Real Motivation for Technical Staff

[rosieb]

OK, I confess, I'm a manager.

I've just, last week, been given responsibility for 2 staff (plus a new post). It's an applications support function. I have run a support function before so I know how I'd like it to operate, but I'd really like to hear some practical suggestions for real motivation.

It's UK public sector, so salaries are pretty much, outside my control and bonuses don't exist. And, unlike my previous job, I don't get a "team building" / "bar-bills" allowance.

I have negotiated an agreement for new furniture and flat screens. OK not world-shattering, but a sign that I intend the section to be (and be treated as) professionals.

Suggestions please...

Rosie

 

[MasterRacker]

If you can, give them the ability to flex their schedules.

Also, if possible give comp time for the inevitable evening/weekend/overnighters that come with problems. They shouldn't have to do that kind of thing as a matter of course unless they get overtime wages for it.


Jeff
The future is already here - it's just not widely distributed yet...

 

[BJCooperIT]

MasterRacker is right. Flex time is a great way of showing that you understand that people have lives outside of work. Comp time allows staff to go the extra mile to make deadlines without feeling like slaves. If you allow them to accumulate comp time, then make sure they are actually allowed to take it!

Keep your staff informed of what is happening in your department and the company. No one wants to be "out of the loop". That being said, do not overwhelm them with zillions of e-mails, a summary will suffice.

Here in the states many companies permit "Casual Friday" which means we are allowed to forget the business attire and wear jeans and t-shirts on Friday. It is a small thing that can boost morale.

^{Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw}
Consultant/Custom Forms & PL/SQL - Oracle 8i & 9i - Windows 2000

 

[rosieb]

Fortunately, full comp time is a given. We have a flexitime system so, within reason / ensuring cover, I plan to allow as much flexibility of schedules as possible.

I also intend to trust them on time recording (unlike some colleagues who record start and finish times) tho' I'll murder anyone I find fiddling their hours.

 

[SQLSister]

I find that the best motivator of all is respect, genuine respect. I will do anything for a boss that respects me, who listens to my ideas and implements them where possible or explains why it isn't possible, who treats me like an adult not a child and who clearly values my expertise and who passes information to me that could affect my work not hoarding it like so many managers do. I also value consistency in the rules. I don;t so much care what the rules are but to have comp time or flex time be acceptable one time and not another or for some people but not others will drive me straight up the wall. And having the rules apply to management as well as workers. Why should managers be able to take 2 hours for lunch to run an errand when the regular employees can't? Sadly such bosses are rare and corporations who allow such bosses to thrive are even rarer.

 

[LesleyW]

My suggestion is probably even more difficult to implement, but I know my morale has been suffering tremendously on my current project because of it (till Friday! I cried off doing this project and found another because I found myself so stressed by this factor on the project)....

Requirements keep changing! So much so that I cant' start any of the work I am actually good at (design and build) because we have spent 4 months documenting.. .just as we get our heads around them they change again (it's a big project) Not much helped by the fact that I know (and my team leader has admitted without saying so directly) that the process we are using to get the requirements will not work!

I've had tremendous support from my department manager and team leader - they've fully conveyed an attitude of "you shouldn't feel like this, what can we do about it"... sadly they are in the same boat as I am and just as frustrated. So when I found work on another project, they let me go with a minimum handover period (a week).

 

[packdragon]

Changing requirements are definitely a bane to most developers. My project managers have been pretty good in that they allow only minimal changes in requirements to occur, and only if it's with good reason. They make it a point in client contracts to lay out the scope of a project -- what is covered and what is not.

It's up the the manager to keep an eye out for "scope creep" -- when the client calls and asks to add in "just this one little thing". It will turn out to be two little things, then three, and so on. Items that outside the scope of the original agreement will have to be negotiated to allow for more money or more time.

We make it a point to clients that they are to communicate with project managers, not directly with developers. That way they don't try to sneak in some extras by leaving the PM out of the loop. A lot less stress for the developers this way!

- Zoe, that's ZOH-EEE, get it right please
- Just a little ol' MCP at Solien Technology
-

http://www.solien.com

 

[lionelhill]

Be trustable. e.g. I hate line-managers to whom you go with a problem who ooze sympathy and understanding, say they'll sort it out, and then don't. (my current manager is quite OK)

Be predictable (well, about the things where predictablity is a reasonable expectation). The employee who's told they're OK (or even, not told they're not OK!) won't thank you if they find their annual report is one long diatribe on their bad character. And we employees don't like to have to work out whether today the happy-boss is in, or the sad/angry-boss. (I had some friends who even referred to their line manager in the plural! "How are the Martins today")

Don't expect what you don't do. If my boss tells me not to have a tea-break and then B--ers off for tea himself, he loses all my respect in one fell swoop.

But don't worry. If you need to ask what to do, and are thinking about it, you will probably get it right anyway.

 

[OhioBill]

Respect goes a long way, as mentioned by SQLSister. Anything you can do to improve working conditions will help as well.

When someone contributes a suggestion that works well, make a note and credit that person later on during their job review.

Keep a list of accomplishments and events so that when job review time rolls around you'll have something a little more concrete to say than, "Keep up the good work!".

