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theory of motivation
Have Expectations and Standards For Employees Not Rules and Regulations
By Jack Mitchell
I’m told that many, even most, companies maintain thick employee handbooks jam-packed with all shapes and types of rules -- rules about when you come to work and when you leave, rules about how often you get a break, rules about coarse language, rules about penalties for defacing bulletin boards, rules about this, that, and everything, so many that even the person who wrote them couldn’t possibly know them all. Every year or so, they make revisions to the handbook, usually sticking in still more rules but rarely, if ever, discarding or updating any of them to reflect a changing world. So you have a business drowning in rules that no one can remember, including the managers who dreamed them up.
In this regard, companies are as bad as governments. I’m always reminded of this when I read about some antiquated local or state law that never got updated for common sense. For instance, South Carolina has a two-hundred-year-old law banning games with cards or dice -- even in your own home. So I guess the police can bust in and haul you and the kids to the pen for playing Monopoly or Go Fish!
When you have piles of rules, we believe it makes people extremely uneasy. They feel like they’re back in school -- or, worse, in prison. And the upshot is that they don’t feel as if they’re trusted. One of our sales associates shared how, at another company, she came to work one day despite having wrenched her back the previous night. She was in a fair amount of discomfort, but didn’t want to miss a day. So between customers, she sat down to ease the pain. Her supervisor spotted her, stomped over, and barked: "Get up right now. You can’t sit, because it sets a bad example. It’s the rule."
You know the old saying "Rules are made to be broken." Well, we find that people look on rules as meaning that you’re testing their integrity. Which translates to "I don’t trust you." So one of the most important ways we show that we trust our people is by not having rules except those required by law.
Now, when we say that we don’t have any other rules, we don’t mean that we operate in complete anarchy -- maybe a touch of organized chaos, but not anarchy. No business could be successful if it were run that way. People don’t come and go as they please, they don’t have limitless expense accounts, they don’t come to work in bikinis.
You see, we’re a hugging culture based on values and principles, not rules and regulations.
So how do we establish parameters? Rather than rules, we have expectations. And if you have a company comprised of trustworthy people, setting examples and expectations works a lot better than rules.
What’s the difference between rules and expectations? To our mind, rules are unbending. If the rule is that you have to take lunch from noon to one o’clock and you don’t take it at that time, then you starve to death. So rules are rigid. To me, they’re cold and impersonal.
Expectations, on the other hand, are warm, and they’re flexible and freeing when they need to be. The clear understanding is that you are expected to live up to our expectations, and so you come in and leave when you are scheduled to, but you don’t need a time clock to keep you honest. Expectations are mutually agreed upon -- and they can be fulfilled in different ways by different people. No two individuals are completely alike in talent, strengths, motivation, or personality -- everyone has plenty of quirks or weaknesses -- so why should everyone have to follow rigid rules? Expectations are pliable and they may be adjusted to suit an individual and build on his or her strengths.
What, then, are some of our expectations?
There are seven key expectations that are important to me:
1. Be positive, passionate, and personal.
2. Work and play hard -- and work smarter, too.
3. Understand the power of the team. That means exhibiting mutual respect and trust. Fun and success mean we, not I (remember the old expression, "There is no ‘I’ in team").
4. Dress appropriately (this especially applies to us since we’re in the clothing business).
5. No surprises.
6. Always, always be open and tell the truth!
7. Hug one another and hug the customers!
We also like to use the word standards a lot in place of rules. In general, we set very high standards, and we expect everyone to do their level best to live up to them. My tenth-grade civics teacher wrote in my Staples High School yearbook, "Live up to your potential," and I obviously never forgot it and think about it often, and that’s what we want our people to do: live up to their highest potential.
That’s why effort, hard work, and education are emphasized. We like people to keep raising the bar, especially in areas where they are naturally strong. We realize that if the bar is raised appropriately with each individual in mind, then everyone will reach his or her personal and professional goals and will enjoy -- indeed love -- the journey, the process, the playing of the game of the career of life.
