In today’s new world of work, many managers are struggling to find the best way to motivate, energize, and most of all KEEP their employees. And it’s getting harder every day.
Here are three insights to help you navigate this uncharted territory of hybrid work and get the best out of your team:
Time Of Day
Find out what time of the day is most effective for each team member. Everyone has a 3-5 hour block where they just hum with ideas, energy, and focus - sometimes it’s first thing in the morning, mid-morning to early afternoon, etc.
I’ve found my best writing/planning/work time for me is from 5 AM to about 9 AM — so if I want to write an article or record a podcast, I do it then.
Find out the best time for each team member and make sure you have them firing on all cylinders during that time span.
A great interview by Adam Grant with Satya Nadella mentions the Triple Peak - where 30% of people are not just becoming most work active in the morning and then the afternoon, but again, just before bedtime where they think of ideas and plan for the next day.
Days Of The Week
Some people wind up on Monday and wind down on Friday — and TUE/WED/THU are their best workdays. Some other people might be just the opposite.
Again, investigate what is best for each of your employees and take advantage of their ‘up-days’ — this is when they deliver their best work, make a great presentation, or sell to their best prospects. A great article in Entrepreneur touches upon this.
Type Of Worker
There are many types of employees out there, but when you focus in on who they really are, there are only two types — The Climber and The Engine.
The Climber is a team member who is always wanting more challenging work where they get bored with the same old stuff (SOS). They want to move up, get a promotion/raise and work on more complex and higher-exposure projects.
The negative — they get bored quickly if things aren’t moving fast or high enough — your job is to keep them focused and on target to deliver the goods.
The Engine is a team member who just chugs along handling all of their set responsibilities professionally but shies away from another big project, more responsibility, or more exposure to areas they are not accustomed to. They don’t mind a bump in pay, but a bigger promotion with more responsibility is not their goal.
The negative — they do need subtle pushes to grow and expand their abilities — they might push back — but in the end, they will appreciate your guidance in helping them grow.
Both the Climber and Engine are critical parts of your team (and the many shades of both that might comprise your employees) — once you better understand what their end goals are, you can manage them more effectively.