Employee Motivation

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1 | Page Employee Motivation Contents: Introduction of Motivation: Definition of Motivation: Techniques of Motivation Importance of Motivation Problem of Motivation Problem of Motivation Case Study on Motivation Motivational Examples Motivational Techniques Bibliography Introduction of Motivation: The efficiency of a person depends on two factors, firstly, the level of ability to do a certain work, secondly, the willingness to do the work. So for as the first factor is concerned it can be acquired by education and training, but the second factor can be created by motivation. A person may have several needs and desires. It is only strongly felt needs which becomes motives. Thus motives are a product of needs and desires motives are many and keep on changing with time motives are invisible and directed towards certain goals.

Transcript of Employee Motivation

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Employee Motivation

Contents:

Introduction of Motivation: Definition of Motivation: Techniques of Motivation Importance of Motivation Problem of Motivation Problem of Motivation Case Study on Motivation Motivational Examples Motivational Techniques Bibliography

Introduction of Motivation:

The efficiency of a person depends on two factors, firstly, the level of ability to do a certain work, secondly, the willingness to do the work. So for as the first factor is concerned it can be acquired by education and training, but the second factor can be created by motivation. A person may have several needs and desires. It is only strongly felt needs which becomes motives. Thus motives are a product of needs and desires motives are many and keep on changing with time motives are invisible and directed towards certain goals.

Motivation means that process which creates on inspiration in a person to motivation is derived from the word ‘motive’ which means the latest power in a person which impels him to do a work.

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Motivation is the process of steering a person’s inner drives and actions towards certain goals and committing his energies to achieve these goals. It involve a chain reaction starting with felt needs, resulting in motives which give rise to tension which census action towards goals. It is the process of stimulating people to strive willingly towards the achievement of organizational goals motivation may be defined as the work a manager performs an order to Induce Subordinates to act on the desired manner by satisfying their needs and desires. Thus motivations is concerned with how behaviour gets started, is energized, sustained and directed.

Definition of Motivation:

1st Definition of Motivation: According to Michael J. Jacius ; Motivation is the act of stimulating someone or oneself to

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get a desired course of action or to push the right button to get a desired reaction.

2nd Definition of Motivation : According to Dalton E. Mcfarland, "The concept of motivation is mainly psychological. It related to those forces are many and keep on changing with time motives are invisible and directed towards certain goals.

Furthermore,

At lower levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, such as physiological needs, money is a motivator; however it tends to have a motivating effect on staff that lasts only for a short period (in accordance with Herzberg's two-factor model of motivation). At higher levels of the hierarchy, praise, respect, recognition, empowerment and a sense of belonging are far more powerful motivators than money, as both Abraham Maslow's theory of motivation and Douglas McGregor's theory X and theory Y (pertaining to the theory of leadership) demonstrate.

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According to Maslow, people are motivated by unsatisfied needs. The lower level needs such as Physiological and Safety needs will have to be satisfied before higher level needs are to be addressed. We can relate Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory with employee motivation. For example, if a manager is trying to motivate his employees by satisfying their needs; according to Maslow, he should try to satisfy the lower level needs before he tries to satisfy the upper level needs or the employees will not be motivated. Also he has to remember that not everyone will be satisfied by the same needs. A good manager will try to figure out which levels of needs are active for a certain individual or employee.

Maslow has money at the lowest level of the hierarchy and shows other needs are better motivators to staff. McGregor places money in his Theory X category and feels it is a poor motivator. Praise and recognition are placed in the Theory Y category and are considered stronger motivators than money.

Motivated employees always look for better ways to do a job. Motivated employees are more quality oriented. Motivated workers are more productive.

The average workplace is about midway between the extremes of high threat and high opportunity. Motivation by threat is a dead-end strategy, and naturally staff are more attracted to the opportunity side of the motivation curve than the threat side.

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Motivation is a powerful tool in the work environment that can lead to employees working at their most efficient levels of production.

Nonetheless, Steinmetz also discusses three common character types of subordinates: ascendant, indifferent, and ambivalent who all react and interact uniquely, and must be treated, managed, and motivated accordingly. An effective leader must understand how to manage all characters, and more importantly the manager must utilize avenues that allow room for employees to work, grow, and find answers independently.

The assumptions of Maslow and Herzberg were challenged by a classic study at Vauxhall Motors' UK manufacturing plant. This introduced the concept of orientation to work and distinguished three main orientations: instrumental (where work is a means to an end), bureaucratic (where work is a source of status, security and immediate reward) and solidaristic (which prioritizes group loyalty). Other theories which expanded and extended those of Maslow and Herzberg included Kurt Lewin's Force Field Theory, Edwin Locke's Goal Theory and Victor Vroom's Expectancy theory. These tend to stress cultural differences and the fact that individuals tend to be motivated by different factors at different times.

