliable. Bill said he had tried to motivate Jack to get back to being a valuable part of the team, but his efforts hadn’t worked.
We met together in my office and after I clearly told Jack his job was on the line, Bill jumped in and said, “Look Jack. I don’t want to lose you. You were a valuable part of the team once and you can be again, but I have to be able to rely on you.”
Jack was obviously uncomfortable and his eyes had been boring a hole in the floor. Finally, he looked up at Bill. “I’m trying but the medication the doctor gave me makes me sleep so soundly I often don’t even hear the alarm. And it takes a while to be fully awake and functioning after I get up.”
I could see the surprise on Bill’s face. He knew nothing about a problem with medication. We discussed the issue and Bill suggested Jack consult with the doctor. Jack did, the doctor decreased the dosage, and soon Jack returned to being a valuable member of the team.
Bill had first addressed this problem with an attempt at behavior change. Each time he achieved a result; but it was only temporary. What didn’t occur to Bill until that day in my office was that the motivated attitude that Jack had previously displayed had not changed. There was another problem of which Bill was unaware. Jack didn’t need to be motivated. He liked being part of the team and enjoyed taking on the difficult challenges.
Unfortunately, it often seems easier for a leader to attempt a behavior change, rather than drill down to the real issue that’s causing the problem. Leaders may be able to change behavior, at least temporarily, but they can’t cause motivation. That’s because motivation is internal to each person and people will strive to achieve whatever need is driving that motivation. A leader’s job is to help team members meet those needs. Successful leaders help their team members remove obstacles to meeting their needs so they can achieve their own motivation. Jack had an obvious need to be successful, but the medication was an obstacle to achieving that need. The change in behavior was a clue that, rather than just trying to change Jack’s behavior, Bill needed to discover what was interfering with Jack’s motivation.
Sometimes that means removing obstacles to a team member’s motivation and sometimes it’s simply helping a team member see what the obstacle is so they can address it. To do that leaders must understand what their team members need. In Jack’s case, he was motivated by a need to be considered a valuable part of the team and to have challenging work.
He was unable to meet that need because of a medical issue which was fairly easily resolved. Unfortunately, many leaders try to rely on behavior change instead of learning what motivates their team members and then removing the obstacles to achieving that motivation.
Do you rely on behavior change, or are do you strive to help your team achieve their motivation?
Bob Mason is dedicated to leadership development. He works with companies to solve problems by helping supervisors and managers become more effective leaders leading more productive teams. He is a professional speaker and author of Don’t Worry, You Can Do This: What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership; The Art of Not Motivating: How Leaders Can Succeed by Understanding the True Nature of Motivation; Balancing the Generations: A Leader’s Guide to the Complex, Multi-Generational, 21st Century Workplace; and Planning to Excel: Strategic Planning That Works.
A 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force exposed him to great leaders and leadership opportunities such as command of four squadrons, including the Air Force’s largest munitions squadron. He has studied leadership extensively, but more importantly has been there, working with real people, making hard decisions, and experiencing the results.
Contact Bob at Bob@BobMasonSpeaker.com or 505-453-5266
