Motivational Techniques of Patrick Industries

Patrick Industries is one of the major leading recreational vehicle industries manufacturing company. They also manufacture other products such as plumbing, electrical and wiring products. Over the past years, the company has expanded as a major supplier in the industry. This expansion has been brought about by various factors such as employee satisfaction, workforce planning, capital expenditure and making strategic achievements.  One of the strategies used by their leader, CEO Todd Cleveland is motivating the employees using the expectancy theory. The theory, as proposed by Victor Vroom, states that the performance of an employee is based on individual factors: skills, knowledge, experience, and capabilities. Employees effort, performance, and motivation are connected to his motivation (Isaac, 2001).

One of the leadership skills exhibited by the organization CEO is workforce planning. Cleveland understands the importance of expectancy theory to motivate employees. Todd ensures that he increases the job satisfaction of employees. This, in turn, leads to increase in job satisfaction in the organization. first, he ensures that he consults his employees about workforce planning. Together with the employees, they construct plans and skills that will enhance the performance of the company. He has also set other employee benefits that may motivate them such as vacation and paid time off, health insurance, gym membership, retirement benefits and compensation packages. This attribute motivates the employees since they feel they may get a chance to get promotions to better roles in the company. By investing his resources and energy in the employees he gets substantial yields.

Employees feel valued and important. Employees in Patrick industries feel appreciated and hence work towards achieving the organizational objectives. They often feel that the company provides a collegial and cohesive environment that can help them fulfill their dreams. Their interaction with the CEO also helps them exchange their ideas and opinions with the management hence preventing the situation such as strikes, uncomfortable workplace and demotivated workforce. This has contributed to the growth of the company in recent years.

The CEO can, however, change his tactics and ensure that his expectancy theory is effective. The manager needs to focus the more on individual performance and strategies. The CEO has generalized the goals of the employees and assumes that they have similar goals. Some employees have different goals from others e.g. some may want to visit the gym while others may not. These company strategies may come into direct conflict with individuals who have different desires. This may affect their performance in the organization. The goals set may also impair the performance of the employees, for example, an employee may spend his time in the gym that he could have spent performing various tasks. Thus, the CEO should set various limitations while considering the employee's personal interests.

One of the major motivational techniques used by CEO Todd is goal setting. Being the major tip, he ensures that he sets goals and deadlines that his employees can meet. First, he ensures that the goals are clear, challenging, provide a sense of purpose and urgency. To ensure that the goals are clear, he tasks every employee according to his profession. For example, plumbers are tasked with plumbing work and like other professions. This attribute charges up employees. If an employee can meet the objectives, he feels happy and accomplished. He gets motivated and gets the desire to perform such tasks. This tip creates positive attitudes in the company hence improving the performance of the employees.

Recognition is also a major motivational technique used by CEO Todd. Recognition involves various aspects: promoting respectfulness, listening to members opinions, and appreciating others. CEO values every employee in the company and appreciates every contribution they bring into the company despite them having lesser job titles. He also urges every employee to respect the diversity of thinking, talents, styles, and experience each person brings. He also listens to employee opinions. Employees closest to the tasks often have ideas that may help improve fieldwork and their ideas may improve the work environment. Lastly, he appreciates every good contribution employees brings. He also notifies them when they do a good job and encourages them. These aspects motivate employees to continue with their hard work in their work environments.   

Finally, the leader also uses praise a technique to motivate his employees. He uses praise when it's most appropriate. For example, he uses terms such as thank you to his co-workers even in front of his clients (Sharbrough, 2015). This motivates the employee and encourages him to have a positive attitude. Other tactics that e uses are the on-the-spot bonus to motivate staff. He also awards promotions to employees who get their jobs done in an orderly manner. These tactics enable the employees to feel a sense of achievement. This feeling generates the thirst to perform more to receive praise and promotion from the leader. This increases the performance of the workforce.