According to the system of scientific management developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor, a worker's motivation is solely determined by pay, and therefore management need not consider psychological or social aspects of work. In essence, scientific management bases human motivation wholly on extrinsic rewards and discards the idea of intrinsic rewards.

In contrast, David McClelland believed that workers could not be motivated by the mere need for money—in fact, extrinsic motivation (e.g., money) could extinguish intrinsic motivation such as achievement motivation, though money could

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be used as an indicator of success for various motives, e.g., keeping score. In keeping with this view, his consulting firm,

McBer & Company, had as its first motto "To make everyone productive, happy, and free." For McClelland, satisfaction lay in aligning a person's life with their fundamental motivations.

Elton Mayo found that the social contacts a worker has at the workplace are very important and that boredom and repetitiveness of tasks lead to reduced motivation. Mayo believed that workers could be motivated by acknowledging their social needs and making them feel important. As a result, employees were given freedom to make decisions on the job and greater attention was paid to informal work groups. Mayo named the model the Hawthorne effect. His model has been judged as placing undue reliance on social contacts within work situations for motivating employees.

William Ouchi introduced Theory Z, a hybrid management approach consisting of both Japanese and American philosophies and cultures. Its Japanese segment is much like the clan culture where organizations focus on a standardized structure with heavy emphasis on socialization of its members. All underlying goals are consistent across the organization. Its American segment retains formality and authority amongst members and the organization. Ultimately, Theory Z promotes common structure and commitment to the organization, as well as constant improvement of work efficacy.

In Essentials of Organizational Behaviour, Robbins and Judge examine recognition programs as motivators, and identify five principles that contribute to the success of an employee incentive program:

Recognition of employees' individual differences, and clear identification of behaviour deemed worthy of recognition

Allowing employees to participate

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Linking rewards to performance Rewarding of nominators Visibility of the recognition process

Techniques of Motivation

The main techniques of motivation are as under:

Positive and negative motivation. Financial and Non-financial motivation. Individual and group motivation. Extrinsic and Intrinsic motivation.

Importance of Motivation

Motivation is one of the most crucial factors that determine the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization with its help a desire is born in the minds of the employees to achieve successfully the objective of the enterprise. All organizational facilities will remain useless people are motivated to utilize these facilities in a productive manner. Motivation is an integral part of management process. An enterprise may have the best of material, machines and other means of production but all these resources are meaningless so long as they are not utilized by properly motivated people. There was a time when the human resource of production was treated like other non-human resources and was not given any special importance. But this old concept has lost all importance in this competitive age classifying

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the importance of motivation Renis Likert has called it. "The core of Management". The importance of motivation becomes clear from following facts :

1. High Level of Performance.2. Low Employee Turnover and Absenteeism.3. Easy Acceptance of organizational changes.4. Good human relations.5. Good image of organization.6. Increase in Morale.7. Proper use of Human Resource Possible.8. Helpful in Achieving Goals.9. Builds Good relations among employees.10. Easier Selection.11. Facilities Change.

Problem of Motivation

Motivation is the outcome of a certain relation between the superiors and the sub-ordinates for this the superiors or the managers make special effort different from the daily control or functions. It is not necessary that the efforts made by the managers will be unanimously acceptable. It can also be opposed in this way there are many hardles in implementing a motivational system. They are follows :

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1. A Costly Efforts2. Trouble Making Employees.3. Motivation is an internal feeling.4. Opposition to changes.

 

Case Study on Motivation

To know the motivation level of the employees of the organization.

To access the working of the personnel department.

Research Design:

This research is of descriptive. In descriptive research we have sufficient data on the concept and research material. Because many researchers have been done the same concept. Therefore, there is nothing new this concept while I am going to study. I have used questionnaire method for collecting the data. I have formed same questionnaire for workers & staff members.

Methodology

Sample Size : 30 Instrument Used : Questionnaire. Sample Technique : Random Sampling.

Sources of Data

Primary Data - Questionnaire. Secondary Data - Files, Record Books, Websites and Books.

Employee motivation principles - a short case study -

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When Michael started his own consultancy he employed top people; people he'd worked with in the past who had shown commitment, flair and loyalty and who seemed to share his values. But a few months down the line one of his team members started to struggle. Jo was putting in the hours but without enthusiasm. Her confidence was dropping; she was unfocused and not bringing in enough new business.