And so within our expectations we establish specific standards, or targets. For instance, we expect our sellers to achieve $1 million in sales their first year with us (but we don’t horsewhip them if they do $900,000). We expect tailors to be fast and accurate -- we never like pants that end six inches above the ankle -- and to work as a team. And, of course, we expect everyone to support one another in a sale, to share their skills and "secrets" on personalizing relationships with other huggers, and to store data for everyone to use in an open and honest way with respect for privacy and confidentiality.
So set expectations for your associates, but leave rules to the prison wardens.
Excerpted from the book HUG YOUR PEOPLE: The Proven Way to Hire, Inspire and Recognize Your Employees and Achieve Remarkable Results by Jack Mitchell. Copyright (c) 2008. Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
employee equity
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employee equity
Achieving Peak Performance: Education Without Motivation Serves No Useful Purpose
Many "educated" individuals achieve very little on or off the job. They know what to do, and they know how to do it. The problem is they're not motivated enough to do much about it.
Motivation is not enough. If you motivate an idiot, all you have is a motivated idiot.
Education alone is not enough either. Many "educated" individuals achieve very little on or off the job. They know what to do, and they know how to do it. The problem is they're not motivated enough to do much about it.
The Gallup organization once analyzed its massive database and determined that ABOUT HALF (55 percent) OF TODAY'S EMPLOYEES HAVE NO ENTHUSIASM FOR THEIR WORK. Gallup labeled these people as "not engaged." In other words, they didn't have much loyalty to their organization or much desire to improve their job performance. It found that one in five (19 percent) were so negative about their jobs that they actually poisoned the workplace. In fact, when those employees called in sick, their organizations were more productive and efficient.
You may think, "Big deal. So what if some of our employees are not fully motivated?" It is a big deal. Their lack of motivation is costing your organization big bucks.
Gallup estimated that if companies could get 3.7 percent more work out of each employee, the equivalent of 18 more minutes of work each eight-hour shift, the gross domestic product in the United States would swell by $355 billion, twice the GDP of Greece.
In today’s competitive world, THE REALLY SUCCESSFUL PERSON IS NOT ONLY EDUCATED, BUT ALSO MOTIVATED.
If you're educating or training your employees, but you're not motivating them to use what they learn, you're wasting your time and your money.
The famous author, William Butler Yeats, said it quite well: "Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire." A more contemporary figure, Kevin Roberts, the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, says, "In the 21st century, organizations have to achieve peak performance through inspiration by unleashing the power of their people -- not by teaching them, not by managing them, but by inspiring them."
If you educate and motivate your staff, you'll see an increase in productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and ultimately an increase in profits.
The Mercedes Benz plant in South Africa learned that. For a long time, the managers said their quality problems were due to an unmotivated, lazy workforce. That's why it took them two weeks to make a car that had 70 defects. By contrast, the Mercedes Benz plant in Europe could turn out a car in one week that had only fourteen defects.
Then, a fortunate accident occurred. After a year of suffering with productivity and quality problems, it just so happened that a car was being made for liberator and president Nelson Mandela. No particular mention or fanfare was made. The vehicle simply went through the assembly line with a tag on it that read, "For Mr. Mandela."
To the managers’ amazement, the car was completed in one week and had only ten minor problems. A light bulb went off in the managers' heads. Their workers were capable. They were educated enough to do the job and do it well. They had simply not been motivated enough to give their very best. It was at that point that the Mercedes leadership learned that they had to engage their workers' hearts, not just their hands.
Are you doing that in your organization? You're buying your employees' time. Are you also getting their hearts and minds?
Education plus motivation will not only help your organization make more money, but it will also save you a lot of money.
When I was speaking at a construction company, the CEO asked his employees a question. He asked, "What does it cost to put a piece of plywood on the floor? How much does it cost in terms of time and money?" The employees answered, "About ten minutes and twenty dollars."
