5 critical points my dogs taught me about motivation in business

Have you ever sent your staff to a training session, only to have short-term, if any results at all?

Or found yourself setting goals and KPIs for your teams, while wondering if they will achieve them this time?

It has been said that you cannot motivate another person. But rather, personal motivation is created internally. This concept was tested on restaurant employees and published in a recent Journal of Foodservice Business Research (Kimberly J. Harris, Robin B. DiPietro, Nathaniel D. Line &Kevin S. Murphy).

The study investigated whether the restaurant employee’s internal belief system impacted their motivation to comply with food safety guidelines as presented in training sessions. The results were affirmative. In spite of the business owners’ setting expectations and employing professional third party training vendors, employees were not always motivated to practice the safe food handling procedures if the concepts did not fit with their internal belief system. In a nutshell, they didn’t believe it was necessary to conform to the practices.

They were not motivated to change their belief which resulted in not complying consistently.

Although we may find this alarming, we shouldn’t be surprised that not all training results in compliance. There are two discussion points that come from the above study.

Firstly, individual personal beliefs must be taken into consideration as a starting point for new training concepts. This is true for every industry. If these deeply rooted beliefs are contradictory to a business’ expectations, it would be advantageous for management to first understand why the belief exists and then provide compelling reasons to change one's thought. Once you have changed one’s thought you can change one’s behaviour.

If you fail to do this, you will likely experience inconsistent results from training.

Secondly, if the new training is not consistently adopted you run the risk of having your organizational culture defined for you, not by you. Just as it is difficult to change one's beliefs, it is far more difficult to change group norms. Some individual employees possess the ability to influence their coworkers, this is referred to as the Herd Mentality, where people are influenced by their peers to accept beliefs and justify their actions.

Which brings us back to the questions….

Does this mean that you can’t motivate your employees? Is training a waste of time and money? Are we setting KPIs that cannot be achieved?

The answer lies in the hidden concept of what motivates your employees. If you understand that treasure of information, you can successfully and consistently introduce new concepts and processes that will result in achieving corporate goals with reasonable KPIs.

So how do owners and managers set the stage for understanding what motivates their employees?

I thought about this question while I was in the midst of training my two collies, Bailey and Merlin. Although I would never presume that the complexity of the human mind and social interaction in a business setting are similar to those of a canine’s existence, there are some striking resemblances that are worth pointing out.

The following five points highlight the critical considerations that impact the ability to impart significant change that can influence motivation.

1) Trust (safe environment)

If I am requesting my dog to engage in a new activity I anticipate hesitation at first, particularly if she is unsure of the result. Fear becomes the motivator and it will continue to guide her until I can show that I am to be trusted. I understand the two main motivators that can override her hesitation, food and the desire to please me. If I set up incremental training and provide her with treats and praise she learns to trust the process and learns a new behaviour in the process. If we consider the business environment that our teams work in we must look at how safe they feel; physically, psychologically and emotionally. It is critical that training is provided in incremental phases so that fear of failing is replaced with the desire to learn. As owners and managers it is on us to set the tone and ensure all staff feel safe to work and learn.

2) Clear and consistent communication

“The single biggest problem in communication

is the illusion that it has taken place”

George Bernard Shaw

When I give a command to my dog and I do not get the result I expected the chances are it was the way I communicated. Mixed messages often end up with a cocked head and the wrong action performed. What I say, how I say it and the environment I say it in can impact the resulting actions. When I remember what motivates my dog, food and the desire to please me, I can be sure that it was my delivery that was not consistent. Communication in the business setting is equally sensitive. What we say, how we say it and the environment we say it in can impact the result. If you didn’t get the result you wanted, check your communication effectiveness.

3) Deliver what you promise

Once I understand what motivates my dogs, I need to deliver the expected reward, either a treat or a boisterous neck roughing accompanied with “at a boy!” In business, employees have the expectations that they too will receive what is expected. For instance, if an incentive program is promised, employees expect the reward. Unfortunately this is an area that businesses sometimes miss their mark. Usually because the program wasn’t thought through or expectations changed midway. If management does not follow through with what is promised, there will be reduced motivation by the employees to continue performance in the future.

4) Recognition (action happens in anticipation- true proactivity)

I know I have made the ultimate motivational connection with my dogs when their actions happen automatically and without the constant need for a food treat. They can almost anticipate what is needed and take their queue from various sources. These moments are still recognized with praise, but it is different now, they truly choose to do this. In business we see this when employees act autonomously to achieve outstanding performance. There are many ways to reward such achievements and although money is one, there are others. It is important to go back to what motivates your employees.

Perhaps it is a public moment, perhaps it is time off, or perhaps it is a promotion. In any event, you know you have understood what motivates your employee when they have reached that level of performance.

5) Consistency breeds consistency- the reciprocal is true as well

One thing that my dogs remind me of regularly is that they will perform consistently when I perform consistently. They know when they do something worthy of praise and they know that when they get out of hand it will trigger a response from me that will create calm. This consistent action continues to support their internal motivation because it is based on communication, understanding, anticipation and gratification. These points are true in a business setting as well.

