According to a Gallup researcher quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “
How to Motivate Employees in Tough Times” there are 3 things organization’s can do to keep employees motivated and focused during tough times.
- Communicate more—not less.
- Set clear expectations—make sure people know what they’re supposed to do
- Show the way forward—focus on the future.
Whether it is through ongoing development, cross training or new employee orientation, corporate training departments are central to successfully implementing all three of these initiatives.
Setting expectations is particularly key. As Dr. James Harter, Gallup researcher and co-author of 12: The Elements of Great Managing, points out:
”Only a little over half the people in the workforces that we’ve surveyed over the years clearly know what’s expected of them in their job.
That becomes more important in an economic crisis, when you could be managing fewer people, so communication and ongoing expectations-setting based on how the roles change for people — that’s important.”
Harter’s research supports how important
standardizing operations and
Operations Mapping are to maintaining a productive and motivated workforce. By
clearly defining roles and responsibilities, employees not only know what they are supposed to do, but they recognize how their work impacts the success of the entire organization. These are proven ways to
improve engagement, morale and productivity.
Does your approach to training capitalize on this research?