In a recent job interview, I was asked, “How would you motivate volunteers and student employees to work hard every day?”
The response I gave was very specific to the university with which I was interviewing. I talked about that importance of BYU-Idaho, the university’s mission, and how I felt so lucky to have attended school there. I was happy with my response, but after reflecting on this question a little more I’ve been able to look back to former employers and supervisors and really pinpoint a few specific things.
I have been blessed with some amazing supervisors and bosses throughout my career. People that not only inspired me to be a better worker, but people that have truly made me a better human being. I was totally motivated to work my absolute hardest every day when I worked under these people. There was never a question about staying focused or the level of effort I was putting in because I loved my boss and wanted to show them how much I cared.
How would I motivate volunteers and student employees to work hard every day?
- Love them
The bosses and supervisors that I’ve been the most motivated to work for are those with which I had a strong interpersonal connection. I was always more than willing to go the extra mile for those bosses who made me feel loved and appreciated. I will never get over how much time my former supervisor at the Research & Creative Works Conference took to mentor me. It was the first time I was the manager and had a team working under me. I was nervous about making hiring decisions and changing the direction of the conference. Were it not for the countless hours I spent in my supervisor’s office, and his willingness to let me make mistakes, I would not be in the position I am today, nor would have our conference grown so vastly. Because of the love I felt from my supervisor, I routinely worked additional hours off the clock and made myself available 24 hours a day. He did not ask me to do those things, but I was totally willing to because I knew my supervisor loved and appreciated me.
- Be accessible
It doesn’t matter if it’s discussing an issue at work or a personal matter, I always felt a stronger connection to those who made themselves accessible to me and my co-workers. I learned the importance of this principle this past year. As an instructor of Communication at Southern Utah University, I learned that often the most important things I could do for my students had nothing to do with my lesson plan. I’ve had many tender experiences with my former students as my wife and I have opened up our schedules to talk with them.
- Have clear expectations
There is nothing more frustrating to me than having a boss that fails to give you clear direction. One of my former supervisors was a person of great integrity who I got along with great, but he provided me with very little direction. It didn’t matter if it was a major project or a simple memo, he routinely expected me to read his mind. My frustration with my supervisor and job increasingly grew. Even though we had a great relationship, I began to resent my boss more and more every time I had to re-start a project because it wasn’t what he wanted. In order to keep employees properly motivated, I have found that it is essential to have clear lines of communication and understandable expectations with all those you work with.
- Recognize accomplishments
Recognition serves as a tool for reinforcing positive behaviors which drive an organization to excellence, while simultaneously giving vital boosts to employees’ work engagement. As former bosses and supervisors have gone out of their way to recognize my efforts, they created an environment where I felt appreciated for my contributions and accomplishments. Because of this recognition, I not only wanted to work harder, but I was motivated to stay with those organizations. Some advice for offering recognition in the future includes being genuine, giving the recognition in a timely manner, being very specific with the recognition, and personalizing the recognition to the specific person.
- Lead by example
Can you really expect a group of volunteers or employees to show up for work every day and work their hardest when their own supervisor isn’t doing so first? Leading by example is important because what you do is often much more powerful than what you say. Aside from working harder than anyone else on your team, it is important to have assistant managers or team leaders that also work hard. Duke University Basketball Coach, Mike Krzyzewski, often talks about the importance of leading by example. Back in 2008, Krzyzewski was coaching the US National Basketball team. He recognized Kobe Bryant for leading by example, saying, “Kobe Bryant, in the first practice for the ’08 team, took no shots, just played defense and rebounded, to make it clear that he was willing to sacrifice personal glory for the greater good.” Not only do I need to demonstrate a superior work ethic, but those employees that I have elevated also have an important role to play in the process.
Hayden Coombs 