Expectation Vs Motivation, Are you ‘motivating’ too much?

By Kym Krey

We all know that a highly motivated team can lead to outstanding results, exceptional growth and highly profitable businesses, and we also know that trying to achieve these things without a highly motivated team is nigh on impossible!

But why is it so hard?

As leaders, we are often under the (false) impression that motivation is something we can do for or give to our teams. But the reality is that motivation is an inside job!

We definitely have responsibilities, and we certainly can impact an employee’s feeling of motivation at work, but can we really motivate someone who doesn’t want to be motivated?

I say no.

Our role as leaders is to:

1. Create a positive working environment that provides support and encouragement, promotes collaboration, respect and recognition.

2. We need to ensure that our employees have the knowledge and tools to do their roles well and provide opportunities for growth and progression.

3. We need to ensure that our team feel accepted and valued as individuals and feel fulfilled in their roles.

4. And we need to set clear goals and expectations around both performance and behaviour that ensure our team understand the ‘rules of the game’ and what’s required in return for their position, salary and benefits as well as provide regular guidance and feedback on how they’re doing and what would bring them better outcomes.

In my view, if we’ve hired the right people, taking time to ensure that our new recruit is well aligned with our values and wants to achieve similar things, and given them a clear understanding of what’s expected of them as a member of the team, it’s not our role or responsibility to need to motivate them to perform basic daily duties. These are expectations.

This is a professional, paid relationship. It’s a contractual agreement between the two of you, where you, as the employer, offer the position, provide an agreed salary plus entitlements, benefits, career opportunities and investment in education and training, in return for them meeting the specific expectations of the position.

These will likely include:

Behavioural

- Punctuality

- Personal Presentation

- Honesty

- Enthusiasm

- Teamwork and Cooperation

- Behaviour toward clients

- Reliability

- Commitment to training etc

Performance

- Time Management: ability to deliver services to industry standard in required time frames

- Achievement of minimum KPI expectations through thorough effective delivery of Client Journey experience

- Skills progression according to Training Plan milestones

You will make these expectations clear before offering the position, equip them with the knowledge and skills to meet these expectations during your induction and onboarding, and work closely to refine their mastery of them during your Continual Coaching Conversations moving forward.

You make it clear and then you work closely with them to make it happen.

So you will need to pay close attention to their behaviour and performance from day one. You will literally be measuring their ability to perform your signature consultation process via Client Av $ spend; their ability to diagnose issues and correctly prescribe ideal solutions, then share this knowledge with guests via their Retail % and their ability to build trusting relationships and prescribe ongoing treatment plans via their Rebooking %.

Provided you have explained and demonstrated to them exactly how each of these processes should be delivered, these numbers measure how well, how thoroughly and how engagingly they are following your processes and delivering your prescribed client experience (i.e. the promise you make to your clients in your marketing, that they are honouring throughout that visit).

To me, these KPIs have little to do with ‘selling’ or ‘upselling’ to hit a target and everything to do with whether your stylist is just ‘processing transactions’ (i.e. just doing hair for money) or creating memorable and highly professional experiences that ‘wow’ clients and create strong emotional connection to your business.

With something as important as your client’s trust or your business’ reputation at stake, you’re not saying:

- ‘Would it be OK if you looked after our clients in this way?’

- ‘It would be great if you delivered what we’ve trained you to do, but if you don’t feel like it today, I understand’

- ‘We like to WoW our clients with these specific processes… but only if you agree…’

What you’re doing at the time of offering them the position is saying: “I’m willing to offer you this role, this salary, this investment in your ongoing education and these opportunities, in return for these specific expectations. Do we have a deal?’

If the offer is accepted, you now have an agreement. You give this; they do that.

When they do achieve these expectations mind you, we need to be all about the recognition and celebration- remember that you are literally shaping someone’s selfbelief through this process- and when they exceed these expectations, they need to be well rewarded with commissions, bonuses and rewards- it’s profit-share time, but what happens when you fall into the trap of trying to use extra rewards just to get them to meet the basic expectations of their role?

You make those expectations optional, that’s what. “If you do this, you’ll get that. Will you do it now?” Dangerous territory, and you’ll need a bigger and bigger ‘sugar hit’ (reward) even to have the same effect, so you’ll find yourself needing to entice them with more and more, just to meet the basic expectations of their role (that you agreed to at the start).

If you are trying to motivate your staff to meet their basic expectations, you’re on a slippery slope! You’re teaching them to be bribed rather than committed to the delivery of excellence, and the wonderful things your business is doing for your guests and team members.

As you can imagine this doesn’t usually end well. Employers grow increasingly resentful, and employees grow increasingly disengaged.

“Why don’t they do it?” is the question asked, and “Because you allowed them not to” is the answer you don’t want to hear. But it also indicates that your employee seems somewhat uncommitted to the goals of the business or at least seems unwilling to put in the required effort to make them happen. That’s the issue you need to address.

So, now your question is, if they’re not doing it, what can you do?

1. You take them back to the agreements you made at the start of their employment. ‘Do you remember when we spoke about…. And do you remember when you gave me your word that you would….’

2. You show them the gap between what you agreed and what they’re doing. “Well, here’s what I’m seeing/getting and that’s very different to what we agreed. Here’s why that’s a problem…’

3. Show them what they need to do to turn the situation around, get back on track and meet your expectations. ‘So what I need you to do differently is…….’

4. Check they’ve clearly understood. “So that I know I’ve explained this clearly, just repeat back to me what you’ve understood that I’ve said’. (is this correct or do you need to clarify?)

5. Ask for their commitment. ‘OK great. So will I be able to rely on you to do exactly that from now on?’

(Those who’ve worked with me in leadership will be familiar with the final ‘Do I have your word?’ final commitment!)

So, yes, absolutely create a culture of high performance around shared core business values which celebrate excellence and rewards high achievers (Reward the behaviours you want repeated!) but be clear on the minimum expectations required to hold the position, in return for their salary and benefits so you don’t blur the lines between minimum required standards and exceptional results.