Help! Our People Are Unmotivated Idiots

Once upon a time, I met with a frustrated business owner who confided that his people were “unmotivated and incompetent“. They routinely failed to follow instructions and struggled to think for themselves.

Where Do We Start?

He wanted to know if I thought I could help to improve those people. He seemed pleased when I told him I could. Then he asked “Where would you start?” I realized that he was the one signing the checks and that he had his own ideas. But I know that…

Whenever you point a finger at others, there are always three pointing back. So I believed then (and now) that improvement efforts are most effective when you address the root cause. And I recalled the words of cartoonist Walt Kelly:

We have met the enemy and he is us.

________

At least he asked. I courageously suggested that we start “at the top” with the management team. He was surprised. He wondered if I wasn’t listening and reiterated that the problem was with their people.

Ah-Ha!

The rest of the discussion went like this…

• Tom: “Help me understand. Who who hired these idiots?”
• The Owner: “I did”
• Tom: “Whose responsible for training these people?”
• The Owner: “I suppose it’s me and my managers”
• Tom: “Who’s responsible for motivating these people?”
• The Owner: “Well, management”
• Tom: “So, do you have any more questions about where we need to start?”

And so we did start at the top. And we succeeded in increasing the perceived IQ of their previously mismanaged workers. As they gained guidelines, criteria, and were challenged to think for themselves they gradually learned to figure things out.So the next time you’re about to point your finger at the alleged incompetence of your people. Consider looking in the mirror first. You might avoid throwing the baby out with the bath water.

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