Michael explained to Jo the seriousness of the situation. Without new business he would lose the company and that would mean her job. He showed her the books to illustrate his point. He again ran through her job description and the procedures she was expected to follow. He told her that he was sure she was up to the job but he really needed her to bring in the new business or they would all be out on their ear.

Jo told Michael that she understood. She was doing her best but she'd try harder.

But a month later nothing had changed. After an initial burst of energy, Jo was back to her old ways.

No matter how experienced a leader you are, chances are at times you have struggled to motivate certain individuals. You've tried every trick in the book. You've sat down one-to-one with the individual concerned and explained the situation. You've outlined the big vision again in the hope of inspiring them. You've given them the bottom line: "Either you pull your finger out or your job is on the line". You've dangled a carrot in front of them: "If you make your targets you'll get a great bonus". And sometimes it works. But not every time. And there have been casualties. Ultimately if someone can't get the job done they have to go.

The granddaddy of motivation theory, Frederick Herzberg, called traditional motivation strategies 'KITA' (something similar to Kick In The Pants). He used the analogy of a dog. When the master wants his dog to

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move he either gives it a nudge from behind, in which case the dog moves because it doesn't have much choice, or he offers it a treat as an inducement, in which case it is not so much motivated by wanting to move as by wanting choc drops! KITA does the job (though arguably not sustainably) but it's hard work. It means every time you want the dog to move you have to kick it (metaphorically).

Wouldn't it be better if the dog wanted to move by itself?

Transferring this principle back in to the workplace, most motivation strategies are 'push' or 'pull' based. They are about keeping people moving either with a kick from behind (threats, fear, tough targets, complicated systems to check people follow a procedure) or by offering choc drops (bonuses, grand presentations of the vision, conferences, campaigns, initiatives, etc).

 

* Management motivation examples to illustrate that there are better ways to motivate employees

Blaire Palmer's experience has enabled her to work with a wide range of individuals and groups from a variety of backgrounds. Some of these people are highly motivated themselves, but struggle to extend this state of mind to the people they manage. Other people are at the receiving end of KITA motivation strategies that (obviously) aren't working on them. These people know they 'should' be more engaged with their work. Sometimes they fake it for a few months but it's not sustainable. In this paper Blaire identifies some common assumptions about motivation and presents some new paradigms that can help motivate more effectively.

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By adding these coaching tools and motivation principles to your capabilities you should find the job of leading those around you, and/or helping others to do the same, more of a joyful and rewarding activity. Instead of spending all your time and energy pushing and cajoling (in the belief that your people's motivation must come from you) you will be able to focus on leading your team, and enabling them to achieve their full potential -themselves.

Ultimately, motivation must come from within each person. No leader is ever the single and continuing source of motivation for a person. While the leader's encouragement, support, inspiration, and example will at times motivate followers, the leader's greatest role in motivating is to recognise people for who they are, and to help them find their own way forward by making best use of their own strengths and abilities. In this way, achievement, development, and recognition will all come quite naturally to the person, and it is these things which are the true fuels of personal motivation.

By necessity these case studies initially include some negative references and examples, which I would urge you to see for what they are. How not to do things, and negative references, don't normally represent a great platform for learning and development.

In life it's so important always to try to accentuate the positive - to encourage positive visualisation - so, see the negatives for what they are; silly daft old ways that fail, and focus on the positives in each of these examples. There are very many.

 

Motivation examples

1 - 'everyone is like me'

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One of the most common assumptions we make is that the individuals who work for us are motivated by the same factors as us. Perhaps you are motivated by loyalty to the company, enjoying a challenge, proving yourself to others or making money. One great pitfall is to try to motivate others by focusing on what motivates you.

Marie, a director in her company, was being coached. She was a perfectionist. Every day she pushed herself to succeed and was rewarded with recognition from her peers. But she was unable to get the same standard of work from her team members. In the first few weeks of her coaching she would say, "If only people realised how important it was to put in 110% and how good it felt to get the acknowledgment, then they would start to feel more motivated".

But it wasn't working. Instead people were starting to become resentful towards Marie's approach. Acknowledgment was a prime motivator for Marie so to help her consider some other options, she was helped to brainstorm what else might motivate people in their work. Marie's list grew: 'learning new skills', 'accomplishing a goal as part of a team', 'creativity', 'achieving work-life balance', 'financial rewards' and 'the adrenaline rush of working to tight deadlines'. Marie began to see that perhaps her team were indeed motivated - it was simply that the team members were motivated in a different ways to her own.

If the leader can tap into and support the team members' own motivations then the leader begins to help people to realise their full potential. 

