Motivation in the Workplace

In an office or other workplace the manager of the workers is assigned the task to keep the latter motivated to do their job in the best capacity. This is one of the various responsibilities of the manager. He has to ensure that the employees are satisfied with the work environment and job. They also need to have a positive outlook and be interested in the progress of the department, firm, or their own skills. For all this, a basic understanding of human nature is also important. Research has been undertaken in this field, notably by Douglas McGregor (Theory Y), Frederick Herzberg (Two factor motivation hygiene theory,) Abraham Maslow (Theory Z, Hierarchy of needs), Elton Mayo (Hawthorne Experiments) Chris Argyris Rensis Likert and David McClelland (Achievement motivation.) Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus: Job performance =f (ability)(motivation) Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement is a slow and long process. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly. There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Positive reinforcement / High expectations Effective discipline Treating people fairly Satisfying employee needs Setting work related goals Restructuring jobs Base rewards on job performance

There is mostly a gap between actual state of an individual and his desired state. The manager has the task of reducing this gap. Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. The motivator then aims to motivate the person in a particular direction. This motivational system needs to suit the organisation as well. Job security is easily the highest rated motivator. Next are advancement, job profile and company profile. Job satisfaction makes the individual confident about his place in the group/organisation. Intense competition within the group can be counter-productive. Every worker needs to know if he has a long-term survival scope in the company. After that they are more agreeable to contribute to new ideas, obedience and conformance to rules/restrictions. Reasons to Run The workplace sometimes is an eternal rat race; people chasing and outrunning others. There are specific motives that empower each worker to strive for success or excellence. Knowing the reason and at times providing a reason to run the best creates a winning corporate entity. A good motivation provides compensation, boosts morale and improves quality of life. 1. What the employee wants: Some people work for money, some for personal fulfillment, some for love of what they do and still others to make a change in the workplace or society. One cannot always assign similarities to all the people in different organisations for their motivations. But understanding these can go a long way in maintaining their enthusiasm and output. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: The most basic motivator is providing dignity and respect to the staff. In subtle or demonstrative ways, one can give and as a reciprocal gain respect at the workplace. Simple actions and words can change the way the people function and treat each other. Respect for a fellow worker is essential in cordial and productive relations. Feedback with Impact: The manner in which the feedback is delivered also impacts motivation. Sincere and objective feedback is important but it should be used to guide and not de-motivate people. Thus the delivery of such feedback should take into consideration the events, premises and reasons for performance issues. Show your appreciation: Showing your appreciation to co-workers and others at the office can be done any day of the year. Be vocal about your Thank You. Identify actions you find admirable. Celebrate small occasions and gift someone when they deserve it. Trust Tops: Trust is the most essential aspect in a group or department for collective growth and achievement. Trust forms the basic foundation for effective communication, employee retention, motivation and group dynamics success. Without trust there can be no productive relationships at the workplace. Empowering the worker is also a way to build trust. Motivational recognition: Providing rewards or promotions without reason or achievement can raise doubts. Employers need to be clear about why someone has been rewarded. Others need to be shown what they have lacked and how to rectify the same. Also people who meet the criteria and were not selected mysteriously would lose all motivation. Clarifying the appraisal process for everybody is in the best interest of the employer and the employee. Raising Recognition: Often bosses point out as to why anyone should be recognised, after all the person is doing his job. Successful bosses recognise the value of prioritising recognition. Small gestures go a long way in keeping the momentum up to desired expectations. Most employees feel more secure and content on getting recognition from their immediate boss. A personally written note, a verbal appreciation or a public show of achievement are useful in getting the level of recognition to rise in the eyes of the employee and others.

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Retain performers: One of the key duties of the manager or employer is to retain their top performers. Yet they lose these good employees. Losing them costs more than their annual salary to the company. Exit interview is a must to understand this aspect of exodus from a company. 9. Delegation of Authority: Apart from division of labour another aspect to motivating the staff is to empower them with some amount of authority. These maybe choices, special roles, consultation, etc. Delegating the authority eases the managers workload while he can review to get an overall picture. The employees feel responsible, appreciated and valued. 10. Mentor: It is always difficult to build capable employees. Equal opportunity or training courses dont build employees. Someone taking time out to help a fellow worker, to show him the ropes, is what makes practically efficient workforce. This eases the pressure on key people and also the workflow is smooth in their absence due to capable people who have been taught to fish rather than being given ready fish.