The CEO replied, "Yes and no." He said that's what it would have cost if the job had been done right. Unfortunately, an employee slapped down the plywood poorly and didn't cover a hole properly. The ensuing lawsuit cost the company $450,000. The employee was educated. He knew what to do, but he wasn't motivated enough to do it right.
Here Are My Top 3 Tips To Motivating & Engaging Your Staff’s Hearts:
1. Take a look at the training you’re offering employees. Is it really motivating them? As a speaker, I find that many people in my audiences are quite well educated. They're filled with knowledge. However, sometimes they don't have enough motivation to use all the knowledge they possess.
2. Listen to what your colleagues are saying when they hear about an upcoming seminar. Do you hear groans and complaints about having to go? Or do you hear comments of excitement, as people can't wait for it to begin? What you hear will tell you how successful your past classes have been in motivating people.
3. If you're not hearing almost unanimous excitement, re-examine the education you're offering and re-examine those who are leading it. One bad class or one poor instructor can leave a negative legacy for a long time to come.
So you see … education without motivation serves no useful purpose.
Best-selling author and Hall of Fame professional speaker, Dr. Alan Zimmerman has taught more than one million people in 48 states and 22 countries how to get and stay motivated all the time … no matter what. In his award-winning program, "THE JOURNEY TO THE EXTRAORDINARY," Dr. Zimmerman outlines the 12 steps you must take to achieve peak performance. For a FREE GUIDED TOUR of the 12 steps, please click here.
By Alan Zimmerman
employee equity
Achieving Peak Performance: Education Without Motivation Serves No Useful Purpose
Many "educated" individuals achieve very little on or off the job. They know what to do, and they know how to do it. The problem is they're not motivated enough to do much about it.
Motivation is not enough. If you motivate an idiot, all you have is a motivated idiot.
Education alone is not enough either. Many "educated" individuals achieve very little on or off the job. They know what to do, and they know how to do it. The problem is they're not motivated enough to do much about it.
The Gallup organization once analyzed its massive database and determined that ABOUT HALF (55 percent) OF TODAY'S EMPLOYEES HAVE NO ENTHUSIASM FOR THEIR WORK. Gallup labeled these people as "not engaged." In other words, they didn't have much loyalty to their organization or much desire to improve their job performance. It found that one in five (19 percent) were so negative about their jobs that they actually poisoned the workplace. In fact, when those employees called in sick, their organizations were more productive and efficient.
You may think, "Big deal. So what if some of our employees are not fully motivated?" It is a big deal. Their lack of motivation is costing your organization big bucks.
Gallup estimated that if companies could get 3.7 percent more work out of each employee, the equivalent of 18 more minutes of work each eight-hour shift, the gross domestic product in the United States would swell by $355 billion, twice the GDP of Greece.
In today’s competitive world, THE REALLY SUCCESSFUL PERSON IS NOT ONLY EDUCATED, BUT ALSO MOTIVATED.
If you're educating or training your employees, but you're not motivating them to use what they learn, you're wasting your time and your money.
The famous author, William Butler Yeats, said it quite well: "Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire." A more contemporary figure, Kevin Roberts, the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, says, "In the 21st century, organizations have to achieve peak performance through inspiration by unleashing the power of their people -- not by teaching them, not by managing them, but by inspiring them."
If you educate and motivate your staff, you'll see an increase in productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and ultimately an increase in profits.
The Mercedes Benz plant in South Africa learned that. For a long time, the managers said their quality problems were due to an unmotivated, lazy workforce. That's why it took them two weeks to make a car that had 70 defects. By contrast, the Mercedes Benz plant in Europe could turn out a car in one week that had only fourteen defects.
Then, a fortunate accident occurred. After a year of suffering with productivity and quality problems, it just so happened that a car was being made for liberator and president Nelson Mandela. No particular mention or fanfare was made. The vehicle simply went through the assembly line with a tag on it that read, "For Mr. Mandela."