Motivation example 2 - 'no-one is like me'

Since the 1980's, research has shown that although we know that we are motivated by meaningful and satisfying work

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(which is supported by Herzberg's timeless theory on the subject, and virtually all sensible research ever since), we assume others are motivated mainly by financial rewards. Chip Heath, associate professor at Stanford University carried out research that found most people believe that others are motivated by 'extrinsic rewards', such as pay or job security, rather than 'intrinsic motivators', like a desire to learn new skills or to contribute to an organisation.

Numerous surveys show that most people are motivated by intrinsic factors, and in this respect we are mostly all the same.

Despite this, while many leaders recognise that their own motivation is driven by factors that have nothing to do with money, they make the mistake of assuming that their people are somehow different, and that money is central to their motivation.

If leaders assume that their team members only care about their pay packet, or their car, or their monthly bonus, this inevitably produces a faulty and unsustainable motivational approach.

Leaders must recognise that people are different only in so far as the different particular 'intrinsic' factor(s) which motivate each person, but in so far as we are all motivated by 'intrinsic' factors, we are all the same. 

Motivation example 3 - 'people don't listen to me'

When some people talk, nearly everyone listens: certain politicians, business leaders, entertainers; people we regard as high achievers. You probably know people a little like this too. You may not agree with what they say, but they have a presence, a tone of voice and a confidence that is unmistakable. Fundamentally these people are great sales-people. They can

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make an unmitigated disaster sound like an unqualified victory. But do you need to be like this to motivate and lead?

Certainly not. Many people make the mistake of thinking that the only people who can lead others to success and achieve true excellence, and are the high-profile, charismatic, 'alpha-male/female' types. This is not true.

James was a relatively successful salesman but he was never at the top of his team's league table. In coaching sessions he would wonder whether he would ever be as good as his more flamboyant and aggressive colleagues. James saw himself as a sensitive person and was concerned that he was too sensitive for the job.

James was encouraged to look at how he could use his sensitivity to make more sales and beat his teammates. He reworked his sales pitch and instead of focusing his approach on the product, he based his initial approach on building rapport and asking questions. He made no attempt to 'sell'. Instead he listened to the challenges facing the people he called and asked them what kind of solution they were looking for. When he had earned their trust and established what they needed he would then describe his product. A character like James is also typically able to establish highly reliable and dependable processes for self-management, and for organising activities and resources, all of which are attributes that are extremely useful and valued in modern business. When he began to work according to his natural strengths, his sales figures went through the roof.

Each of us has qualities that can be adapted to a leadership role and/or to achieve great success. Instead of acting the way we think others expect us to, we are more likely to get others behind us and to succeed if we tap in to our natural, authentic style of leadership and making things happen. The leader has a responsibility to facilitate this process.

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Motivation example 4 - 'some people can't be motivated'

While it's true that not everyone has the same motivational triggers, as already shown, the belief that some people cannot be motivated is what can lead to the unedifying 'pep-talk and sack them' cycle favoured by many X-Theory managers. Typically managers use conventional methods to inspire their teams, reminding them that they are 'all in this together' or that they are 'working for the greater good' or that the management has 'complete faith in you', but when all this fails to make an impact the manager simply sighs and hands the troublesome employee the termination letter.

The reality is that motivating some individuals does involve an investment of time.

When his manager left the company, Bob was asked by the site director, Frank, to take over some extra responsibility. As well as administrative work he would be more involved in people management and report directly to Frank. Frank saw this as a promotion for Bob and assumed that he would be flattered and take to his new role with gusto. Instead Bob did little but complain. He felt he had too much to do, he didn't trust the new administrator brought in to lighten his workload, and he felt resentful that his extra responsibility hadn't come with extra pay. Frank was a good manager and told Bob that he simply had to be a little more organised, and that he (Frank) had complete belief in Bob to be able to handle this new challenge. But Bob remained sullen.

So Frank took a different approach: He tried to see the situation from Bob's point of view. Bob enjoyed his social life, but was no longer able to leave the office at 5pm. Bob was dedicated to doing a good job, but was not particularly ambitious, so promotion meant little to him. Bob was also expected to work

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more closely now with a colleague with whom he clashed. Then Frank looked at how Bob might perceive him as his boss. He realised Bob probably thought Frank's hands-off management style meant he didn't care. To Bob it might look as if Frank took no direct interest except when he found fault. Finally, Frank looked at the situation Bob was in to see if there was anything bringing out the worst in him. He realised two weeks of every month were effectively 'down-time' for Bob, followed by two weeks where he was overloaded with work. Having set aside his assumptions about Bob and armed with a more complete picture from Bob's point of view, Frank arranged for the two of them to meet to discuss a way forward.

