Advice From A CEO: Motivating Your Employees

"Management is nothing more than motivating other people," said Lee Iacocca, who served as CEO of Chrysler Corp. in the 1980s. Sounds easy, right? Hardly. There is nothing easy about managing others. Lee is correct, though; great managers have an uncanny ability to tap into the motivations of others and use persuasive communication techniques to influence winning outcomes and high performance. Unfortunately, too many managers have no idea how to motivate their teams effectively. So, where do well-intentioned but ineffective managers go wrong? Mistake 1: Telling employees how to do their work. Mistake 2: Talking too much, listening too little. Mistake 3: Not holding regular tag-ups. Mistake 4: Failing to share the “why.” Mistake 5: Not recognizing contributions. Mistake 6: Failing to deal with issues in the workplace. Mistake 7: Not creating growth opportunities. By avoiding these mistakes, you will increase motivation within your team, and everyone will reap the benefits. With motivated and engaged employees who contribute real value to the organization, you’ll be more likely to achieve your goals and be successful. Question of the episode This question comes from a Reflect Forward listener who asked, “Kerry, what do you think are the biggest problems with leadership today?” Great question. There are so many it’s hard to choose from. But if I had to pick one, I would say it’s a lack of clear and honest communication. Many of the problems we face in life, leadership, and politics all come down to how we are communicating as leaders.