Create a Motivational Workplace

Every person is motivated. The challenge at work is to create an environment in which people are motivated about work priorities. Too often, organizations fail to pay attention to the employee relations, communication, recognition, and involvement issues that are most important to people. The first step in creating a motivating work environment is to stop taking actions that are guaranteed to demotivate people. Identify and take the actions that will motivate people. Its a balancing act. Employers walk a fine line between meeting the needs of the organization and its customers and meeting the needs of its internal staff. Do both well and thrive. When you think of motivation, then, you first expect that every individual has motivation, the will to become invested and involved to the point of action, in some aspect of life. Second the employer must provide a work environment that fosters and enables motivation in people. You need to identify and tap into the intrinsic motivation each person has. Third, motivation is often induced with recognition and rewards that appeal to an individual. The key with recognition is to provide motivational resources that match what motivates your employees. An unmotivated staff will cost you dearly. An attention-getting Gallup Poll about disengaged employees was highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal. Gallup found 19 percent of 1,000 people interviewed "actively disengaged" at work. These workers complain that they don't have the tools they need to do their jobs. They don't know what is expected of them. Their bosses don't listen to them. Based on these interviews and survey data from its consulting practice, Gallup says actively disengaged workers cost employers $292 billion to $355 billion a year. Furthermore, Gallup concluded that disengaged workers miss more days of work and are less loyal to employers.

Important aspects of Motivation

In today's turbulent, often chaotic, environment, commercial success depends on employees using their full talents. Yet in spite of the myriad of available theories and practices, managers often view motivation as something of a mystery. In part this is because individuals are motivated by different things and in different ways. In addition, these are times when de-layering and the flattening of hierarchies can create insecurity and lower staff morale. Moreover, more staff than ever before are working part time or on limited-term contracts, and these employees are often especially hard to motivate. Definition of Employee Motivation "The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service." (An Honest Day's Work (1988)) Advantages of Employee Motivation A positive motivation philosophy and practice should improve productivity, quality, and service. Motivation helps people:

achieve goals gain a positive perspective create the power to change build self-esteem and capability manage their own development and help others with theirs.

Disadvantages of Motivating Staff There are no real disadvantages to successfully motivating employees, but there are many barriers to overcome. Barriers may include unaware or absent managers, inadequate buildings, outdated equipment, and entrenched attitudes, for example:

"We don't get paid extra to work harder." "We've always done it this way." "Our bosses don't have a clue about what we do." "It doesn't say that in my job description." "I'm going to do as little as possible without getting fired."

Such views will take persuasion, perseverance, and the proof of experience to break down.

Leadership
Introduction : This section encourages one to change the way one thinks about leadership. It is not about position. Leadership is everybodys business. It is for men, women and children. It is for families, business and communities. It is for every individual. In todays world leadership is needed. People of all ages from all backgrounds are needed to take advantage of the myriad of opportunities that exist to make a difference. The path to leadership begins in the mind. Leaders think differently. They see the world differently. We all possess the capacity for leadership, but only those who cultivate it will ever become truly effective leaders. By providing articles and, features we would like to encourage you to develop the leader in you to become an active participant in shaping your future and the future of others. The word leadership can refer to: 1. 2. 3. the process of leading the concept of leading those entities that perform one or more acts of leading. One can categorize the exercise of leadership as either actual or potential: actual - giving guidance or direction, as in the phrase "the emperor has provided satisfactory leadership". potential - the capacity or ability to lead, as in the phrase "she could have exercised effective leadership"; or in the concept "born to lead".

In both cases, as a result of the constancy of change some people detect within the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the act of learning appears fundamental to certain types of leading and leadership. When learning and leadership coalescee, one could characterize this as "learnership". Leadership can't have a formal aspect (as in most political or business leadership) or an informal one (as in most friendships). Speaking of "leadership" (the abstract term) rather than of "leading" (the action) usually implies that the entities doing the leading have some "leadership skills" or competencies. Several types of entities may provide or exhibit leadership, actual or potential, including:

a person in a position or office of authority, such as a President or a chairperson a person in a position or office associated with expertise, skill, or experience, such as a team leader, a ship's captain, a chief engineer, a chief, or a parent a group or person in the vanguard of some trend or movement, as in fashion trend-setters a group of respected people, (called a "reference group" by sociologists) such as business commentators or union spokespersons a product that influences other product offerings in a competitive marketplace

Leadership can come from an individual, a collective group of leaders, or even from the disincarnate if not mystical characteristics of a celebrity figurehead. Yet other usages have a "leadership" which does little active leading, but to which followers show great (often traditional) respect (compare the courtesy title reverend). Followers often endow the leader with status or prestige. Aside from the prestige-role sometimes granted to inspirational leaders, a more mundane usage of the word "leadership" can designate current front-runners that exercise influence over competitors, for example, a corporation or a product can hold a position of "market leadership" without any implication of permanence or of merited respect. Note that the ability to influence others does form an integral part of the "leadership" of some but not all front-runners. A front-runner in a sprint may "lead" the race, but does not have a position of "leadership" if he does not have the potential to influence others in some way. Thus one can make an important distinction between "being in the lead" and the process of leadership. Leadership implies a relationship of power the power to guide others.