Now the two were able to look at the real situation, and to find a workable way forward.

While there is no guarantee that this approach will always work, 'seeking to understand', as Stephen Covey's 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' puts it, is generally a better first step than 'seeking to be understood'.

It's easier to help someone when you see things from their point of view. 

Motivation example 5 - 'but I am listening'

We are always told how valuable listening is as a leadership tool and encouraged to do more of it. So, when we remember, we listen really hard, trying to catch every detail of what is being said and maybe follow up with a question to show that we caught everything. This is certainly important. Checking your email, thinking about last night's big game and planning your weekend certainly stop you from hearing what is being said.

But there is another important aspect to listening and that is: Listening without Judgement.

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Often when an employee tells us why they are lacking motivation we are busy internally making notes about what is wrong with what they are saying. This is pre-judging. It is not listening properly.

Really listening properly means shutting off the voice in your head that is already planning your counter-argument, so that you can actually hear, understand and interpret what you are being told. See the principles of empathy.

This is not to say that 'the employee is always right', but only when you can really understand the other person's perception of the situation are you be able to help them develop a strategy that works for them.

Listening is about understanding how the other person feels - beyond merely the words that they say. 

Motivation example 6 - 'if they leave I've failed'

What happens if, at their meeting, Bob admits to Frank that he doesn't see his future with that company?

What if he says the main reason he is demotivated is that he isn't really suited to the company culture, and would be happier elsewhere? Has Frank failed?

Not necessarily. It's becoming more widely accepted that the right and sustainable approach is to help individual employees to tap in to their true motivators and understand their core values. Katherine Benziger's methodologies are rooted in this philosophy: Employees who 'falsify type' (ie., behave unnaturally in order to satisfy external rather than internal motives and drivers) are unhappy, stressed, and are unable to sustain good performance.

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Effort should be focused on helping people to align company goals with individual aspirations. Look at Adam's Equity Theory to help understand the complexity of personal motivation and goals alignment. Motivation and goals cannot be imposed from outside by a boss - motivation and goals must be determined from within the person, mindful of internal needs, and external opportunities and rewards.

Sometimes the person and the company are simply unsuited. In a different culture, industry, role or team that individual would be energised and dedicated, whereas in the present environment the same person doesn't fit.

Sometimes 'success' doesn't look the way we expect it to. A successful outcome for an individual and for a company may be that a de-motivated person, having identified what sort of work and environment would suit them better, leaves to find their ideal job elsewhere.

You succeed as a leader by helping and enabling people to reach their potential and to achieve fulfilment. If their needs and abilities could be of far greater value elsewhere, let them go; don't force them to stay out of loyalty. Helping them identify and find a more fitting role elsewhere not only benefits you and them - it also enables you to find a replacement who is really suited and dedicated to the job.

True leaders care about the other person's interests - not just your own interests and the interests of your organization. 

Motivation example 7 - 'the same factors that de-motivate motivate'

When asked what brought about lack of motivation at work, the majority of people in research carried out by

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Herzberg blamed 'hygiene factors' such as working conditions, salary and company policy. When asked what motivated them they gave answers such as 'the sense of achievement', 'recognition', 'the opportunity to grow and advance' and 'greater responsibility'.

Herzberg's findings about human motivation have been tested and proven time and gain. His theory, and others like it, tell us that the factors that de-motivate do not necessarily motivate when reversed. The conventional solution to dissatisfaction over pay levels would be to increase pay in the belief that people would then work harder and be more motivated. However, this research shows that whilst increasing wages, improving job security and positive working relationships have a marginal impact, the main factors that characterise extreme satisfaction at work are: achievement, recognition, interesting work, responsibility, advancement and growth.

So it follows that leaders who focus on these aspects - people's true motivational needs and values - are the true leaders.

Help people to enrich their work and you will truly motivate. 

Motivation example 8 - 'people will rise to tough challenges'

Many managers hope to motivate by setting their people challenging targets. They believe that raising the bar higher and higher is what motivates.

Tracey was an effective and conscientious account manager. Her boss habitually set her increasingly tough objectives, which Tracey generally achieved. However, in achieving her targets last month Tracey worked several eighteen-hour days, travelled extensively overseas, and had not had a single weekend break. Sometimes Tracey would mention to her

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boss that the effort was taking its toll on her health and happiness.

When Tracey handed in her latest monthly report, her boss said, 'You see? It's worth all the hard work. So, don't complain about it again.'

Her boss's belief was that Tracey would get a sense of satisfaction from completing an almost impossible workload. He was relying on her sense of duty - which she had in bucket-loads - to get the job done.

