Motivation in Times of Change

Motivation in Times of Change

In this article: What is motivation? What happens to motivation during a business transformation effort? What can leaders do?

Motivation is simply the drive that moves us to take an action. Those drives might cause us to stop for a drink when we are exercising because we are thirsty or feeling tired. Our drive to relax may move use to make a ‘bee line” for our easy chair at the end of the day. As human beings we are motivated to do what we believe to be in our best interests. Sometimes that results in positive achievements and sometimes in retrospectively stupid mistakes.

However we look at motivation, one thing is clear: Motivation during times of change can be very challenging. At the individual level this can seem like something manageable, but for organizations and department managers this can become worrisome.

Let’s go back to considering a change from the ‘my best interest’ perspective. A new business strategy is announced in an organization. This strategy, while considered positive in the long run, will result in reorganizations and displacements of individuals. As an individual, when this change is announced my motivation – ‘my best interest’ - becomes to ‘survive’ this change and do whatever it takes to make that happen. As a department manager, I now have 15-20 people that have swapped their previous motivations such as completing their individual business goals and the goals of the department or creating a fun and exciting place to work with simply ‘survival’. What can be done to move the organization forward if everyone is in ‘survival’ mode?

Establishing New Direction

As a leader during a business transformation effort, it will be important to establish a new direction. This doesn’t mean just announcing the new business strategy and walking away as if business were going to continue as usual. Nor does it mean getting bogged down in how the change is affecting the team. This means putting a process in place that encourages and supports each individual as they define what the new business direction means to them. The process should help individuals answer the question – now that I know how this could affect me, what can I do to move forward? Whether it is a series of department and individual meetings where new department and individual roles are defined or a series of one-on-one’s with the department manager, a leader will make sure the new direction is taken down to the individual level.

William Bridges in “Managing Transitions” talks about how “movement” is critical during a business change. Without it a business may have lots of plans but little individual motivation to accomplish them. Woodward and Buchholz in their book “Aftershock” talk about the importance of “reorienting”. While movement is important, it can’t be done in the context of an old business model. A new business model may need explaining and interpreting. Saying ‘people are intelligent, they can figure it out for themselves’ is certainly true. But, by the time everyone ‘figures it out’ the opportunity to move the business forward will be long gone.

Removing Barriers

Depending on the business change being implemented, there may be many or only a few barriers to success. These barriers may be other departments that need to partner with you differently or maybe even a customer or vendor interaction that needs to change. Whatever those barriers might be and however many you face, it is your job as a leader to work towards eliminating those barriers as quickly as possible. Barriers could be at the macro level – departments or divisions or they may be at the micro or individual level. Either way they need to be taken seriously. Engaging the individuals creating the barrier is the first step to easing them. As a chief problem solver in your organization, you will have an opportunity to use all your skills in this area. And removing barriers doesn’t mean always sending someone else to do that work. It means assessing the situation and putting the right and most effective resources against it. Sometimes it will be members of your team, but most often it will be a barrier best removed by you.

As you do this, an individual sees that their best interest – their motivation – is best served by supporting your efforts. This may be through accomplishing individual or departmental goals, or by simply focusing their efforts on contributing to the ‘new world’ in which everyone is operating. Your actions will influence the actions of others – that is truly motivation.

Providing Support

Another role of a leader during a change effort is to provide support to their team as they change the way they operate. That may be as simple as noticing their efforts and acknowledging them to as complex as listening to and concentrating on an individual’s progress through a change.

As you focus on the individuals on your team, you may find yourself just wanting to ‘tell them the answer’. Don’t give in to temptation. You want each individual to find their own way and your role is to support them, not to tell them the answer so they can get to the ‘finish line’ quicker. You may also be tempted to disagree with them or tell them to ‘get over it’ and move on. Avoid these scenarios as well. Supporting an individual means to empathize with them, understand them and their perspective while still maintaining the need to move the business forward – with them in it.

As you support an individual you may need to reiterate why the change was being implemented, what the goals are or the importance of the timing of the change. Individuals need this information to keep their motivation on track. If I am motivated by doing what I think is in my best interest, it will help me to add context to that ‘best interest’ as well.

Good Leadership = Good Motivation

Throughout a change, individuals will be looking towards the organization’s leaders to lead them. This may sound simple, but it isn’t always done. A leader may announce a change but not share enough details to make it real. That isn’t leadership. A leader may communicate during a change but not say anything an individual can believe. That isn’t leadership either. Leadership during a change occurs when a leader remains actively and visibly engaged during the entire process. As individuals see this they use it to create and guide their motivation. Good leaders will provide the new direction needed, remove barriers to success and provide the support needed at different levels of the organization. As they do this, individuals become more and more motivated to work towards a goal that doesn’t just benefit them, but their company as well.

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