Sunday, February 8, 2015

Encourage People - Reflection 3: My Experience in Motivating Staff’s Independence and Development


Abstract
A leader’s role is not only to manage staffs’ productivities or performance. Their role goes beyond that. They should be responsible in motivating their staffs to develop themselves, not only for the benefits of them company, but for them as well.

This reflection will share my experiences in motivating my colleagues to be independent and developing themselves to reach their potential.

1       Introduction


One of a leader’s roles is to motivate their staff to be independent and develop themselves. This is not a simple role to undertake, and the leader might feel a huge burden on their shoulder. But if a leader is willing to face the challenge head-on to achieve his or her objectives, it will not only benefit him, but also the colleagues and the company.

The following are two of my experiences of how I was able to motivate my colleagues to develop themselves and be independent.

2       Negotiate with Staff to Learn and Develop Themselves


In almost every workplace I’ve been a part of, there are bound to have people who refuse to accept change and stick to their current regime. In this new era, in which changes are inevitable, people need to accept change with open arms and embrace them.

In my workplace, my colleagues are reluctant to make changes to their current workflow. The changes requested came from the management themselves and the employees need to learn a few new methods to their tasks.

This is when I told them that the change is necessary to remain relevant in the business. I share with them what the competitors are doing and why we should be ahead of them. Of course, they shared their concerns as well, but we were able to compromise and decided to implement the change gradually, so that they have time to adapt.

3       Provide Opportunities to Take On Higher Duties


As my work requires me to travel, I decided to provide my colleagues opportunity to take on my role during my absence. They tend to be worried initially, as they are afraid that they can’t cope. In this situation, you need to convince them that you believe in them and are confident in handing over the task during your non-appearance. Giving them higher duties will make them feel good, as it is an acknowledgement that their hard work has been recognized.

They may make some mistakes while performing the duties, but that is the risk I am willing to take. If I did not give them a chance, I don’t see how they can upgrade themselves and be useful to the company in the future.

4       Conclusion


The two scenarios I highlighted above are just the condensed version of my experiences. A lot of work needs to be done in order to motivate my colleagues. I have been lucky, as my colleagues are all cooperative and willing to work together with me side-by-side.

There are many others out there who are not as fortunate as me. I can’t imagine how they manage their staff. However, with the experience I have amassed, I believe I will be able to manage if I were to encounter unresponsive staff.

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