As strong nurse leaders work to motivate staff, they bring the organization closer to goals such as quality care and staff retention. Their working knowledge of the environmental factors that influence employee behavior and a rounded view of individual employee development can help leaders improve the workplace, boosting motivation. Motivation comes from within the individual, rather than from his supervisors. Good motivators appeal to employees' desires, rather than their fears. People's basic motivator is their desire to work, and that motivation is fed by expectations for financial and nonfinancial rewards.
Leaders also augment financial rewards with nonfinancial ones.
Rewards such as autonomy and decision-making participation enable employees to achieve social satisfaction on the job, and meaningful social relations are often a prerequisite for productive effort. Recognition is often a strong motivational factor, since each employee wants to be recognized and feel that she has a skill that others don't possess. Leaders can gauge employee motivation by observing personnel and their interactions in the institution. Looking for internal equilibrium and diagnosing possible sources of interference, leaders may notice employees' feelings toward their work, fellow workers, prestige and status, and employer. Leaders combine these observations with employees' reactions to work hours, earnings, and personnel policies to analyze motivation.