Call to ACTION:

· Motivation can be influenced but you need to understand what motivates your employee first.

· Provide a setting that is safe to explore new concepts.

· Ensure communication is clear where expectations are well explained with rationales that will satisfy the motivational requirements to support the new concept.

· Provide rewards consistently and based on the motivational needs of your employees.

· Be open for feedback to adjust your process

At the end of the day you are all on the same team.

Memo to Business Owner: Stop contributing to staff’s sick time!

At the beginning of each fiscal year I guide my clients through the process of creating goals and KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators). Inevitably the following questions arise,

“In this economy, how can we be more effective?

How can we achieve our targets with scaling costs and stiffer competition?“

These loaded questions are multi-facetted but often have a solution that is right under the business owner’s nose…and, if it is not the entire solution, it is a key ingredient.

While deciding on the best strategies to attain revenue goals and reduce profit erosion, there will be creative and lively discussions that focus on automation, product, service and marketing initiatives.

However, redirecting attention onto HR strategies and fine-tuning your business culture will likely pay you the greatest dividends.

It comes as no surprise that the most substantial line item, when forecasting business expenses, is typically salaries. So when it comes time to decide where to focus effort, may I strongly suggest you look at your most valuable assets- your staff and the environment that they are expected to perform in.

In Canada, the 2011 business statistics reported an average 9.3 sick days taken, per employee, equating to a loss of $16.6 Billion. In 2018, this number rose to 10 sick days on average, per employee per year. The dollar value for this loss in productivity is not yet available. The reason for an increase in sick time is complex. These statistics also, only scratch the surface for comprehensive loss to an individual business.

The smaller the business, the more devastating the impact sick time can have, as employees routinely serve multiple roles with insufficient back up. Sick time can develop bottlenecks causing crippling effects in other departments, negatively impacting the business' bottom line.

Larger companies may have more staff available to assume additional tasks but they are not immune to the devastation of employees who choose to come to work spreading illness. Even if the illness is not contagious, a listless employee is less productive and can set the tone for entire departments.

What’s an owner to do???

Start with awareness. Increase your understanding of the underlying problem and commit to making changes to the culture of your business.

Yes!! Your business culture could very well be providing the perfect growth medium for discontent and emotional deprivation leading your employees to a path of chronic illness.

When asked, employees’ top reasons for their sick time often include:

• Migraines

• Cold/ flu symptoms

• Gastro Intestinal (Food Poisoning)

• Child is sick

Sadly, when these situations become routine, it catches management’s attention, often from the perspective of the negative impact on the business’ bottom line and not from the perspective of the employee.

But what if the stated reasons are only symptoms of an underlying problem with the work environment?

Did you know that the part of your brain- the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex- that registers and processes physical pain (say a broken bone or a pulled muscle) is the very same area that is stimulated with psychological pain? In fact the body doesn’t distinguish the origin of the pain, simply that it is pain and needs to be healed.

To go a step further, research using highly sensitive fMRI scans (function magnetic resonance imaging that measures and maps brain activity), has shown irrefutable evidence that feelings of exclusion triggers the pain centres in the brain. So “you hurt my feelings” is more real than you might think.

Social rejection, bullying or the sense of failing, are all situations that could be happening in your business. It is now realized that ostracism can diminish one’s sense of personal control and purpose and if not corrected can manifest into chronic health issues. When an employee exhibits changes in their attendance and performance, there is likely an underlying problem that has been going on for some time.

As I mentioned previously, this is a complex issue. There are obviously many situations that happen outside of your control including, preexisting health conditions, work-life balance challenges and external stressors. You may not be completely responsible, but you can set the tone for a healthy business environment, a critical building block for an effective employee.

How to create a healthy business environment:

1) Hone your awareness skills. Observe situations from the perspective of what is the underlying problem rather than a place of blame. Listen to your staff. Ensure you check with current Human Rights legislature to guide you.

2) Commit to rectify all negative psychological situations. Create a comprehensive sick time policy and ensure all employees (existing and new hires) are aware of it.

3) Research methods of reducing both physical and psychological stress and offer training for managers and staff.

4) In your Employee Handbook, create a Culture Policy that includes practices that your business will deliver consistently: For example, zero tolerance to bullying with specific actions and consequences.

5) Follow up. Creating and enforcing a healthy culture is your responsibility but it may take several tweaks to get it right.

Other suggestions supporting healthy work-life balance include, but are not limited to:

• Flexible work schedule (within reasonable business requirements)

• A comprehensive health and benefits plan (for the size and scope of your business)

• Resources for sensitive topics: mental health counsellors, abuse lines, addiction (including gambling, drugs, alcohol), so that your staff has the information to act personally

• Optional services such as gym memberships or in-house programs (some businesses provide yoga instruction after work)

• Create fun social activities regularly to build community and help to balance busy seasons that can stress staff.

It may seem like a lot of work, but when you remind yourself that your employees are your most valuable assets, creating a healthy environment with less sick time will undoubtedly help to answer those tough questions regarding how you will effectively meet your targets.

