I was recently out in Pittsburgh working with a management team, helping them to develop strategies to motivate and retain their employees. Several managers were frustrated how one "lazy, unmotivated employee can contaminate the productivity of the entire team." I cautioned the managers about inappropriately discounting the "value of a bad apple" in the workplace.

It's important to learn what each employee likes to do. For instance, several summers ago I discovered that Chas, a part-time employee, enjoyed exploring the World Wide Web. So when it came time to create our company's website, guess who I asked to help? From that moment on, we observed a completely different, highly motivated and confident employee in Chas.

Here are some questions to learn about what motivates your employees:

• What do you like most about your job?
• What do you like least about your job?
• What would you enjoy doing at work?

Michele Matt, author of Attitude: The Choice is Yours, created Bad Apples™: How to Deal with Difficult Attitudes, a video training program she uses to help clients enhance individual performance and team relationships.

 
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