“What does interest have to do with the behavior of your team member?” I asked. A smile crept across Nathan’s face.
“It’s pretty obvious isn’t it?” he replied. “When someone is interested, they sit up straighter, they pay attention, they have a skip in their step, they ask questions.”
“Is all the work that we do around here, interesting?”
Nathan was quick to reply. “Not really, I mean some things are interesting, but some things are repetitious and only mildly amusing.”
“So, as a manager, how do you keep someone’s interest in a role where the tasks are repetitious and only mildly amusing?”
Nathan had to think on this one. “I’m not sure. I mean it is hard to be interested in some of the assembly work we do.”
“So, if it is difficult to raise someone’s interest, how do you get them to sit up straight, pay attention, have a skip in their step and ask questions?”
Nathan was searching his mind for a response, but kept coming up empty. So I asked an opposite question. “Let’s look at the other extreme. How do you keep someone from actually resenting the work that you have them doing?”
Nathan’s brow raised, “Well, they do get paid.”
“Yes, but they could take your money and still resent the work that you have them doing?”
“More money?” Nathan floated.
“You could even give them a raise and they might still resent the work that you have them doing?”
As Nathan ponders this question, I thought I would open this question up for comments. How do you raise the level of interest in tasks that may be repetitious and uneventful? How can you, as a manager, turn the tide of resentment for that type of work?
Your comments?
As managers we need to develop a sense of ownership for our staff. They need to “feel” what they produce makes a difference. In assembly line work we could Daily and even shift totals produced with accepts and rejects. Post customer KUDO letters on product delivery and product quality. What they do does matter most managers do not express it properly.
I think that positive reinforce and once a while treat your employees with some goodies. The most important part is to always keep a positve attitude.
This is a most honest question, particularly relevant in the present cynical culture.
We have lost whatever effects boosterism could provide.
At least if we could cut resentment, we would stop the insidious business of people actually inflicting cost on us through sabotage, etc.
Dealing effectively with annoying irritating people and repetitive “stupid” steps or interferences is something that IS management function and one that is often not met as managers work on “more important” things.
But at least that raises banal work to a neutral level. Inspiring them will have to go beyond that.
Doug Bouey
Catalyst Strategic Consultants Ltd.
Calgary, AB, Canada