Leanne Brownoff is a Business Coach, Speaker and Author of Freezing My Ass Off on Kilimanjaro:

the entrepreneur's survival guide for building traction on a changing business terrain. www.leannebrownoff.com

Goal Setting: Why is it so hard to achieve… And why do we keep doing it?

Regardless of when the word was coined, goal setting has been around since the dawn of story telling. It plays an important part in our human evolution and has been an underlying theme of many fables and folklore.

“Not all those who wander are lost” J.R.R. Tolkien

This maybe true in some situations, but we are constantly searching for a magic formula to follow, in order to achieve the euphoria of successfully hitting a target. Sometimes we blindly believe fabricated statistics regarding goal setting and its success rate, without question. Recently a commonly quoted, but completely fictitious study was recently discredited, as it simply never happened. The study in question refers to The Harvard Business School Study of Goals. The story goes that 3% of said business school’s graduating class of 1953 had made clear goals for their future. When revisited 20 years later, those same 3% had claimed to earn 10% more than the graduates that had not made goals upon graduation. No study had ever occurred. It seems to have been fabricated to support the logical supposition that success would follow if a carefully crafted plan were to be followed versus no plan at all.

Fortunately, there are some real and well-documented studies that offer a glimpse into what it takes to set and achieve goals- what works and what doesn't. Edwin A. Locke, who first coined the term goal setting, published a study in 1968 entitled Toward a Theory of Task, Motivation and Incentive. Over the past 50 years, Locke and his associates have statistically determined that there is a scientific process involved in setting and achieving goals.

Why do we set goals in the first place?

This is a complex question, but there is measurable scientific evidence indicating that when people have goals to guide them, they are happier and achieve more than they would have, without them.

It’s all in your head…literally.

When you experience goal achievement, you produce a chemical in your brain called dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of pleasure. As benchmarks are achieved, dopamine activates a neural pathway resulting in the desire to continue.

Goals provide focus, but a plan provides a measuring stick for progress. Each small success towards the goal results in the release of dopamine, which enhances self-esteem and productivity and ultimately increases commitment, a vital and fragile ingredient in achieving a goal.

4 things that challenge goal commitment:

Locke’s research suggests there are 4 categories that support progress to successfully achieve a goal.

• · Open Choice: When one is given options to choose from, the experience becomes engaging increasing the likelihood for progress. Without engagement, sustaining change is difficult.

• · Effort: Effort correlates to the value of the goal. The path of least resistance may look attractive at times, but it will inevitably pull one away from their target and back to old ways.

• · Persistence: Working through setbacks requires support. Regardless of a person’s ability to self-focus and be goal-driven, a support network offers greater quantitative results.

• · Cognitive change: Only through persistent effort in the presence of open choice will there be a change in behaviour to support the goal. To sustain a goal, cognitive change must occur or you will revert back to the way things originally were.

Flaws in Goal Setting that often result in failure:

• · Someone else sets the goal: There is a fine line between support and sabotage regarding outside influences. If a goal comes from the individual, there is greater chance for success. This is not to say that a person with authority can’t set a main goal but the means by how the goal will be achieved should involve the individual. One-size-fits-all is not effective in goal setting.

• · The person setting the goal is not a credible role model. “Do as I say and not as I do” mentality can sabotage efforts right away. Success in achieving a target comes with seeking role models that have been successful with the target.

• · Allowing the belief that “Doing your best” is ok. This allows the window of mediocrity to always be open. So when a stumble occurs, which will happen, it is easily excused. Goals require change and this takes effort, time and patience to achieve. If you truly believe you are doing your best, then you have just admitted that there is no further change to be had.

“Do or do not, there is no try.” Yoda

Processes that support goals:

• · Self-efficacy is paramount, as it is the personal belief that you can achieve the goal, but first know that the goal is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time based).

• · Maintain a conscious awareness of the value the goal will bring. Surround yourself with visual reminders or mental mantras in order to push passed thinking you are doing your best and believing you are capable of more.

• · Commitment to others, improves adherence to the process. In Japan, Daruma Dolls have been widely used for centuries, to maintain focus and commitment in achieving goals. The dolls represent Bodhidharma, the monk accredited with the founding of Zen Buddhism. The story of the doll is rich in symbolism and speaks to the higher power and effort required to take on a goal. The eyes of the Daruma are presented as blank circles and when one decides on their goal they are to visualize achieving the goal and then colour the left pupil of the doll’s eye. The process highlights the importance of sharing your goal and when the goal is achieved you fill in the right eye. With one eye watching you, there is the sense of having made a commitment to more than yourself.

Call to A.C.T.I.O.N.:

• Select a personal goal that follows the SMART criteria

• Commit to your goal to others

• Select a support system that will help you stay on target

• Follow-up on your progress and recognize progress

We are fundamentally programmed to attempt to achieve goals. In fact we have an overriding chemical mechanism that is built-in that acts as a positive reinforcement. Success lies in understanding the flaws in the process that sabotage our efforts and embracing the supportive systems that will strengthen commitment.

Leanne Brownoff is a Business Coach who works with entrepreneurs, small business owners and start-up operations. She is the Author of Freezing My Ass Off on Kilimanjaro, the entrepreneur's survival guide for building traction on a changing business terrain. www.leannebrownoff.com