Despite the above motivational techniques, the CEO would have encouraged creativity and innovation to enhance his employee's performance. Due to the various goals and objectives set by the organization, they require close supervision. Such policies, demotivate the workers from being good performers and innovating new strategies but instead choose to follow the rules and regulations. This demeans the employees and annoys them. Talent is thus wasted and creativity hindered. However, if the leader could provide a forum that gives the employees control over how they carry out their tasks, this would motivate the employees hence encouraging creativity. A laissez-faire environment encourages the workers to think beyond the norms. They may invent new methods, tactics and skills during the process. Encouraging innovation and creativity has a huge impact on the employee`s faith. Employees who are comfortable while inventing new projects may feel motivated to work on their projects. These projects may grow to innovative ideas and they may be innovators. Thus, the CEO may not only be a team leader but a coach who helped employees become innovators. This would enhance the performance of the company.

CEO Todd uses his power to ensure tasks are completed in the company. He uses more personal skills invested in him rather than the job title (Clinton, 2017). He uses his personal power to instill confidence among his co-workers, encourages workers to be more creative, and mobilize resources. CEO acts more as a fellow colleague rather than a boss. He achieves this by establishing proper work relationship with employees and respecting fellow subordinates and their opinions. CEO Todd has shared powers among several subordinates who he holds accountable for actions they carry out with their powers.  Subordinates who accomplish their tasks, give contributions to the company and contribute ideas are awarded accordingly by the CEO. He allows employees to take part in decision making and emphasizes the importance of their participation in decision-making. Those who generate ideas that have huge impacts are rewarded appropriately and recognized by getting promotions and bonuses.

His powerful personality has enabled him to influence his followers to do what the organization requires them to do. He persuades the employees to achieve organizational objectives. He exercises authority over his employees with sensitivity to their feelings. His use of power and influence is appropriate according to the scenario. The company is one that depends on the sale of products to make profits, it is important to be friendly to employees rather than flex muscles on them. One should care about the employees rather than ruling them. One should have good networking and listening skills. This will prevent rival companies from poaching their workforce.

CEO should not only be able to influence his subordinates emotionally but also rationally. He should take care of the needs, desires, and values of the employees. The CEO should not only mind about what he says about the fields but also how he says it. He should apply this skill especially when handling issues that deal with personal interests of employees. The way he says it, may determine whether the employees will have enough motivation to carry out their tasks. If the information is well said, the employees will improve their performance since they may feel appreciated and vice versa. These fields include commissions. Several employees feel that the rates are too low. If the CEO may come up with organized message to satisfy the dissatisfied employees, and explain to them why the commissions are low, the employees may feel appreciated and would desire to work more. This will enhance their performance.   The CEO should thus come up with organized messages that may solve such conflicts that may affect the company.

Conclusion

CEO Todd Cleveland is a manufacturing leader that heads an organization called Patrick industries that manufactures vehicles. One of the leadership skills exhibited by the organization`s CEO is workforce planning. Cleveland understands the importance of expectancy theory to motivate employees. However, his application of the theory has been limited by lack of focus on individual performance and strategies. Motivational techniques used by CEO Todd are goal setting, recognition, and praise. Despite the above motivational techniques, the CEO would have encouraged creativity and innovation to enhance his employee's performance. CEO Todd uses his power to ensure tasks are completed in the company. He uses more personal skills invested in him rather than the job title.

References

Isaac, R. G., Zerbe, W. J., & Pitt, D. C. (2001). Leadership and motivation: The effective application of expectancy theory. Journal of managerial issues, 212-226.

Mayfield, J., Mayfield, M., & Sharbrough III, W. C. (2015). Strategic vision and values in top leaders’ communications: Motivating language at a higher level. International Journal of Business Communication, 52(1), 97-121.

Clinton, J. R. (2017). The making of a leader: Recognizing the lessons and stages of leadership development. Two Words Publishing, LLC.