To the managers’ amazement, the car was completed in one week and had only ten minor problems. A light bulb went off in the managers' heads. Their workers were capable. They were educated enough to do the job and do it well. They had simply not been motivated enough to give their very best. It was at that point that the Mercedes leadership learned that they had to engage their workers' hearts, not just their hands.
Are you doing that in your organization? You're buying your employees' time. Are you also getting their hearts and minds?
Education plus motivation will not only help your organization make more money, but it will also save you a lot of money.
When I was speaking at a construction company, the CEO asked his employees a question. He asked, "What does it cost to put a piece of plywood on the floor? How much does it cost in terms of time and money?" The employees answered, "About ten minutes and twenty dollars."
The CEO replied, "Yes and no." He said that's what it would have cost if the job had been done right. Unfortunately, an employee slapped down the plywood poorly and didn't cover a hole properly. The ensuing lawsuit cost the company $450,000. The employee was educated. He knew what to do, but he wasn't motivated enough to do it right.
Here Are My Top 3 Tips To Motivating & Engaging Your Staff’s Hearts:
1. Take a look at the training you’re offering employees. Is it really motivating them? As a speaker, I find that many people in my audiences are quite well educated. They're filled with knowledge. However, sometimes they don't have enough motivation to use all the knowledge they possess.
2. Listen to what your colleagues are saying when they hear about an upcoming seminar. Do you hear groans and complaints about having to go? Or do you hear comments of excitement, as people can't wait for it to begin? What you hear will tell you how successful your past classes have been in motivating people.
3. If you're not hearing almost unanimous excitement, re-examine the education you're offering and re-examine those who are leading it. One bad class or one poor instructor can leave a negative legacy for a long time to come.
So you see … education without motivation serves no useful purpose.
Best-selling author and Hall of Fame professional speaker, Dr. Alan Zimmerman has taught more than one million people in 48 states and 22 countries how to get and stay motivated all the time … no matter what. In his award-winning program, "THE JOURNEY TO THE EXTRAORDINARY," Dr. Zimmerman outlines the 12 steps you must take to achieve peak performance. For a FREE GUIDED TOUR of the 12 steps, please click here.
By Alan Zimmerman
CLICK THE SIDE BAR VIDEO TO WATCH THE LASTEST FOR THE MONTH ON BLOG.
Motivation for Employees Simplified!
Have you ever wondered what the secret behind motivation for employees is? Now, you can discover these hidden truths for yourself! Discover exactly how to get employees to truly work for you…
Many professional corporations struggle with lack of motivation among their employees. If you are experiencing complications with motivation the employees in your business, this article is for you! Here, can discover the truth behind what really makes your employees tick as far as motivation is concerned. You will understand that, as long as your employees are truly happy, the potential for success is extremely high. With that incentive for success you can expect an increase in performance. If morale in your business is down, you can learn the essentials of turning this situation around in this particular article!
If you own, operate, or manage a business, you know and understand the importance of employee motivation. If employees are not motivated, then this will impact your business in a negative fashion. Generally employees who are lacking in the area of motivation will lack in the area of productivity as well. When productivity slacks because of complications with motivation among employees, the quality of your goods and/or services is also affected in a negative fashion.
When there is an issue with employee motivation in the workplace, there is often an issue with the quantity of work that is performed. So if you are wondering how this affects performance you can see that stated here. Even more important than the overall productivity of the employees is the quality of work produced by the employees. When these individuals experience low morale, they make very little effort to ensure that the work that they perform meets and/or exceeds the standards as set forth by their organization. In turn, your business will not only produce less work, but less quality as well.
You probably believe that you pay your employees at least an average compensation, offer them good benefits, and this should motivate them, right? Wrong. It has been discovered, after many years of psychological and scientific research, that while employees are appreciative of pay rates and benefits, this is not the ultimate source of motivation in the workplace. As a matter of fact, many employees are more satisfied in receiving recognition for a job well done than a health insurance policy that has a good prescription plan.
