Clearly, it is not hard to appreciate that a motivated workforce leads to enhanced productivity and positive results for any business. Employees are motivated not only by personal gain but also by feeling part of the pharmacy and contributing to its goals. However, for many of us we just don't motivate our staff. We see it as an abstract management term, practically separate to our daily business. Maybe we are too busy to "motivate"?
| " People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily" Zig Ziglar | | |
Yes, we are busy; the pharmacy workload is increasing! Yes the government demands more and more from pharmacy and yes remuneration is a constant battle. None of these issues are very motivational are they? In fact, one could feel very depressed by simply listing them here. And there lies the crux of the matter; if we as owners or managers carry such negativity and burden into the workplace we will find numerous reasons to not motivate our staff. Nobody responds well to doom and gloom. Of course these issues will continue to exist; this is the real world. However, as leaders of your business, you need to consider how you can engage with your staff to enhance productivity and results. Motivation naturally flows from a good leader! Either, you choose to motivate your workforce and environment or your business will simply whither and die. And maintaining the status quo is equivalent to business suicide.
As with most things in the business world, motivation is simply common sense. If you feel unhappy, you have less energy, less drive and produce poorer results. Motivating your staff is not a one off project. This is where many businesses go wrong. They send their staff on a team building or motivational programme expecting massive change in the workplace. A simple and common sense formula for business improvement is;
Satisfy the basics + Daily motivation + Inspired leadership =Positive Results
There are a few basic and common sense steps to achieving a motivated workforce
Match Skills with the Job
It is still surprising that many pharmacies have no formal recruitment process in place. This should involve a clear job description and person specification outlining
1. The scope of the position and key tasks and responsibilities (Job Description)
2. The key personal characteristics for the position, attitude, skills, experience, and behaviours (Person Specification)
When you mismatch skills, experience and knowledge with a job position, it should be no surprise that the successful individual does not live up to your expectations.
Create and Communicate Direction
Most staff are actually interested in your business! They want to be involved and do want you to tell them how they can contribute. A haphazard approach to your business growth will not instil any confidence in your employees. You may have a direction in your head, but get it down on paper, two pages is ample. Then communicate your direction to your employees.
Appreciate Differences
Your employees will all differ in their skills, attitudes, personalities and behaviours. Some just like to work 9am to 5pm but they are hard working and diligent. Others aspire to a career path. In addition, some employees learn by visual aids whilst others need to hear the directions in detail. Appreciating the differences between employees will allow you to tailor workloads, training and development, communication pathways and performance assessments. Failing to recognise differences is a sure recipe for failure!
Challenge and Delegate
Monotony does not feed motivation. No-one really gets excited about doing the same task over and over again, even the 9-5 people. You should constantly review how you could present challenging work for your team. This will involve a large degree of responsible delegation, meaning that you do not micro-manage the individual. Equally you should not dump challenging tasks on unskilled employees.
Listen
Actively listening to your employee's ideas and perceptions of the pharmacy is a critical element of business development. It also demonstrates that you actually value their input and quite often you could find an idea that will grow your business. The pharmacy workplace is a busy environment and it is strongly recommended that you hold a team meeting every 2-3 months outside hours. Arranging the meeting of site does produce a different dynamic and employees will be more open to discussion.
Recognise and Reward
Recognition is not just about financial reward. It is essential that you do have the basics correct. How many times do you personally thank staff for their contribution? As owners or managers we are often so busy just trying to get through the day that we forget the simple things like "thank you". Feeling unappreciated breeds discontentment and the employee will not engage fully with the business.
Personal Growth
There is nothing more rewarding that developing your employees. Of course, to develop you must understand the starting point;
1. What areas require development?
2. What does the employee aspire to?
3. How does this fit with the business plan?
4. Does the employee want to be developed in this direction?
Development could include simply showing a current employee how to undertake a new task.
Manage Well
Managing people is probably one of the hardest tasks for a manager. For some, it comes naturally and for others, they find it daunting. It is absolutely useless if you have sharp financial skills but have no sense of how to implement plans for growth through your employees. Respect is not a given, it has to be earned. The spectrum of managerial styles ranges from outright authoritarian to pushover. A good manager can adapt to a range of scenarios and communicates clearly with their staff. They actively listen and reward effectively. They are approachable but strict and fair when required. Managing well feeds a motivational workforce.
Lead Always
A workforce needs a strong leader. You must set the direction for the business and communicate confidently to your staff. Leaders must inspire even when the world appears to be against the profession. Nobody wants to work for a manager who provides little or no direction. If you want to grow your business, you need to bring your staff with you on the intended journey. Employee's motivation is proportional to the manager's momentum to drive a business forward.
Be Fair
This should not be a surprise to managers and owners. Being fair in business is a given. When you demonstrate fairness, employees will know what to expect. This feeds a healthy respect for you as a manager and motivates the employee to provide the best level of performance.
References
www.growingbusiness.co.uk
Motivating Employees: Anne Bruce, James S. Pepitone