While it's important to keep your employees in the loop and to be truthful and forthright about office situations, don't pass along the hits. I've been in meetings with upper-middle-lower management where the Grand High Poobah has Hell'd and Damned all of us for our lack of effort and poor work ethic, and when I met with the folks who reported to me I distilled the entire meeting into, "The admiral has taken a concerned interest in... ". If you manage, you get paid to take the hits.

Mind you, not everyone did this and the staff came back a few days later asking about yelling the threats. I lied. I said it was all over-reaction.

 

[BJCooperIT]

So managers do lie. I have long suspected this!

^{Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw}
Consultant/Custom Forms & PL/SQL - Oracle 8i & 9i - Windows 2000

 

[Golom]

BJCooperIT

No, No, No ... of course they don't "lie" ... they just interpret events in a manner consistent with corporate objectives.

For further information, read George Orwell - 1984, focusing on "NewSpeak".

 

[johnherman]

I did not lie - I misspoke.

generally attributed to Bill Clinton.

Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side because there is more manure there - original.

 

[rosieb]

BJCooperIT
So managers do lie.
I think the classic term (in British politics) is "to be economical with the actualite" (Alan Clark MP, ...there's an accent missing somewhere).

I see it as my job to take the flak, and to pass it on only where it is deserved, if criticism is unreasonable it should stay with me.

I've agreed a budget for refurbishing and reorganising the office, new desks, new layout, additional shelving - the trade off is going to have to be that we clear out a load of old junk. I've also got agreement for new flat screen monitors (they seem to be a "desirable").

I've also instituted (apparently a first) fortnightly one-to-one meetings, allowing an hour for each member of staff, to discuss issues, priorities, achievements etc. Next step is a, short, weekly team meet for major issues of interest to all - but I don't want to rush into too many meetings.

I also called a "pre-installation" meeting of all interested/involved parties (not just my group) just before a major installation, got everyone to raise "any" issues - OK, major resource drain, 8 people sat round for half an hour, but we dug out all kinds of things, and the installation was a dream!

I'm also hoping that they will help me set up a proper plan for the next year's activites.

Next step is to deny users direct access on changes to development requirements, stamp down on scope creep - I've just lost an entire week of one guy's time on unanticipated "urgent changes". I want all development work to be properly agreed as being necessary, specified, scheduled, AND PROPERLY TESTED, well in advance of deadlines.

Oh, and I've just got some serious training agreed for all!

I really think that the guys in my section are brilliant, they do work really hard (most of the time) but that the environment is chaotic and plain unprofessional, so they never really look good - all the users expect an immediate response, something we just can't achieve.

One of my concerns is that I know I want to make a lot of changes to an area which has been static, purely responsive and undermanaged for a long time, and I'm concerned that rushing things will be a shock to them.

Still so far, so good.

Thanks, all, for all of the suggestions, I'm taking notice of every one.




Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)

 

[OhioBill]

Define 'Lie'.

Rosieb, It sounds as though you're doing a great job. If the department has been as static and unmanaged as you describe, I wouldn't be too shy about changing things.

 

[BJCooperIT]

rosieb,
I hope your staff appreciates your efforts on their behalf, I certainly would.

Regarding meetings, my husband used to work for a savvy administrator. She used to hold a daily "stand-up" meeting. First thing each morning everyone would gather in the conference room, coffee in hand, to briefly discuss the previous day's issues and the current day's agenda. By making all "able bodies" stand, the meetings lasted only 10 to 15 minutes. It was effective way to keep efforts organized.

In my environment I would think doing this twice a week would suffice. I used to work for an IT manager who would hold a weekly sit-down meeting that would ramble on for hours. It often was a waste of time for each group to hear the other group's detailed problem list.

Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck!

^{Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw}
Consultant/Custom Forms & PL/SQL - Oracle 8i & 9i - Windows 2000

 

[KenCunningham]

One of the best things I've ever instituted for meetings is to strictly time-limit them. Tends to concentrate minds and ensure matters which matter get discussed whilst the flotsam and jetsam is consigned to coffee breaks or whatever.

 

[LesleyW]

Our senior managers here run "egg-timer meetings".. each manager reports back to the group, but they only have the length of time it takes to boil an egg (soft boiled of course)

 

[rosieb]

egg-timer meetings

Yes, with all (especially me) on the clock, and someone else adjudicating, in turn. Thanks LesleyW

Maybe not this week, but next month....

Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)

 

[lionelhill]

Rosie, I like your Niels Bohr comment.
These ones, vaguely memorised, and probably misquoted, come from Piet Hein I think:

"If no thought your head doth visit, make your speech not too explicit"

or:

You'll probably find it suits your book,
to be a bit cleverer than you look.
You'll find that the easiest method by far,
is to look a bit stupider than you are.

All, yes, agree about time limits on meetings. Egg-timer, can I get away with it I wonder??

 

[rosieb]

lionelhill
Thanks, it appealed to me the moment I saw it. I like your quotes too, a bit more poetic (obviously).

Sadly, I've had to put back the idea of group meetings for a while (year end, everyone using up holiday, can barely find a day when all three of us are in.) However, beginning of May, plan to start and then work on format.

The fortnightly 1-to-1s seem to be working a treat, the guys have even started turning up with pen and paper and a modicum of preparation. Next step - proper reports, but slowly, slowly.

Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)