A frequent complaint from supervisors is that an employee or team member should be doing something…but they are not. And they state that when an employee is doing what they should be doing…it is being done incorrectly. This is a source of great frustration to many supervisors. Also, the managers wrestle with getting the supervisors to act like better leaders and deal effectively with their “errant” employees.
Supervisors need to understand their role for generating positive motivation and for creating a sense of ownership within their teams. The supervisors can be more effective at this critical objective when they are intentional about creating a more positive work environment through providing inspirational leadership, clearly communicate expectations [and provide the required support and encouragement], and when they assign work tasks that take into account individual strengths [and passions] of the employee.
Knowing more about what will be motivating to the employee will allow the supervisor to better make assignments that are more intrinsically motivating [and will not require a carrot-and-stick approach]. This approach results in goals being met, team members making better choices, and allowing the supervisor to do things that are really more valuable to the organization [than micro-managing staff].