By Amy Mohlenhoff

Communication

as a tool for

Motivation

I. What is Communication?

Spoken Written Visualized

A. The Need for Communication

“…most plans, no matter how well conceived, when they fail they fail somewhere in the

communication channels.”(Bell, 2011, p. 9)

Successful people know how to communicate well.

Successful businesses understand proper communication techniques

We Want to Be Successful

B. Benefits of Proper Communication

“Communication should be clear, consistent, correct, and complete to be effective between employer and

employee, and effective communication is vital to understanding employee needs.”

(Chun-Fang, SooCheong, Canter, & Prince, 2008, p. 328)

1. Communication allows for clarity.

“If (the) communication takes place, the intended clarity can be achieved.”

(Malik, & Kabiraj, 2010, p.49)

We can not assume that others know what we want unless we share our plans.

Communication allows you to be clear about what you expect from your workers.

2. Communication involves other people.

“…verbal workplace communication behaviors should represent communication as being interactive, involving

other people. Not only do we pursue our own goals but we also

try to interpret the goals of the other person.”

(Keyton, Caputo, Ford, Fu, Leibowitz, Liu, & ... Wu, 2013, p. 156)

II. Why is Motivation Needed?

A workplace operates on the effective relationships built between employees, managers,

departments and all levels of the company.

A. Motivation Improves Team Work

1. Teamwork allows for employees to reach a common goal

2. Teamwork keeps the employee accountable to coworkers

3. Teamwork allows for positive socialization of coworkers

B. Motivation Aids Employer Expectations

“Communication allows employees to clearly understand the greater rewards they receive for improving their

performance.”

(Chun-Fang, SooCheong, Canter, & Prince, 2008, p. 329)

C. Motivation Improves Employee Morale

“A simple acknowledgment is one of the most powerful motivators in the world.”

(Bates, 2009, p. 56)

III. Communication Opportunities

A company should strive to motivate and encourage employees to success by seeking

opportunities to allow communication to happen on all levels.

A. Open Door Policy

Allows employees to utilize upward communication to share ideas or concerns

Helps facilitate mentoring and training of employees

Erases the territorial belief in ‘Us vs. Them’ between employees and managers/employers

B. Meetings and Group Projects

1. Peer to Peer (small scale)

Meetings on a small scale allow for close discussion and mentoring.

2. Leadership to Employees (large scale)

Meetings that happen on a larger scale facilitate teamwork and project development.

C. Announcements and Awards

Newsletter recognitions for a job well done

Promotional announcements in business journals

Memos and Messages to staff and clients that praise quality work.

IV. Benefits of Motivation

“We should motivate people by encouraging performance which then enhances their value. This, in turn, merits attractive rewards which

enable them to meet their needs.”(San, 2007)

A. Brings about Unity

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of

individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.”

(Babe Ruth)

B. Satisfaction in Job

“People need to be in the flow of information, and they need to hear from you, if they are going to do

their best work.” (Bates, 2009, p. 54)

C. Pride in Company

“Pride stems from something favorable or positive that perceptually elevates the persona or feelings of superiority of a person in front of others. It is associated with achievement and happiness.”

(Hunter, 2012, p. 154)

References

Bates, S. (2009). Communication is the key to motivation. Employment Relations Today (Wiley), 36(2), 53-58.

Bell, R. L. (2011). Reminding managers to motivate and communicate: A primer on the basic operations in the work of the manager. Supervision, 72(8), 7-10.

Chun-Fang, C., SooCheong (Shawn), J., Canter, D., & Prince, B. (2008). An expectancy theory model for hotel employee motivation: Examining the moderating role of communication satisfaction. International Journal Of Hospitality & Tourism Administration. 9(4), 327-351.

References (cont.)

Hunter, M. (2012). How motivation really works: Towards an emoto-motivation paradigm. Economics, Management & Financial Markets, 7(4), 138-196.

Keyton, J., Caputo, J., Ford, E., Fu, R., Leibowitz, S. A., Liu, T., & ... Wu, C. (2013). Investigating verbal workplace communication behaviors. Journal Of Business Communication, 50(2), 152-169.

Malik, T., & Kabiraj, S. (2010). Intra-organizational interpersonal communication and uncertainty reduction in a technology firm. International Journal Of Business Insights & Transformation.