Leadership
Delegating :The Basics

The road to leadership is paved with actionwith doing. Leaders are characterized by doing what other people dont want to do. They do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. While this is an invaluable trait, it can be taken to an extreme and become your biggest liability. At some point you have to rely on other people to help you do what needs to be done. Delegating is that skill that will benefit you and those whom you lead. Delegating is a way of increasing your time. It allows you the freedom to focus on what you should be accomplishing and to better see the big picture. Only do those tasks that nobody else can do. Determine what it is you will delegate. Look at what you do and ask yourself if this is really where you should be spending your time. All routine activities and minor decisions should be delegated to others. Also, any tasks that should be performed when you are not there or unavailable are also candidates for delegation. Never keep work simply because you do it better. Delegating certain tasks to others is a way of developing and endorsing those you lead. Delegating allows people to learn by doing, to take risks and to build confidence. It is one of the best ways to develop that person for further responsibilities and their own leadership responsibilities. Finally, delegation is a discipline. You've got to work at it.

Leadership
Relationships : Changing Your Approach Roger Nierneberg is well known as an orchestra builder and also the inventor of the highly successful educational leadership program involving conducting, called The Music Paradigm. In The Daily Leader, a newsletter distributed to participants at the Linkage Global Institute for Leadership Development Conference in 2002, Nierneberg recalled a story of how his experience in conducting has transformed his leadership skills. The Music Paradigm has transformed my leadership in so many ways. There is one story in particular that was a turning point for me as a conductor and leader. The larger instruments (i.e. double basses) take a longer time to produce a sound. These instruments tend to be slower and later than other instruments. As an inexperienced conductor, my immediate reaction was to tell them they were late this seemed like the fastest way to solve the problem. I did not solve the problem, but rather created another. I not only had a timing issue, but now I had an unhappy bass section because they were embarrassed and felt badly about their performance. With experience, I addressed the problem in a different way by asking them to play earlier. I learned a valuable lesson through this request. By asking the bass section to play a leadership role by setting the tempo for the entire orchestra, their role was more active and engaged. I altered my relationship with the basses as well as their relationship with the rest of the orchestra. My bass section was happy and felt successful.

Leadership
Leadership Development : Thirteen Mistakes Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall started out in life as a newspaperman, eventually working for the Detroit News. Upon America's entry into World War II, he was given a commission as a major and was assigned to the Army Historical Section. His studies of World War II combat began in the Pacific, where he covered the landings on Makin Island and Kwajalein. After a battle on Makin, he asked the survivors questions about their experience in combat, which he referred to as the "after-action interview." After his work in the Pacific, Marshall interviewed those who fought in Europe, becoming chief historian of the European Theater of Operations. His experience and the evidence he amassed provided the basis for his pioneering and most controversial book, Men Against Fire, which was published in 1947. In his 1966 book, The Officer as a Leader he shared thirteen mistakes leaders should avoid that are worth considering: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. To attempt to set up your own standard of right and wrong. To try to measure the enjoyment of others by your own. To expect uniformity of opinions in the world. To fail to make allowance for inexperience. To endeavor to mold all dispositions alike. Not to yield on unimportant trifles. To look for perfection in our own actions. To worry others and ourselves about what can't be remedied. Not to help everybody wherever, however, whenever we can. To consider impossible what we cannot ourselves perform. To believe only what our finite minds can grasp. Not to make allowances for the weaknesses of others.

13. To estimate by some outside quality, when it is that within which makes the man.

Leadership Development : Leadership Begins at Home Parents are the earliest and most influential influences on a child. Their examples profoundly affect the kind of leaders they become. Leadership training takes time (think quantity not just "quality") and guidance in every facet of a childs life from early on. Additionally, leadership needs to be modeled by the parents. It helps if you view all of this in the longterm. The big picture view assists in smoothing out the immature peaks and valleys and helps keep your goals on track. Here are some (not comprehensive) ideas to think on:

