At this time in your career, you’re probably well aware of the differences between good and bad managers. Good managers lead, develop and support their employees on their career paths.  Bad managers don’t. Leading people requires the ability to motivate and some of your managers might struggle with this, threatening the entire organization. Consider the possibility that they may be lacking in their own self-motivation as it is difficult to pour from an empty cup. As a top leader in your company, you can help motivate the entire organization just by ensuring your managers are motivated.

Motivating Your Management Team

     1. Give Them a Voice

Who doesn’t enjoy being heard? Several studies show that encouraging feedback and innovative ideas from managers lead to positive results for companies. Take for example a research study conducted on a national restaurant chain. According to the Harvard Business Review, the restaurant’s “managers were able to persuade senior leaders to make improvements that reduced employee turnover by 32% and saved at least $1.6 million a year.” What a mighty impact and it only cost the time spent listening! When managers are given a voice in company decisions, they feel valued and are more likely to perform their jobs better.

     2. Offer Competitive Pay and Benefits

External motivation is just as important as internal. Ensure that your managers are properly compensated. With the rise of the internet, finding the average salary that the market offers for comparable positions is simple. And if you can access this information, so can your employees. Remember, even if a manager accepts a lowball offer in the beginning, she can quickly become dissatisfied, leaving you and your organization at risk. Although compensation is hardly ever an employee’s only motivator, it’s usually a very significant one.

     3. Create Room for Them to Grow

While it’s true that some employees are content remaining in the same position for the rest of their lives, many others are not. Either way, you should provide enough space for all employees to grow. Invest time getting to know your managers’ career goals since this is a great starting point for uncovering new development opportunities. They may be interested in filling a C-suite position in the future. Having this information can help you prepare a succession plan and will undoubtedly give your managers the boost they need to rejuvenate their excitement in the workplace.

     4. Connect the Dots from Their Role to the Company’s Vision

Focus on creating new opportunities and projects that are directly linked to your managers’ roles/responsibilities and the company vision. It’s a surefire way to keep both your employees and organization growing in the right direction. Keep them informed of new initiatives, marketing campaigns, etc., and be open about how they can use their position to best support the organization. Helping managers understand their importance to achieving the company vision is a good strategy to show them that their work matters. They are more likely to continue doing value-added work if it’s clear that it makes a difference.

     5. Conduct Regular Performance Reviews

Contrary to what many believe, performance reviews should benefit employees just as much as the company. Conducting effective employee reviews ensures that managers are receiving regular positive feedback and mentorship. It gives them a reason to continue striving to achieve their goals in the workplace. Prior to the reviews you should discuss your expectations. If you plan to assess them on the work they do to help develop their employees, they are more likely to focus on that in their day-to-day work. Commit to meeting with them and they will have more incentive to maintain the quality of their work.

Bad Fit or Unmotivated?

Your management team is a vital part of your organization. Their work can ultimately impact employees from the customer service team to the C-Suite. The next time you come face-to-face with a “bad manager” in your organization, take time to decide whether that individual is truly a bad fit or just unmotivated. If motivation is the issue, you can save the company time and money by implementing a few strategies.

To find out how Norstrem Associates can help you motivate your managers contact us at  tim@norstrem.com.