Training doesn't work unless your people do.

A quick game of semantics: Can you, as a manager, motivate your people or keep from demotivating them? We often feel it is our job as managers to fix our people rather than provide an environment where they can fix themselves. Don Haskins (the basketball coach) said it best. "You cannot put greatness into a player. You can only get it out." Unfortunately, our research indicates many managers do more to demotivate their people than motivate them. Your job as a manager is not to motivate your people but to help them motivate themselves.

People underperform for one of six reasons:

• Lack of knowledge or skill deficiencies
• Attitude, motivational problems
• Feelings of inadequacy
• Fear of taking initiative
• Permission seeking
• They don't know what is expected

To improve performance, you must identify the reason before offering a possible solution.

• Proper training and education to improve knowledge and skills
  
• An inspiring environment to improve attitude, encourage, provide appropriate incentives and recognition
  
• Supportive supervision to build confidence
  
• Freedom to err to empower people to take the initiative
  
• Freedom to act by removing obstacles that impede performance
  
• Clear goals and objectives - mutual agreement

As a manager and a coach, your job is to remove the obstacles that keep your people from performing their best and provide support when needed.

The most significant investment your company can make is in your people. Like any investment, the goal is to maximize the return. One way to improve that return is to create an environment where people are encouraged to make the most of their strengths and talents creatively. Your job as a manager is to maximize the return on your company's greatest asset, your people. Our programs help you do that.