Skills Library

Driving Results

What this looks like:

  • Motivates and inspires employees by being trustworthy, approachable, and showing support even if they make mistakes

  • Builds accountability by modeling the behavior you want to see in your employees

  • Creates and communicates a clear vision that stakeholders are aligned with 

  • Responds constructively to concerns and feedback 

On-the-job challenges

  • Walk the walk (don’t just talk the talk). Employees watch their manager’s behavior. If you only “talk the talk,” employees will notice, and you will lose credibility. Employees will not be motivated to follow your instructions. In order to be a credible leader who inspires trust and drives results, you need to set the example. 

    • Try this: Don’t micromanage. Companies frequently talk about creating a culture of trust, which inspires people to do their best work. At the same time, “helicopter managers'' significantly undermine this message -- are you one? Next time, don’t ask for updates multiple times before the deadline, don’t explain how to complete the project from start to finish, and don’t offer unsolicited advice every time you get the chance. 

    • Try this: Your employees will inevitably make mistakes, and they may be terrified to tell you. Be empathetic, and don’t get visibly upset. Don’t forget that you make mistakes too! Focus on what you both can do to fix the problem and move on. They will remember your supportive acts and will be motivated to learn from their mistake and perform better next time.

  • Set stretch goals. Employees can get bored of their monotonous routine of delivering the same output. They may have hit a learning plateau, which is often accompanied by a lack of motivation. This Forbes article explains that employees’ most satisfactory experiences involve difficult and challenging assignments. 

    • Try this: Set stretch goals so that employees have to break out of their comfort zone and learn new things. This will force them out of the learning plateau and they will be more driven to accomplish these challenging goals. Keep in mind that these stretch goals should not be unattainable. 

  • Be open to feedback and make time to listen. If something is hindering your employees from reaching their results, these need to be addressed early on. You need to be aware of the root cause that’s affecting your team’s performance and address issues that are being overlooked. Do you communicate with your employees on a regular basis? Do your employees feel comfortable reaching out to you regarding these problems?

    • Try this: Have an open door policy and communicate this to your team. You are visibly signaling that employees are free to reach out to you when they need it and that you value their feedback. Pay attention to what they are saying, which can indicate the root cause of their dissatisfaction and lack of motivation to drive results :

      • Are they burnt out from work or is it non-work related? Do they need to take some time off to recharge?

      • Do they not understand how to do X work? Was the training unhelpful? Can they be coached and trained regarding X? 

      • Are they unhappy with their compensation or feel as if they missed out on a promotion? Are they not motivated due to a lack of incentives? 

      • Ask what you can do to help support them. 

Resources for more inspiration

Articles

BOOKS

PODCASTS

Videos

 

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