Managing and Motivating People

Written By Jim Hornickel

Your staff members, all human beings, can seem wildly different, very complex. After all, there are different genders, different races, different cultures, different languages, different ages….. How can you possibly be good at working effectively with all of the variations?

The answer? Values! Values are at the heart, soul and mind of every human being; including you.

What does this mean? Everything we like and everything we dislike has to do with our value system. Values are what we find important to us in life. For example, if your employee (or you, or anyone else for that matter) values “Independence”, then if they are given a freer hand at work (if their skills support that), they will most likely be happier (higher morale) and work more productively. If you micromanage a person who values independence, they will likely feel constricted – their value of independence is being “stepped on” or “crushed”.

We have hundreds of values, most often operating subconsciously. But still, they are operating and do guide our thoughts, feelings and actions, even though most people don’t overtly know their full list of values. You can begin the more conscious knowing of values by taking a few minutes to list your own.

When you begin to look at Values with new eyes, it is important to know that values are “Intangible”. That is, you can’t see them or feel them. They are our internal guidance system. What we see on the outside are the means to achieve our values. For instance, money is not a “value.” And, money is a means to fulfill many of our values. One’s value might be “Safety” and owning a home may fulfill that value. Someone might value “mobility” and buying a car might achieve that value for them.

But here is where things can get tricky. As people often don’t consciously know their individual values, they can confuse the “strategy” with the value itself. In this regard, people get positional. They think there is only one way to get what they want. Let’ use “Mobility” again. Someone may set their sights on buying a new, red, BMW sports roadster to achieve their value. There might be many barriers to actually buying that car. If someone hangs all their hopes to achieving mobility on that, they will be unhappy in the not-getting.

At Bold New Directions, we say that there are 18 ways to get anything we want. From that perspective, we look to be more creative in finding ways to fulfill our values. While a new, red BMW might not be within our current means, what is? Or are we willing to save money? For how long? Might another less expensive car serve too? Maybe an older model? See how this goes? Continue with this investigative process and you are likely to find 18 ways to find an answer.

The same is true for all values. Now at work, you may have your budgetary hands tied and not find exactly 18 ways to meet and fulfill an employee’s values. But, if you will get more creative and know where to look, it is certainly more likely that you will be more successful more often.

So, the bottom line….first discover the value and then get creative in finding as many ways as you can to get that value met.

Learn more about how to master your management skills by requesting a copy of our free report at www.managementtraininginstitute.com or learn more about additional training programs at our parent site www.boldnewdirections.com

About The Author:
Jim Hornickel is co-founder of the Management Training Instutute of Bold New Directions, a transformational learning company that works with companies to transform people and performance through training solutions including seminars, courses, coaching and keynote events. Bold New Directions specializes in training solutions that build leadership skills, communication skills and resilience at work. Jim leads dynamic workshops that help professionals grow their negotiation skills. You can learn more about Jim Hornickel and the Management Training Solutions provided by Bold New Directions by visiting the company web site at www.boldnewdirections.com

Article Source: Jim Hornickel Expert Author at EzineArticles.com