by Wojciech Graniczewski

THE POWER OF MOTIVATION

IN A LANGUAGE SCHOOL

YALS CONFERENCE 2011

RECENT TRENDS IN ORGANISATION

versus

stability and stagnation

change

innovation

variety

flexibility

RECENT TRENDS IN MANAGEMENT

Pyramid structures are replaced by flat structures

RECENT TRENDS IN MANAGEMENT

Effective staff motivation

is considered to be the

most important aspect of

successful management

STAFF NEEDS ARE STILL SIMILARBUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE

DIFFERENT

Therefore, school managers need to find new ways to satisfy (and manage) the needs of their staff.

FACTORS AFFECTING JOB ATTITUDES

Leading to dissatisfaction Leading to satisfaction

Unclear company policy Achievement

Inadequate supervision Recognition

Poor relations with the boss Nature of work itself

Poor work conditions Responsibility

Low salary Advancement

Poor relations with peers Growth

What are the main motivational drives?

LIGHT

DARKNESSaway from problems

tow

ard

s

ben

efi

ts

What is high motivation at work?

High motivation is a staff member’s visible

positive attitude towards the school, its goals

and the job to be done, demonstrated in action.

Understanding staff needs and drives

is the manager’s first step towards

effective management.

Responding to the expectations and needs

of both the admin and the teaching staff

is as important as it is with regard to the

customers (students).

The management must define the roles that

staff members play in the school’s success

and make sure they perform them effectively.

Staff can either make or break the school’s business. Their positive attitude is essential for the school’s success.

Good employees want:

to earn wages that will enable them to pay their bills,

to have medical and other insurance coverage,

to save for old age security benefits,

to acquire friends at work,

to win recognition,

to be acknowledged for special efforts and contributions,

Good employees want :

to have opportunities for self-development

to improve their skills, knowledge, and know-how

to demonstrate and use special gifts and abilities

to realise their ideal(s).

Employees also expect:

knowledgeable and experienced management clear and fair plans and policies clear job descriptions (even when flexibility is required) easy and smooth two-way communication effective supervision and positive discipline the school’s good repute and pleasant customer relations good perspectives for the school’s survival and growth opportunities for personal growth within the school a share in the school's success

adequate pay and job security (to the degree possible) clear company policies organised work procedures and standards a safe and fair work environment an atmosphere of teamwork and cooperation open lines of communication (formal and informal) systematic feedback (horizontal and vertical) social activities and other benefits

Good schools respond to those needs by offering and providing:

opportunities for training, development and promotion

information on the school / industry / market

information on student / customer feedback

information on expectations and plans for the future

sharing of the school’s goals and objectives

guidance, mentoring and coaching

Good schools respond to those needs by offering and providing:

UNDER CONSTANT SCRUTINY

School managers are under constant scrutiny of their staff

(just as the staff are under constant scrutiny of the students). 

The staff care to know to whom they entrust their fate,

reputation and security, just as the students care to know

to whom they entrust their language education and future.

A fair balance of these two aspects is essential

for the school’s lasting success.

Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats 

Once the staff feel that their place of work is what they

expect, they are ready to contribute above and beyond

"the call of duty“.

Then the students truly appreciate their teachers’ work,

are fully satisfied with the school and want more.

A highly motivated teacher is

the best motivator for the students.

THE SKILL / WILL MATRIX

The matrix can be used to assess your staff's willingness (motivation) and skills to do a specific task or job.

Based on that assessment, you can choose how to best manage each staff member towards success.

(or dismiss)

(or promote)

(or train)

(or whip)

PRINCIPLES OF GUIDING

Be clear regarding expected outcomes and limitations of time, budget, etc. Discuss and set methods. Check for understanding. Identify and provide required training. Accept early mistakes. Give responsibility and authority for the pieces of tasks employee can do. Structure tasks to minimize possible risks to employee and company. Provide frequent feedback. Require frequent checking early in the project, but relax control as progress is shown. Praise and reward for success.

PRINCIPLES OF DELEGATING

Be clear regarding expected outcomes and limitations of time, budget, etc. Involve your staff in decision-making. Frequently ask them for opinions. Check for understanding.

Give responsibility and authority (because they are competent and committed). Provide feedback. Ask for checking at key milestones or when questions arise.

Praise and reward for success.

PRINCIPLES OF DIRECTING

Discuss what would motivate your staff.   Agree on what is possible. Be clear regarding expected outcomes and limitations of time, budget, etc. Set clear rules, methods, and deadlines. Check for understanding. Give responsibility and authority for the pieces of tasks they can do. Structure tasks for quick wins. Identify, organise and provide required training. Provide frequent feedback. Require frequent checking. Praise and reward for success.

PRINCIPLES OF EXCITING (motivating people)

Discuss why task is important and why this person is your best choice. Show future benefits and gains. Discuss what would motivate your staff. Agree on what is possible. Be clear regarding expected outcomes and limitations of time, budget, etc. Check for understanding. Give responsibility and authority (if the person is competent). Provide frequent feedback. Require frequent checking (verbal or written). Praise and reward for success.

Participatory management versus autocratic management

Leader Decides Followers Decide

Autocratic Consultative Group Decides Delegation

Decide and tell Decide after consultation and/or recommendation

Followers share in decision

Delegation of decision with clear parameters

Style 1:  AutocraticDecide unilaterally and announce decision.

Ask for paraphrase to make sure you have been clear.

Style 2: ConsultAlmost decided, check reactions before final decision.

Style 4: MajorityMajority vote with leader having one vote and no veto power.

Style 6: DelegationDelegate the decision with clear parameters of freedom.