But this is the KITA style of motivation. It doesn't really acknowledge a dedication to the job or a sense of pride. Its leverage or 'motivation' is simply a lack of choice.

Job enlargement is different to Job enhancement. Herzberg's research shows that improving the 'meaningfulness' of a job (see also motivation example 7) has the motivational impact, not simply increasing the amount of pressure or volume of the tasks.

Achievement for achievement's sake is no basis for motivation - a person's quality of life must benefit too. 

Motivation example 9 - 'I tried it and it didn't work'

When you try new things - new motivational ideas, especially which affect relationships and feelings - it is normal for things initially to get a little worse. Change can be a little unsettling at first. But keep the faith.

People are naturally sceptical of unconventional motivational approaches. They may wonder why you have suddenly taken such an interest in them. They may feel you are giving them too much responsibility or be concerned that changes in the way they work may lead to job losses. Herzberg's research

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is among other evidence, and modern experience, that after an initial drop in performance, people quickly adjust and respond to more progressive management and motivational attitudes.

Supporting and coaching people through this stage of early doubt is vital.

Encourage and help people to grow and develop, and performance improvement is inevitable. 

Motivation example 10 - 'this type of motivation takes too much time'

If you've absorbed the ideas above, you might wonder where you would find the time to motivate people using these approaches.

It is true that this style of leadership, sustainable motivation, commitment and focus is in the beginning more time consuming than 'KITA' methods; this is bound to be, since KITA methods require far less thought.

Engaging fully with your staff, understanding their wants, desires and values, getting to know them as individuals and developing strategies that achieve a continuous release of energy is more intensive and takes time to work.

But consider the advantages. This investment of time means you will eventually have less to do. Instead of constantly urging your people along and having to solve all the problems yourself, you'll be the leader of a group performing at a higher level of ability and productivity, giving you the chance to step back from fire-fighting and to consider the bigger picture.

Herzberg was not alone in identifying that leaders need invest in the development of their teams, and also of their own successors. See leadership theories. Douglas McGregor's X-Y

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Theory is central too. So is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, from the individual growth perspective. And see also Bruce Tuckman's 'Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing' model. All of these renowned theories clearly demonstrate the need for teams, and the individuals within them, to be positively led and developed.

Your responsibility as leader is to develop your team so that it can take on more and more of your own responsibility. A mature team should be virtually self-managing, leaving you free to concentrate on all the job-enhancing strategic aspects that you yourself need in order to keep motivated and developing. 

The technical content of this article was provided by UK-based expert in organizational development Blaire Palmer, which is gratefully acknowledged.

12. Motivation is not a "program"

Ultimately, if intrinsic motivation is absent then all else is a temporary fix at best. Motivation is not a program, it is a personal approach to dealing with individuals. Each person is likely motivated differently and in varying degrees. The key to motivation is knowing your people. You don't have to give away the farm to satisfy people's motivation. You only have to know them on a personal level and what drives them. I tend to move away from "management" and lean into leadership. You manage projects, but you lead people.

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# Motivational Techniques:

01. Treat your employees like adults.

What is the role your employees play? What are the expectations you set for them? According to social expectations theory, we know that people tend to adopt social norms and roles and to conform their behaviour to meet expectations. Step back and look at your employees' perception of their roles in your organization. Are they treated like adults or children? Here's an example of social expectations in the workplace: Jim comes into work early because he knows you keep track of his time, pretends to be busy when you're watching, sneaks down the hall to gossip with co-workers, calls in sick (with extra coughing so you know he's not faking it!), and asks permission to leave early to see his kid at a her holiday program at school. 

Really? Jim, a grown man, feels the need to act like a grade schooler -- asking permission, sneaking around, looking busy, faking sick to get a day off. When you treat your employees like children, they will act like children.

2. Let employees figure out HOW they work best; don't give orders.

This is one of the big points in   Why Managing Sucks . Part of being a manager is paying attention to what matters. Managers must focus on the WHAT of work, and leave the HOW to the adults that have been hired. This is WHAT needs to be achieved (end result). Now go do it.

3. Motivated by freedom and responsibility

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One of our young friends, Kelly at Cordelia Calls It Quits, says it this way: "When managers try to intercede and direct too much, they limit our ability to exceed expectations. Some of the best places I've worked have been where my boss comes to me and says: 'Here's the big picture, this is what we need to accomplish, how do you want to get it done?' That makes me feel great. When others are looking at me to deliver great results, what's a better motivator than that? I'm not motivated by a list of rules and parameters and policies, to be restricted that way."

