MGT3002 WEEK 2 DISCUSSIONS AND PROJECT

Managing People

To Motivate Employees, Do 3 Things Well by Emma Seppälä

January 04, 2016

Given the extraordinary low levels of engagement in the U.S.

workforce — a recent Gallup poll showed that 70% of employees

are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” at work — many

leaders are looking for solutions. Some turn to material perks

(bonuses, game rooms, free food) in the hopes of making

employees happier. However, research suggests that these efforts,

while appreciated, do not address more effective drivers of long-

term well-being. Instead, leaders should be mindful about giving

their employees three things:

Inspiration. No matter what your organization does — whether

it’s offering a service or building products — it is important that

your culture be infused with meaning. Studies show that people

who have a sense of purpose are more focused, creative, and

resilient, so leaders should make a point of reminding employees

how their work is improving people’s lives. Distributing client or

customer testimonials and announcing when corporate profits

are donated to charities are just a couple of examples of how to do

so. Research from Wharton’s Adam Grant shows that even

unsatisfied employees feel better about their jobs when they

devote time to good causes, and that workplace support programs

are effective not only because people get help, but also because

they can give it. Leaders, too, can be great sources of inspiration

to employees. Studies show that when they act selflessly, proving

they care more about the group than themselves, workers are

more trusting, cooperative, dedicated, loyal, collegial, and

committed. Bosses who show they are fair also inspire greater

dedication, citizenship, and productivity, as Wayne Baker of the

University of Michigan has shown. Make sure to work alongside

your team members on a daily or weekly basis, showing your

allegiance to them and to the broader organization.

Kindness. We are profoundly social creatures, yet workplaces

interactions are often no more than transactional exchanges. This

is a mistake. According to a U.K. study, companionship and

recognition are more important than even high salaries in

promoting employee loyalty. Other research confirms that

positive and warm relationships are one of the most important

predictors of psychological well-being, so leaders must be

mindful about the culture they are creating and the sentiments

they express at work. The basics of a kind culture involve

consideration and respect, which increase creative output at both

the individual and team level, as Jane Dutton and her colleagues

at the University of Michigan have found. Leader warmth also

matters: research from Dean Tjosvold at Lingnan University has

shown that it can make subordinates more motivated and

productive, and Amy Cuddy of Harvard Business School argues

that it can make managers much more effective. Although

expressions of anger may have a few benefits (for example, Daan

Van Knippenburg has shown that some followers respond

favorably to them, and work by Stanford University’s Lara

Tiedens demonstrates that in some cases showing anger can make

you look more powerful or competent), on the whole, studies have

found that negative emotions generally cause managers to be

seen as less effective. Kind leaders do small things to show they

care about their staff as people, not just employees. Simply asking

how someone is doing personally and really listening to their

answer is a good first step. And these practices can be

institutionalized. At one Fortune 100 company based in the Bay

Area, if an employee is seriously sick or has experienced a loss,

the CEO is immediately notified so he can reach out to the person

right away. In one instance, after an executive notified her

manager that she’d been diagnosed with brain cancer, the CEO

called her within 15 minutes, asking how he and the organization

could support her.

Self-Care. Many offices pay lip service to the idea of employee

wellness — for example, by offering gym memberships, yoga, or

meditation classes — but intense work schedules still don’t give

people adequate time to take advantage of the offerings. Wellness

programs don’t work unless you create a culture in which it is

acceptable and encouraged to prioritize self-care. When you do,

however, the results are profound. According to Sabine

Sonnentag from the University of Konstanz in Germany, exercise,

breaks from work, relaxation practices, and more strict

boundaries between work and home can reduce job stress and

increase employee well-being and engagement. You can also

encourage people to take more care with a basic resource: sleep. A

well-rested staff is a happier and higher-performing one.

Numerous studies, including this one on U.S. Air Force pilots,

show that sleep deprivation significantly impairs cognitive and

motor skills, while brain-imaging work by Mark Beeman of

Northwestern University shows that breakthrough ideas and

solutions to problems come when the brain is in alpha-mode, that

hazy state of mind you find yourself in when daydreaming or just

before sleep. So encourage employees to exercise, take breaks, and

get better rest. You might follow the example of some German

companies and forbid off-hours email except in emergencies, or

give employees exercise- and sleep-monitoring devices, such as

Fitbits. Make sure to model taking care of yourself, too.

During a busy work week, or in the throes of an important project,

it’s easy to lose sight of what really drives employee well-being.

The best leaders are able to take a step back and maintain a

human touch in the workplace by inspiring employees, being

kind to them, and encouraging them to take care of themselves.

Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at the Yale School of Management and Faculty Director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. She is also Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and the author of The Happiness Track. Follower her work at www.emmaseppala.com.