Ask for paraphrase to make sure everything is clear.

Style3: RecommendSolicit inputs before deciding.

Style 5: ConsensusAll agree after discussion.

What are the most effective modern ways of motivating people for good

work?

Participatory management

Coaching

Cross-training

Delegation of responsibility

Systematic supportive evaluation

COACHING

The purpose of coaching is to provide help and support to people in an increasingly competitive and pressurised world in order to:

identify and develop their skills, help them make right decisions, increase their motivation maximise their potential improve their performance,

COACHING

”Coaching encourages learning, invites creativity and delivers higher performance. It respects the individual, builds confidence and generates a culture where responsibility sits with the performer, not the manager”.

(Downey)

Coaching means ”unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their performance. It is about helping them learn rather than teaching them”. (Whitmore)

COACHING

Coaching is: future-oriented rather than past-oriented about ”how” questions rather than ‘’why” questions about empathising with people in order to help them move forward about inviting people to find their own solutions about motivation for better performance and development

Coaching helps: to invent and verbalise solutions to problems, to see and present a broader picture to compare intended behaviour with actual behaviour and motivate for changes

CROSS-TRAINING

Cross-training is a motivational and problem-solving technique. It should be carefully planned and presented as a learning opportunity (ex. to show to BO staff what FO does or to teachers what administrators do, and vice versa).

Cross training:

improves understanding of different departments increases job flexibility prevents stagnation, leads to better coordination and teamwork erases differences, enmity and unhealthy competition increases knowledge, know-how, skills and work performance leads to the sharing of overall organisational goals and objectives improves overall motivation and the sharing of responsibility

JOB ROTATION

Job rotation is a more sophisticated form of cross-training. It usually involves extended periods.

With job rotation, the staff member is not considered as a trainee, but is responsible over certain job functions, for which he or she has to prove himself / herself.

Both cross-training and job rotation create a team of people who are more knowledgeable, can easily replace each other when needed and who gain new confidence regarding their professional expertise.  

These techniques lead to greater motivation throughout the school.

MOTIVATION SOME MYTHS AND TIPS

Can we really motivate people?

Not really – they have to motivate themselves.

We can't motivate people any more than we can empower them by giving them decent working terms and conditions, training, authority, responsibility, challenges, sense of purpose, esteem and opportunities for development and self-realisation.

We need to set up the environment where our staff members best empower and motivate themselves. The key is knowing how to set up such environment for each individual as well as for the whole team.

MOTIVATION SOME MYTHS AND TIPS

You know what motivates you, and so you know what will best motivate your other people.

Not really. Different people are motivated by different things. A key to success is to understand what motivates each individual.

You can't comprehend the principles of motivation because it is a science.

Not true. There are some very basic steps you can take to support your staff to motivate themselves towards increased performance in their jobs.

MOTIVATION SOME MYTHS AND TIPS

Money is a the best motivator.

Not really. Money, a nice office and job security can prevent people from becoming less motivated. However, usually they don't help people to become more motivated.

Fear is a very effective motivator. Perhaps. But for a very short time.

Increased job satisfaction means increased job performance.

Research shows this isn't necessarily true at all. Increased job satisfaction does not necessarily mean increased job performance. If the goals of the organisation are not aligned with the goals of the staff, then the staff aren't effectively working toward the mission of the organisation.

MOTIVATION SOME MYTHS AND TIPS

Motivating other people starts with motivating yourself.Yes. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you're enthusiastic about your job, it's much easier for others to be enthusiastic too. A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. Supporting motivation is a process, not a task. Organisations change all the time, as do people. Therefore it is an ongoing process to sustain an environment where employees can strongly motivate themselves. Have one-on-one meetings regularly, not only for annual appraisal.A very good idea. People are motivated more by our care and concern for them than by our supervision. Getting to know them better can’t happen unless we set aside time to be with each of them from time to time.

MOTIVATION SOME MYTHS AND TIPS

Cultivate strong skills in delegation.Convey responsibility and authority to your staff. Let them carry out certain tasks and decide how they will carry out the tasks. Delegation not only frees up a great deal of time for you but also allows your staff to take a stronger role in their jobs, which usually leads to more satisfaction, fulfillment and motivation as well.

Implement at least the basic principles of participatory management.Use them to identify the most important goals, to check if the goals are being met and to decide about possible corrective actions.

Establish goals that are SMARTER: specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, timely, extending of capabilities, and rewarding to those involved.

MOTIVATION SOME MYTHS AND TIPS

Reward for good performance.Focus on employee behaviours, not on employee personalities. Performance in the workplace should be based on behaviours toward goals, not on gaining popularity.

Reward soon after you see it.The shorter the time between a staff member’s action and your reward for the action, the clearer it is to the staff that you highly prefer that action. 

Celebrate achievementsWe are often focused on a getting "a lot done". This usually means identifying and solving problems. Experienced managers know that acknowledging and celebrating a solution to a problem can be every bit as important as the solution itself. Without ongoing acknowledgement of success, people become frustrated, skeptical and even cynical about efforts in the organisation.

MOTIVATOR’S DOS AND DONT’S

1. DO what you say you are going to do when you are going to do it.2. DO be responsive (return phone calls, emails).3. DO publicly support your staff (never reprimend them in public).4. DO admit your mistakes and take responsibility for your actions.5. DO ask and listen.6. DO smile and laugh.7. DON'T show anger or be cold, distant, rude or unfriendly. 8. DON'T send mixed messages to your employees so that they never know where you stand and what you want. 9. DON'T BS your team.10. DON'T jump to conclusions without checking facts first.