Motivational Stories

Motivational story 1

1. Ability to work with different professional communities

1.1. Sharing goals

Let’s see how a manager share the business goals!

2 weeks ago, John was selected as head of the Heat Treatments department at DACIA Renault factory.

For 2 weeks he observed the team and he noticed that the team did not understand the activities in the plan, did not respect the deadlines and the working procedures and the number of defects in the produced car spare parts was increasing.

On the first Monday of the new week, he scheduled a meeting with the team, consisting of 25 members.

John started with questions like:

• What do you think of the department where you work?
• What’s going on in your department, how would you describe the situation?

Everyone looked and him but no one did not answer. John was surprised, but he continued:

• Tell me how can I help you and what we can do to support you?
• Was there any goal you could not reach?
• Let’s think about the time when you felt very motivated and productive. What factors have influenced your condition since then?

Only two young members answered:

• We want to know the planning for each day before entering the shift. We understand that there are emergencies that can occur, but if we know in advance what we have to do, we can plan our current activities among ourselves, so as to ensure continuity. We are unhappy that we do not know exactly what we will be required to do every day. We have the feeling that we are working without a purpose…

John realized that the team does not know what to do, what are the current activities that the team has to ensure permanently. Maybe for the team, the change of head also means a change in the way the planning of goals is achieved.

Starting from that day, he started transmitting the permanent tasks a week before, allocating approximately the same number of people for tasks of same difficulty level and work volume; emergency tasks were established to be handled by a small team (2 members). At the end of each week John established short visit and meetings with employees to know what they need and how things are going; John and his team understood how important sharing the business goals is for the team to function efficiently! This way each member knows what to do and how to ensure the fulfilment of the necessary for the well-functioning of the department.

Motivational story 2

1. Ability to work with different professional communities

1.2. Discussing differences

The power of ability to discuss differences

Valentin is the new responsible for Customer Relations at an electric car sales company.

He is very excited about his new job. His previous job was also in the field of car sales, but Valentin desired to develop a network for electric car sale, which he admires in terms of performance. At the job interview, he answered the questions of the regional manager, presenting his vision of creating an area for testing the cars by the future clients and explaining why he has chosen to develop such an area exclusively for current and future clients. Once he started working, he wanted first to create a reception desk and an area for testing the performance of cars within the courtyard of the company. But he found that the company does not have a testing zone for new cars where to allow customers to test new models; the existing area was designed only to pick up the ordered/paid cars.

Benefitting of the good impression he succeeded to create upon the manager during the interview, Valentin set up a meeting with the regional manager to explain his plan to reorganize the available area in the company’s courtyard. The manager did not accept Valentin’s proposal to change the configuration of the company’s yard, considering that the cars may be ordered and delivered without being necessary the customers to test them before. The manager argued that reconfiguring or modernizing the courtyard involves additional costs yard to separate the car deposit area from the delivery area, and has rejected Valentin’s proposal. However, Valentin did not give up in the idea of creating an innovative distribution space that would offer complete testing and buying services to customers.

So, he presented the idea to the entire company, at various levels of decision and execution: to the responsible for receiving customers, the drivers, the secretaries, the car purchase service, the former responsible for customer relations, the responsible for the car presentation site. Also, Valentin discussed his idea with colleagues and peers during lunch breaks and daily work sessions. His idea was debated every day for a whole month, each employee having a different perspective, thinking differently, having different views and ideas, coming up with a different contribution regarding the organisation of the new space: for example, one suggested to create a mini cafe, another thought of a mini park, one suggested to build a mini playground for the clients’ children while their parents are testing the cars, and so on. Everyone realized that they have ideas that although can be beneficial to their clients, involve additional costs and they might be rejected by the regional manager…

The opinions of the employee community were put together resulting in a redesigning project that included: a customer reception area, a relaxation area (for having a coffee or a sandwich, etc.), a children playground, a relaxation space (to use laptops or mobile phones, listen music, et.) and of course a space for testing the cars before ordering them. This improved proposal was again presented to the area manager by Valentin in the name of all employees.

The regional manager analysed the new project, perceiving it as innovative & modern space that could attract new clients due to the facilities offered: relaxation, testing and acquisition. In order to use more efficiently the investment for arranging/re-designing the courtyard, the regional manager accepted that only the ground floor of the company building to be used , as suggested by Valentin and the employees, as an indoor activities area for clients but also for the employees, and that the testing and delivery area to be arranged outdoors (thus no supplementary costs will be needed). He also suggested to try these for the first 6 months, then if it is successful business and the sales increase, the entire yard will be reconfigured and used for relaxation, testing and car leasing.

All the employees agreed with the new proposal and unanimously supported Valentin to become responsible for this project, being the one who managed, moderated and took into consideration all different opinions and suggestions, for the benefit of all.

The opinions of the employee community were put together resulting in a redesigning project that included: a customer reception area, a relaxation area (for having a coffee or a sandwich, etc.), a children playground, a relaxation space (to use laptops or mobile phones, listen music, et.) and of course a space for testing the cars before ordering them. This improved proposal was again presented to the area manager by Valentin in the name of all employees.

The regional manager analysed the new project, perceiving it as innovative & modern space that could attract new clients due to the facilities offered: relaxation, testing and acquisition. In order to use more efficiently the investment for arranging/re-designing the courtyard, the regional manager accepted that only the ground floor of the company building to be used, as suggested by Valentin and the employees, as an indoor activities area for clients but also for the employees, and that the testing and delivery area to be arranged outdoors (thus no supplementary costs will be needed). He also suggested to try these for the first 6 months, then if it is successful business and the sales increase, the entire yard will be reconfigured and used for relaxation, testing and car leasing.

All the employees agreed with the new proposal and unanimously supported Valentin to become responsible for this project, being the one who managed, moderated and took into consideration all different opinions and suggestions, for the benefit of all.