Motivation in manufacturing
The position
The client is in the manufacturing sector and operating in an increasingly competitive environment. They had appointed new managers who had little formal training and, as with many organisations, were asking them to get more from less and to do so whilst maintaining the motivation and commitment of their team members – quite a juggling act, and difficult enough for highly experienced managers.
They asked us to develop a programme to develop the managers.
How did we tackle it?
We wanted to make this development practical and relevant for the managers, and realised we couldn’t achieve much in one hit. So we designed a six-month modular programme so they could build on their skills and be supported in the process.
We didn’t want to subject them to a lot of theory so we designed increasingly complex indoor and outdoor exercises – mentally but not physically demanding. These helped them see the effect of their own leadership and management behaviour on the achievement of tasks and on their colleagues. Feedback, review and the input of some theory supported the process and each module ended with an action plan which we reviewed at the start of the next module. The structure also promoted a strong culture of self help and support within the group.
The programme covered:
- motivating teams
- communication
- leadership styles
- dealing with conflict
- problem solving
- giving and receiving feedback
- assertiveness
- influencing
What did it achieve?
The participants were extremely positive about the energetic, practical nature of the programme and the focus on putting the learning into practice and having to report on progress at the next module. They felt under pressure but were highly motivated to fulfil their action plans. Other benefits include:
- a big improvement in influencing and communicating within teams
- less time wasted in misunderstandings, more openness, more clarity on performance standards
- an increased awareness of what it takes to be a successful manager
- a strong network of cooperation across business functions.
Email Lucy Neale or phone 0117 934 9738