4. Coach and encourage

If micro-managers are like babysitters, then the bosses we all hope to have are like great coaches. What kind of boss are you, a micro-manager or a coach? Your management style is a huge factor in motivating your team. It's not just about the right incentives or the right programs or benefits packages. Do you bring out the best in your team? Take our simple quiz to see what kind of boss you are. 

5. Focus on strengths.

Your employees aren't you. They will do things differently than the way you do them, so help them play to their strengths! Our friend Marcus Buckingham says it like this:

Your unique contribution makes the team great. So, bring it. Discover your genius. Be accountable for contributing your very best. Embrace the diversity of your team.

6. The bottom line is TRUST.

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What does it look like when you're trusted at work?

Mistakes are opportunities to fix problems and move on, not overreact with new policies, rules and regulations. Employees are trusted as the experts that they are and expected to deliver results, or they don't have a job. 

What does it NOT look like?

Sludge. It's the employees gathering around the water cooler, gossiping about who took vacation or who is allowed to work from home. When there's no trust from leadership or among teams, them individuals don't trust each other either.

7. Financial Incentives

In our last post we talked about the wrong way to use financial incentives and compensation as motivators. However, financial incentives can be a good way to motivate employees, as long as you use them as part of a bigger plan and align these incentives with the workplace culture as a whole. We shared Vision Link Advisory Group's unhealthy incentives list with you last time. Conversely, a healthy view of incentives would have a company view their purpose as follows:

Demonstrate a financial partnership with employees Communicate the outcomes and results most valued by the

organization Create a flexible means of rewarding high performers as well as

special circumstances and achievements

This approach to incentives is one of reinforcement, validation, alignment and unity. It says to employees that

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ownership sees them as key partners in building a unified financial vision for growing the business.

8. Don't force. Reinforce.

Another way of looking at aligning your incentives is the contrast between forcing and reinforcing. Are you manipulating and forcing your employees to be on their best behavior, or are you focusing on positives and reinforcing values?

9. Outcome-based goals and frequent reviews

Just as bad goals and infrequent reviews are bad motivators, meaningful goals and frequent conversations about performance are extremely motivating. Outcome-based goal setting gets everyone aligned first. This way, creating measurable results is effective and achievable. This framework is outcome-based thinking and generates an environment where performance is managed on a continuous basis. That means all the time, not just at the yearly performance review meeting. We have a step-by-step process we use in ourBeyond Telework for Managers Training for outcome-based goal setting and a handy template for getting started [link].

10. Results-Only Work Environment

OK, obviously you know our feelings about this one! Forget flexibility, go beyond telework, just bypass all those gimmicks and programs that put the focus on time and presence. ROWE focuses on results and is proven to increase productivity and employee retention, and boost customer satisfaction.

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Motivational Techniques to Keep Employees Happy and Productive

 

Every company faces the challenge of how to motivate employees to perform at their full potential. This challenge seems even more daunting for small businesses that are operating on leaner budgets. Let me share with you some motivational concepts that are being taught in business schools across the country that won’t break the bank (which is more than many of us who paid for those business degrees can say).

Invest your employees with a sense of ownership in your business and they will be naturally motivated to perform.

How do you give your employees a sense of ownership in your business? Be transparent and share information. When you were growing up, did you ever ask your parents, “But why?” only to have them answer you with “Because I said so”? When a manager withholds information from employees, it sends the message to the employees that they aren’t important enough to

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give an explanation to. Sharing information with your employees is a way to show them you respect and value them as contributing members of your team.

Communicating with your employees things such as current challenges facing your business, successes and the rationale behind changes you make to company policies, for example, will result in employees that:

Have a better understanding of your business and can make more informed decisions.

Feel like part of a team rather than someone who just punches in and punches out every day which will provide them with motivation to perform well at no cost to you.

Are happier at work because they feel valued which will save you money by reducing your staff turnover and also likely improve your client retention rates because happier employees generally provide better customer service.

Here at Hiring Thing, our founder Josh Siler has fostered a strong sense of open communication with the entire staff by holding quarterly “all hands” team meetings where he encourages participation in short- and long-term corporate planning and goal setting as well as discussion of challenges we are facing and how to overcome them. Josh also sends out a monthly internal newsletter detailing our successes and sharing information on how our performance compares to our established goals.

Give your employees the gifts of trust and responsibility.