Some organizations have tken it upon themselves to ask employees through the use of a questionnaire or survey what they would like to see changed or improved in the workplace. The theory behind these surveys or questionnaires is to allow the organization a stricter definition of what program or programs should be instituted for the effect of increased employee performance.
Many professional organizations will reward their employees for performing their basic responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with in-house objectives and expectations. Many companies do not feel as if it is appropriate to reward an employee for simply performing the responsibilities that are expected of them. Regardless of what type of "reward" system you have in place, the most important thing that you can do to ensure employee motivation is to always recognize the fact that they are working according to expectations, and thank them for doing so.
If you want to show your appreciation for employees in order to motivate them, there are many different methods of doing so. First, you may elect to buy them lunch during the week, or simply offer a free pass for an extra break when they feel as if they need it. Many companies may allow employees to have a casual dress day, or engage in a variety of activities while on their breaks, like surfing the internet in the break room, and similar things.
Discovering the method of properly motivating in the workplace is truly a trial and error process. However, the main thing to remember is that money and benefits do not always motivate your employees. Many times, a simple pat on the back, or peer recognition means more to an employee than money or gifts. When you recognize this fact, you will learn exactly how simple it is to motivate your people. In conclusion, it is important to understand that employee motivation is the basis to the success of your business. You must encourage your employees in such a way that they are willing to provide the productivity and the quality that you expect of them. The old saying about money not buying love holds true in today’s business sector. Sometimes, simply taking time to focus on a job well done and the extra effort an employee puts forth is more rewarding than a paycheck.
Motivation for Employees Simplified!
Have you ever wondered what the secret behind motivation for employees is? Now, you can discover these hidden truths for yourself! Discover exactly how to get employees to truly work for you…
Many professional corporations struggle with lack of motivation among their employees. If you are experiencing complications with motivation the employees in your business, this article is for you! Here, can discover the truth behind what really makes your employees tick as far as motivation is concerned. You will understand that, as long as your employees are truly happy, the potential for success is extremely high. With that incentive for success you can expect an increase in performance. If morale in your business is down, you can learn the essentials of turning this situation around in this particular article!
If you own, operate, or manage a business, you know and understand the importance of employee motivation. If employees are not motivated, then this will impact your business in a negative fashion. Generally employees who are lacking in the area of motivation will lack in the area of productivity as well. When productivity slacks because of complications with motivation among employees, the quality of your goods and/or services is also affected in a negative fashion.
When there is an issue with employee motivation in the workplace, there is often an issue with the quantity of work that is performed. So if you are wondering how this affects performance you can see that stated here. Even more important than the overall productivity of the employees is the quality of work produced by the employees. When these individuals experience low morale, they make very little effort to ensure that the work that they perform meets and/or exceeds the standards as set forth by their organization. In turn, your business will not only produce less work, but less quality as well.
You probably believe that you pay your employees at least an average compensation, offer them good benefits, and this should motivate them, right? Wrong. It has been discovered, after many years of psychological and scientific research, that while employees are appreciative of pay rates and benefits, this is not the ultimate source of motivation in the workplace. As a matter of fact, many employees are more satisfied in receiving recognition for a job well done than a health insurance policy that has a good prescription plan.
Some organizations have tken it upon themselves to ask employees through the use of a questionnaire or survey what they would like to see changed or improved in the workplace. The theory behind these surveys or questionnaires is to allow the organization a stricter definition of what program or programs should be instituted for the effect of increased employee performance.
Many professional organizations will reward their employees for performing their basic responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with in-house objectives and expectations. Many companies do not feel as if it is appropriate to reward an employee for simply performing the responsibilities that are expected of them. Regardless of what type of "reward" system you have in place, the most important thing that you can do to ensure employee motivation is to always recognize the fact that they are working according to expectations, and thank them for doing so.
