Well, just in case there is a small handful of you who aren't quite up to speed yet, let's do a short review...

We started this whole thing with a discussion of how very important your own motivation level is to success of your department. Unless you are personally upbeat and positive, you cannot expect your staff to be. Your "action steps for success" suggested that you look at working through any issues that are keeping you from being super-motivated. Then it was time for you to make an official commitment to yourself that you were willing to do whatever it takes to get moving on your re-energization plan.

Next we looked at first three components to plan: 1. Communicating your plans to your employees 2. Be involved, be visible and be around and 3. Clarifying expectations.

Did you complete action steps directed towards achievement of these steps? I hope so 'cause it's time for steps 4 - 6.

Component #4 Show 'em you care!!

Does this sound like a greeting card company slogan? Probably, but that's okay - I'm really not talking about showing 'em you care in a warm, fuzzy kind of way. There are ways you can do this without making them think you are losing your mind. Like listening to them. Think about it - doesn't it carry a ton of weight with you when your boss listens to you without doing fifteen other things at same time? And what about when he listens and actually uses some of your ideas. Pretty cool, huh? Well, it's same way for your employees. They want to be heard and understood. And it's up to you to find a way to make time for this to happen.

Another way you can show 'em you care is to be around to help them out when they need it. As we discussed last time, you'll now be spending lots of time in your department which is where you need to be if you are going to be helpful to your employees. Now I'm not saying that you should put on baby-sitting hat but do offer to pitch in and help when your employees need it. After they recover from shock, they'll really think it's great.

The next way to show them you care is to show them that you are working just as hard, if not harder, than they are. Your employees cannot stand figure-heads, and neither can we, right? So make it obvious to them that you are busting your butt to make things happen. But please try not to be too annoying about it. There is a fine line between letting employees know that you are working really hard and complaining/bragging. You don't want to sound like some kind of whiner, right? So watch it.

Component #5 Foster a team atmosphere

Bob came to a recent session with a big problem. His troops are getting restless (and unmotivated and disgruntled) because they haven’t received their usual yearly performance increase. It was supposed to happen in January. Oops...

It’s true - lots of companies are holding off on raises these days. At least salary freezes are better than layoffs, right? And if this salary freeze stuff is communicated clearly and honestly by company officials, most employees really do understand. They understand what’s going on with our economy. So they get it - times are tough all around. They don’t like it, but they get it.

But Bob’s company made a critical error...they cried wolf. And more than once. You see Bob’s company told employees in January that raises would come in March. And in March officials claimed raises were coming in May. And in May...you can guess what happened. May came and left - no raises. But employees did get another empty promise. Just two more months, guys. But alas, it’s November 1 and still no raises.

These days company officials have stopped crying wolf. In fact, they aren’t saying anything at all. First make a bunch of empty promises and then clam up. Brilliant strategy.

So what does this stroke of management communication genius mean for Bob? It means that he’s stuck with an apathetic staff who really doesn’t want to work hard for a company run by a bunch of liars.