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Theorist Frederick Herzberg determined that the main motivators for people are feelings of having done a good job, being appreciated, trust, responsibility and specific rewards. Hydraulic valve manufacturer Sun Hydraulics has blazed a new trail in the world of HR by throwing out the entire concept of organizational hierarchy and trusting its employees to make their own decisions on how best to contribute to the organization’s success. Elimination of vertical hierarchy has resulted in a flat, horizontal structure that does away with the traditional “parent-child” relationship of manager to employee and replaces it with a more equal “adult-adult” relationship. The only title anyone in the company has is the honorary title of Plant Manager which, contrary to what you would think of a hydraulics manufacturer, has nothing to do with management and everything to do with being responsible for watering the hundreds of live plants that hang from the eco-friendly manufacturing facility ceilings. For more information on Sun Hydraulics, check out this case study .

Maybe you aren’t ready to abolish titles yet. You can still achieve a sense of trust and responsibility by clearly communicating with your employees what their responsibilities are and letting them use the skill set you hired them for to accomplish their goals. Make sure they have the tools at their disposal to get their jobs done and leave them to it. After all, that’s what you’ve hired them to do.

Shipping magnate FedEx puts the responsibility of determining the best and most efficient driving route in the hands of its drivers. There’s no dispatcher sitting in a corporate office somewhere sending out route guidance. It’s up to the individual driver to figure it out for themselves. And let’s ask the question of who knows the best routes and is more likely to be motivated to find efficiencies: a driver who spends 8 hours a day driving the routes and has a family to get home to at night or a dispatcher who sits in an office all day staring at a computer screen and

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knows she/he can clock out at 5pm regardless of current traffic conditions? FedEx also makes sure drivers have the tools they need readily available. For example, in wintertime, even those shorts-wearing polar bear types sometimes get cold hands so FedEx provides drivers with gloves as part of their uniforms. In this way, FedEx is putting into practice the theories of Herzberg and others in a way that empowers their employees to do their jobs well, feel good about doing well and ultimately creates a higher level efficiency within the business that can end up saving that business significant money.

Praise early, praise often and make it relevant.

Herzberg and Elton Mayo, another theorist and founder of the Human Relations movement, both agree that positive attention from management is a significant motivator for employees. Giving employees praise is a great way to motivate at no cost to an organization and studies have shown that some people are more motivated by praise and recognition than by money.

However, meaningless praise is actually worse than not being praised at all. For example, Susy works all kinds of extra hours this month in order to release a new version of her company’s software product by the deadline and, after the release when Susy’s eyes are still bloodshot from too much coffee and not enough sleep, her boss stops by her desk and tells her she did a great job on choosing the color scheme for the new user interface. That makes Susy want to pull her hair out and then start updating her resume.

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The key to delivering meaningful praise is to praise early, praise often and make it relevant. Using the example of Susy and the software release, it is much more meaningful to Susy if her boss takes the time within a day or two after the release to sincerely thank her for all the extra work she put into making the release happen and praises the quality of the release than if she/he waits a few weeks or months to deliver that same praise. The hard work Susy put in is still very fresh in her mind and timely thanks and praise deliver maximum positive impact when they occur soon after her accomplishment.

Praise isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. I have a friend whose boss praises him so infrequently that he actually couldn’t remember the last time it had happened when I asked him point blank. If this boss sounds like you, try set a recurring calendar reminder to praise your employees at least once a month to serve as a reminder that you should be on the lookout for praiseworthy performance. Don’t let this become too much of a predictable pattern, however, because that crosses the line of meaningless praise.

Communicating on a regular basis to your employees that they are doing a good job gives them a strong sense of satisfaction with their own work, improves their self-confidence and goes a long way to making them feel happy at work. Happy employees make for productive employees. This means better efficiency for your business.

Compensation and workplace environment are still important to an employee’s job satisfaction and cannot be ignored.

You can share information, give meaningful praise and imbue your employees with a high level of trust and responsibility but if you don’t offer adequate compensation and provide a safe,

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comfortable working environment, you will still end up with dissatisfied employees. If you have an employee who is forced to work in a space that is so cramped his knees keep bumping up against his filing cabinet, he’s probably not going to respond very well to being given a greater degree of responsibility until you have resolved his workspace discomfort. Laugh all you want, but I actually know someone whose knees developed permanent bruises for the first 3 months of his employment because his boss kept delaying the purchase of a new, more ergonomically friendly desk setup.

So keep in mind that the non-financial motivational tools shared in this post are not stand alone solutions. They will only be effective when you are also able to satisfy an employee’s more basic needs of financial and personal security.

Bibliography:

* 365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Your Employees Every Day: With Little or No Money by Dianna Podmoroff

*  Best Practices: Motivating Employees: Bringing Out the Best in Your People by Barry Silverstein

* Google Search

* Wikipedia

* Personal Motivational Notes.