Unmotivated workers are a problem, but the solution may be simpler than you think.
You have an employee who spends more time making origami hats than working. Nothing seems to help: discipline, write-ups, performance reviews. Your employee won't do his job. Or perhaps you have a potential star who is satisfied with doing the bare minimum. If a report is due at 4 pm, he won't turn it in a moment sooner. How can you get him to go the extra mile?
According to Ferdinand F. Fournies, author of Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed To Do: And What To Do About It, offers a solution. "Small rewards received immediately and frequently seem to have more effect in performance than larger rewards delivered long after performances and infrequently," he writes.
This means that a $5 card from Starbucks does more to motivate an employee than a potential promotion in the vague future. A reward like this doesn't even have to cost $5. Studies have shown that frequent specific feedback from managers, delivered shortly after a good performance, is all an employee needs to make good work a habit.
Conversely, you sometimes need to correct behavior. You may already be doing this, without results. Fournies advises: "If you take the time to ask people to improve their performance, you must take the time to check for improvement and verbally compliment any improvement." Otherwise, they wonder why they should bother if no one notices the change.
It's important that the feedback be specific. Saying "Great job today," leaves your employee wondering what was so great, and does not encourage him to do it again. Try: "All of your tables turned over in under 45 minutes today, Bob. You were focused and demonstrated a great sense of urgency. Way to go!"
It may be hard to believe that something as simple as this works. Even if you ask your employees, they would likely prefer a bi-annual review over a series of brief appraisals. Do both. At the very least, you stand to loose nothing by trying.
Obviously, this doesn't mean you no longer need to give raises, performance reviews, and promotions. Giving regular verbal rewards to your employees simply means that you'll be writing better and better reviews for employees who are happier and more motivated. And who knows, maybe Bob will make you an origami hat of your very own.
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