Unique Talents and Contribution To Identify the Company’s Vision

Employees Reflect the Leadership and Organizational Structure

Employees are typically a reflection of the leadership and organizational structure of the company they work for, according to Wiseman and McKeown (2010). A manager can thus get a sneak peek at the company's goal by having a unique collection of skills and competencies. For example, having staff members who are enthusiastic about sales and providing excellent customer service can say a lot about the company's objectives. It is now clear that one of the company's primary objectives is to provide excellent customer service. The business may also bet on receiving favorable consumer feedback, which translates to increased sales and profits for the business. A leader can also realize that the employees within an organization are engaged to each other and there is immense collaboration between the junior and the senior staff. High engagement may reflects on the company’s vision of forming close bonds with the employees because this helps to generate objective ideas and ensure that work is done to perfection (Wiseman & McKeown, 2010). Dutta and Kant (2015) states that when employees feel like a part of the bigger picture, they are likely to deliver their best and put the company ahead in the corporate world.

How to Influence Unmotivated Workers

Managers sometimes experience employees who are either detached from their jobs, unmotivated and unwilling to change. The first option would probably be to fire and hire a better employee. The company may however realize that the strategy would fail because they have not solved the root cause of the problem. In this case, it would be better for the manager to evaluate the situation and assess ways in which he can turn it around and establish a healthy working relationship for everyone (Podsiadlowski, Gröschke, Kogler, Springer & Van Der Zee, 2013). Workers may lose focus at work due to various factors, like personal issues, management structure, structural change and discontentment. Dobre contends that it is important to always look at things from an employee’s perceptive to have a better grasp of what they are going through (2013).

Reframe Company’s Goals

Most often, organizational leaders give ultimatums on the goals and expectations of a company without considering the ability and the willingness of the employees. It is important to assess the strengths of every employee to ensure that they can meet the set goals (Andersen, 2013). For instance, expecting an accountant to also actively engage in sales may breed resentment for people who are not passionate about sales. In that regard, it is important to be clear about the company’s vision and ensure that every employee have a defined role to play towards achieving that objective (Pitts, 2006). The managers should also ensure that the goals are clear and not vague. Having the goals in measurable terms motivates the employees to perform to get the specific results.

Have an Encounter

Nicholson (2003) asserts that dictatorship may not change a problematic employee and there is hence a need for diplomacy. It is important for the manager to stage an encounter with the unmotivated employees and engage on leverage questioning to understand their position (Burton, 2012). While meeting the subordinate worker, it is critical to affirm one’s leadership and assert that their unproductive behavior would no longer be tolerated. At this point, the manager should affirm the employee for their past achievement and the contributions that they have continuously made to the company (Chatman & Cha, 2003).

An Example from Personal Experience

While working as a new accountant at the clothing retail store, I noticed that the accounts assistant was rude and would never report her daily tasks to me. At first, it became apparent that the colleague was engaged in insubordination and I angry about it. There was however a need to be rational and engage in dialogue since she was skilled and produced real results. I had a meeting with her and affirmed my position as her senior. While at it, I sought to understand what she was going through only to understand that she was going through a difficult part in her personal life and I offered to help. Sometimes, the employees need someone considerate and not one that would be too harsh and judgmental to them.

References

Andersen, E. (2013). Forbes Welcome. Forbes.com. Retrieved 26 June 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2013/11/21/9-ways-to-deal-with-difficult-employees/#2aec25b440c4

Burton, K. (2012). A study of motivation: How to get your employees moving. Management, 3(2), 232-234.

Chatman, J. A., & Cha, S. E. (2003). Leading by leveraging culture. California management review, 45(4), 20-34.

Dobre, O. I. (2013). Employee motivation and organizational performance. Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, 5(1), 53-60.

Dutta, S., & Kant, K. (2015). Employee Motivation and Organizational Performance. KAAV International Journal of Economics, Commerce & Business Management, 2(2), 140-151.

Kreitz, P. A. (2008). Best practices for managing organizational diversity. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 34(2), 101-120.

Nicholson, N. (2003). How to Motivate Your Problem People. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 26 June 2017, from https://hbr.org/2003/01/how-to-motivate-your-problem-people

Pitts, D. W. (2006). Modeling the impact of diversity management. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 26(3), 245-268.

Podsiadlowski, A., Gröschke, D., Kogler, M., Springer, C., & Van Der Zee, K. (2013). Managing a culturally diverse workforce: Diversity perspectives in organizations. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(2), 159-175.

Wiseman, L., & McKeown, G. (2010). Managing Yourself: Bringing Out the Best in Your People. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 26 June 2017, from https://hbr.org/2010/05/managing-yourself-bringing-out-the-best-in-your-people