Motivating employees

The Importance of Intrinsic Motivation The key to motivating employees is understanding that people are motivated to do something by the belief that it is in their best interest. As a result, you cannot motivate someone else. You can only infl uence them once they become motivated. Thus, you have to improve your ability to infl uence your employees, so they feel motivated to do a good job. You can do this by helping them recognize how their welfare meshes with the organization’s. Then, they will be naturally motivated to work hard – because they believe it is in their best interest. This relationship between infl uence, motivation, and hard work occurs because motivation is within each person or “intrinsic. ” People are motivated when they want to do something and, therefore, act to achieve that goal. While external factors may affect employees, these factors are always shaped by their personal intrinsic concerns. Employees have to “buy into” the extrinsic stimuli by linking it with their intrinsic concerns. The Keys to Inspiring Intrinsic Motivation Three basic motivational keys provide this intrinsic motivation in the workplace. The three “C” are collaboration, content, and choice. Collaboration is critical, because people are more motivated to work hard when they want to cooperate and help others succeed. Content is essential, because people feel more inspired to work hard when they recognize how their work adds value to the organization and contributes to their “work community. ” And, choice is necessary because people are eager to work harder when they “feel empowered to make decisions about their work. ” Thus, you want to create an environment in the workplace based on these principles, so employees feel motivated to work hard and well. You can accomplish this three key ways: 1. Fear motivation – Fear motivates workers to work harder so they don’t lose their jobs. This approach can work in the short-term, but it can result in less cooperation and communication, and result in anger and resentment. 2. Incentive motivation – Incentives motivate employees to work hard for rewards. However, when you set up this expectation, workers can come to want even more rewards in the future. 3. Personal growth motivation – This helps employees fi nd more meaning and purpose in their work. It is really the best way to inspire long-term motivation. “If you really want to infl uence people’s motivation, you have to uncover their reasons for doing things, their purposes, and their causes. People aren’t going to be truly motivated for your reasons and goals. ” “People are motivated to do what they believe in is in their best interest. ” “Your expectations affect the behavior of your employees. If you expect better performance and trust employees to deliver, you’re likely to get it. ” This summary is restricted to the personal use of John Collins (johnwcollins@eaton.com) LoginContext[cu=798351,asp=1131,subs=1,free=0,lo=en,co=US] 2013-10-30 19:22:03 CET Motivating Employees © Copyright 2000 getAbstract.com 3 of 5 getAbstract c o m p r e s s e d k n o w l e d g e Understanding the Basic Principles of Human Nature The factors that motivate employees are rooted in basic principles of human nature, as described by authors Douglas McGregor and Abraham Maslow. McGregor discusses his concept of Theory X and Theory Y in his book The Human Side of Enterprise published in 1960. He distinguishes between Theory X managers and Theory Y managers. Theory X managers base their management style on the assumption that work is “inherently distasteful. ” Theory X managers believe that most people are lazy, unambitious, and irresponsible. They prefer close supervision and are motivated primarily by money. By contrast, Theory Y managers assume that people really like their work, are committed to it, fi nd recognition and self-fulfi llment as important as money, like to express self-direction, and want responsibility. Theory X managers are more control-oriented and directive, while Theory Y are more empowerment-oriented and encourage people to be more creative and grow in their work. McGregor’s theory is useful for understanding different ways of interacting with employees and how they may respond. Maslow bases his theory on the needs that motivate behavior. He proposes that people are motivated, fi rst, by their fundamental physiological needs for food, shelter, water, and air. Next, they are motivated by the need for security and safety. At the third level, people are motivated by social needs, for instance, the need for belonging and respect. At the fourth level, people seek fulfi llment of ego needs: self-esteem, status, and recognition. Finally, at the fi fth level, self-actualization motivates people, who need to realize their “personal potential,” and to become all they can be. You should understand the different needs that drive different people. Each person is unique, with individual talents and skills. Learn by watching people work, talking to them, or doing employee surveys, so you can better meet the needs of different employees. Encourage Entrepreneurial Thinking Help employees think more like entrepreneurs. Explain the nature of the company and demonstrate how it functions and makes money. Help employees better understand the competition and encourage them to take intelligent risks. Inspire them to engage in “innovative thinking. ” As part of this empowerment process, support your employees if they make mistakes and treat errors as learning opportunities. You might set up special training programs or brainstorming sessions to teach your employees more about the company, to allow them to provide input in how it can improve, and to explore their ideas. The Need to Link Motivation to Performance Help your employees feel more motivated by linking motivation to performance. Build a connection between their interests and the organization’s. Major ways you can help increase their employees’ performance include: • Make their work more challenging. • Help them see the big picture and how they fi t into it. • Set clear standards. Specifi cally describe what you expect. Defi ne good performance and delineate unacceptable performance. • Clarify each employee’s responsibilities, including situations that require extra work. “You can’t motivate other people. You can only infl uence what they’re motivated to do. ” “Your goal as a manager should be to help employees identify their welfare with that of the organization. When that happens, they will naturally feel motivated to work hard – because it’s in their best interests to do so. ” “Whatever part these external factors play in motivation, they’re always subject to our individual, intrinsic concerns – that is, we have to buy into them. ” “When employees identify their own welfare with that of their employer, they’ll work harder. ” This summary is restricted to the personal use of John Collins (johnwcollins@eaton.com) LoginContext[cu=798351,asp=1131,subs=1,free=0,lo=en,co=US] 2013-10-30 19:22:03 CET Motivating Employees © Copyright 2000 getAbstract.com 4 of 5 getAbstract c o m p r e s s e d k n o w l e d g e • Help your employees “buy into higher performance standards,” so they are willing to accept these goals. • Decide on a plan of action, including specifi c tasks you expect each person to do. Be willing to revise your expectations as necessary. • Observe your employees in action and follow-up as necessary to provide feedback. • Be clear about the rewards you will give your employees if they meet or exceed the performance goals and standards you have set. You can use a number of different types of positive reinforcement to help you motivate them, such as greater autonomy, more responsibility, promotions, special recognitions, and greater visibility in the organization. In making this link between motivation and performance, you should expect the best from your employees, because expectations infl uence behavior. Researchers call this the “Pygmalion Effect. ” If you are confi dent your employees will do better, they generally will. To apply this Pygmalion principle in the workplace, create a high-performance environment based on high expectations. Then, share the rewards of successful performance, through special recognition, praise, profi t-sharing, or bonuses. Inspire others to perform at even higher levels by creating a work environment where people really like what they do. Make work fun. Getting Your Employees to Accept Responsibility for Motivation As you infl uence employees to become more motivated, teach them to “rely on themselves to stay motivated. ” Get them to accept self-responsibility, which includes recognizing that they are responsible for their own success. Promote this sense of initiative by giving your employees responsibility for achieving something alone. Be sure you also give them the authority and power to do it their own way. You have to give up some of your power, to do this, but sharing power improves performance. Power-sharing is also at the heart of promoting another great motivator: the entrepreneurial spirit. You can share your power and redefi ne the manager-employee relationship several ways. You can “enlarge every employee’s circle of infl uence,” by increasing the ways each employee interacts with other employees. You can defi ne jobs more broadly, so employees have room to be more creative and exercise more autonomy. You can eliminate unnecessary rules and policies that hamper employees. Feeling Hope and Trust Along with giving your employees more power and responsibility, you also need to tell them you believe in their abilities. Show that you trust them, since trust is the foundation of all relationships. Then, demonstrate trust and respect. Show them they can trust you as well by keeping your promises and expecting others to keep theirs. Trust requires being a good, inspiring role model and living by the values of the organization and by your personal values. Be optimistic