If you want to show your appreciation for employees in order to motivate them, there are many different methods of doing so. First, you may elect to buy them lunch during the week, or simply offer a free pass for an extra break when they feel as if they need it. Many companies may allow employees to have a casual dress day, or engage in a variety of activities while on their breaks, like surfing the internet in the break room, and similar things.
Discovering the method of properly motivating in the workplace is truly a trial and error process. However, the main thing to remember is that money and benefits do not always motivate your employees. Many times, a simple pat on the back, or peer recognition means more to an employee than money or gifts. When you recognize this fact, you will learn exactly how simple it is to motivate your people. In conclusion, it is important to understand that employee motivation is the basis to the success of your business. You must encourage your employees in such a way that they are willing to provide the productivity and the quality that you expect of them. The old saying about money not buying love holds true in today’s business sector. Sometimes, simply taking time to focus on a job well done and the extra effort an employee puts forth is more rewarding than a paycheck.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Motivating your employees starts with motivating yourself
Motivating your employees starts with motivating yourself
The key to motivating employees is to ensure that you yourself are motivated. Moods can be contagious, if you are in a negative or stressed mood then this will have an effect on those around you, further to this being the leader, you must lead as by example.
Many managerial guru’s claim that one of the main ways of getting staff enthusiastic is to simply align the goals of the company with their goals. If you aren’t sure of what the employees goals are then sit down and discuss them, find out their personal goals and help them achieve it; offer them further training or give them further responsibility, try and understand why they aren’t motivated. Communication is key and by keeping employees in the loop and making them feel part of the entire process you will notice a difference in their overall behavior.
Part of communicating with employees is also to recognize the effort that they are making, if they are not making a good effort stay positive and highlight where they have been good, but also say to them that they have the ability to do more, encourage them to improve. Constructive criticism can sometimes be difficult for employees to swallow but offer them training or offer them some form of incentive to doing well. Sit with each employee on a regular basis and discuss short term individual aims.
Team building is a brilliant way to enthuse employees, workshop days or even the occasional night out will encourage employees to become friendly with one another and will allow you to break down the ‘boss’ barrier that many people feel inhibited by. Not only will team building be an excellent way for employees to relax but can be a useful tool in training and re-illustrating your company views to them.
As already illustrated communication is the key, speak to your employees, break down any barriers and try to understand their own personal aims. If you don’t understand who your employees are then you will never motivate nor relate to them.
For further business advice contact IBD-UK specialists in helping people grow their business.
By Laura Davis
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Saturday, April 4, 2009
One No-Cost Step to Employee Motivation
One No-Cost Step to Employee Motivation
A simple, one-step practice that you can implement now to improve employee motivation, morale and increase productivity.
One No-Cost Step to Employee Motivation
Enlarge Image
How many times have you been asked "What are you going to do to motivate your employees?"
If you are like most people, you immediately start spouting off ideas about incentive programs, raises in compensation, or other actions that YOU intend to take. Unfortunately, that approach is ALL WRONG!
Webster defines motivation as a "condition of being motivated by a motivating force" which is further defined as a "stimulus, influence, incentive or drive." Now, as definitions go; this is not the best definition I have ever seen.
But what this does illustrate is the simple fact that motivation occurs when an individual is intrigued by an incentive or an internal drive. Simply stated, motivation is a personal and internalized state, unique to the individual. Only the employee has control over what is motivating to him. All you can do as a supervisor or manager is CREATE THE CONDITIONS that ALLOW THE EMPLOYEE TO BE SELF-MOTIVATED.
Now, if you are reading this article, you are closer to creating a solution than you think. This is because you are already genuinely and authentically interested in creating a better environment for your employees. Understanding this key concept of motivation is the first step to creating a motivating environment. Now its time to really focus on a simple method to increase employee involvement and therefore, increase employee self-motivation.
Firstly, know that your employees value your opinions, your insights, and your time. They value the effort you take to work with them to develop their skill sets and their careers.
This truth stems from a very basic reality of human nature. Everyone develops a need for positive regard; positive attention and consideration. Secondly, your employees value these actions because it enhances their self-image.
Coaching your employees and establishing clear career paths is an easy way to fulfill this need. Fear not; coaching need not be a complex system of playbooks and constant practice. It can be as simple as having your employees create a Personal Development Plan and meeting with them quarterly to review their progress.
Keep in mind that you should not create the plan FOR the employee. Rather the employee must create their own plan. This ensures the employee’s buy-in (and reduces the amount of time you must dedicate to coaching) and also ensures that the plan is MEANINGFUL and IMPORTANT to the employee. The plan should be specific with concrete objectives or goals, and should include specific target completion dates.
And, by meeting with the employee quarterly to review their progress, you are holding the employee accountable for THEIR OWN personal development. Because the employee created their own Development Plan, the employee only ends up disappointing themselves if they have made little or no progress.
Congratulations! You have just CREATED THE CONDITIONS that ALLOW your employees to BE SELF-MOTIVATED!
Implementing this simple step, which you too can easily do, will accomplish several things. Firstly, your employees will be more motivated (and hopefully, your superiors will never again ask you how you intend to motivate your employees!) Secondly, your employees will develop better technical skills-and they will do it faster.
Now, put this into practice and see what develops.
A simple, one-step practice that you can implement now to improve employee motivation, morale and increase productivity.
One No-Cost Step to Employee Motivation
Enlarge Image
How many times have you been asked "What are you going to do to motivate your employees?"
If you are like most people, you immediately start spouting off ideas about incentive programs, raises in compensation, or other actions that YOU intend to take. Unfortunately, that approach is ALL WRONG!
Webster defines motivation as a "condition of being motivated by a motivating force" which is further defined as a "stimulus, influence, incentive or drive." Now, as definitions go; this is not the best definition I have ever seen.
But what this does illustrate is the simple fact that motivation occurs when an individual is intrigued by an incentive or an internal drive. Simply stated, motivation is a personal and internalized state, unique to the individual. Only the employee has control over what is motivating to him. All you can do as a supervisor or manager is CREATE THE CONDITIONS that ALLOW THE EMPLOYEE TO BE SELF-MOTIVATED.
Now, if you are reading this article, you are closer to creating a solution than you think. This is because you are already genuinely and authentically interested in creating a better environment for your employees. Understanding this key concept of motivation is the first step to creating a motivating environment. Now its time to really focus on a simple method to increase employee involvement and therefore, increase employee self-motivation.
Firstly, know that your employees value your opinions, your insights, and your time. They value the effort you take to work with them to develop their skill sets and their careers.
This truth stems from a very basic reality of human nature. Everyone develops a need for positive regard; positive attention and consideration. Secondly, your employees value these actions because it enhances their self-image.
Coaching your employees and establishing clear career paths is an easy way to fulfill this need. Fear not; coaching need not be a complex system of playbooks and constant practice. It can be as simple as having your employees create a Personal Development Plan and meeting with them quarterly to review their progress.
Keep in mind that you should not create the plan FOR the employee. Rather the employee must create their own plan. This ensures the employee’s buy-in (and reduces the amount of time you must dedicate to coaching) and also ensures that the plan is MEANINGFUL and IMPORTANT to the employee. The plan should be specific with concrete objectives or goals, and should include specific target completion dates.
And, by meeting with the employee quarterly to review their progress, you are holding the employee accountable for THEIR OWN personal development. Because the employee created their own Development Plan, the employee only ends up disappointing themselves if they have made little or no progress.
Congratulations! You have just CREATED THE CONDITIONS that ALLOW your employees to BE SELF-MOTIVATED!
Implementing this simple step, which you too can easily do, will accomplish several things. Firstly, your employees will be more motivated (and hopefully, your superiors will never again ask you how you intend to motivate your employees!) Secondly, your employees will develop better technical skills-and they will do it faster.
Now, put this into practice and see what develops.
Friday, April 3, 2009
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