Take time to know your child. Working with a childs personality, a parent needs to learn to develop that childs individual traits and abilities and sometimes temper strengths that left unchecked would become a liability. For example, an assertive, outgoing personality is a great trait in a leader, but without self-control it can be seen as overly aggressive and controlling. Take the time to point out where they can learn from the example of others. Use examples and outcomes of decisions of both right and wrong approaches to situations. Teach them cause and effect. Choices have consequences. Take the time to understand what problems and issues your child is dealing with and then guide them to the right decisions by applying the right principles. By instilling principles rather than pat answers to problems, you will give them tools to work with that they can apply over and over again in their life. Take the time to praise them when they make the right choices and gently show them the choice they missed when they go astray. Give them age appropriate responsibilities and let them stand or fall on their choices. (Note: Self-esteem comes from knowing you did do or are doing the right thing and should be praised. Its not generated from unsupported, manipulative comments designed to make kidsor anyone else for that matter feel good.) Take the time to involve them in family activities and work. This will help them learn teamwork (sharing and considering others) and a good work ethic.

Why do all this? Pat Williams (senior vice president of the Orlando Magic) in his book, Coaching Your Kids to be Leaders, quotes Jackson University football coach Steve Gilbert, I tell young people, "It feels good to be a leader!" Success and failure are part of the adventure of life. Young people need to see that good leaders are important in their communityand there are great rewards for being a good leader. Those rewards include a sense of satisfaction and a feeling that what you are doing is meaningful and significant. You dont always win when you lead, but thats okay. Young people should be rewarded and encouraged for stepping up and leading, no matter whether they succeed or fail.

Leadership Development : Heard Any Bad News Lately? Every company, even the most successful, has bad news, usually lots of it. Are you letting trouble build? Shortly after the Enron scandle, educator Warren Bennis told the New York Times, "Unlike top management at Enron, exemplary leaders reward dissent. They encourage it. They understand that, whatever momentary discomfort they experience as a result of being told they might be wrong, it is more than offset by the fact that the information will help them make better decisions." When organizations and people let trouble build, we usually end up reading about it. Trouble once uncovered and dealt with early on, can usually be solved or at least contained. It is difficult to be aware of everything going on. It is quite common for leaders to find themselves in the position of the last ones to know. Subordinates generally do not like speaking up with any information that could be construed as negative constructive or not. It will be talked about to be sure, but not to you. A leader must create a climate where the information they need to function effectively gets back to them. Perhaps it goes without saying that a leader must make it clear that there is no threat of retaliation but that they genuinely want to get feedback from those who have their interests and the interests of the organization at heart. Most messages people get are like Samuel Goldwyns tonguein-cheek comment to his staff, "I don't want yes-men around me. I want everyone to tell the truth, even if it costs him or her his or her job." It becomes a question about what we value. Do we value the ability to talk to each other about facts over convenient lies? What the leader values will become the culture of whole organization. Demonstrate the need to look outside your

comfort zone. The only way to get good feedback is to ask. Asking for feedback is not easy and not everyone is capable of giving you the kind of answers you seek. Some simply don't want to, aren't aware enough or do not have the right attitude for the request. Over time, surround yourself with people you value and respect that are willing and honest enough to provide you with the kind of constructive feedback you need about yourself and the organization or unit you are leading.

Leadership Development : Why Leaders Fail - Part 1 Donald Trump, paragon of the real estate world, files for bankruptcy. Richard Nixon, 37th U.S. President, resigns the presidency over the Watergate scandal. Jennifer Capriati, rising tennis star, enters a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. Jim Bakker, renowned televangelist, is convicted of fraud. In the recent past, we've witnessed the public downfall of leaders from almost every area of endeavorbusiness, politics, religion, and sports. One day they're on top of the heap, the next, the heap's on top of them. Of course, we think that such catastrophic failure could never happen to us. We've worked hard to achieve our welldeserved positions of leadershipand we won't give them up for anything! The bad news is: the distance between beloved leader and despised failure is shorter than we think. Ken Maupin, a practicing psychotherapist and colleague, has built his practice on working with high-performance personalities, including leaders in business, religion, and sports. Ken and I have often discussed why leaders fail. Our discussions have led to the following "warning signs" of impending failure.

WARNING SIGN #1: A Shift in Focus

This shift can occur in several ways. Often, leaders simply lose sight of what's important. The laser-like focus that catapulted them to the top disappears, and they become distracted by the trappings of leadership, such as wealth and notoriety. Leaders are usually distinguished by their ability to "think big." But when their focus shifts, they suddenly start thinking small. They micro manage, they get caught up in details better left to others, they become consumed with the trivial and unimportant. And to make matters worse, this tendency can be exacerbated by an inclination toward perfectionism. A more subtle leadership derailer is an obsession with "doing" rather than "becoming." The good work of leadership is usually a result of who the leader is. What the leader does then flows naturally from inner vision and character. It is possible for a leader to become too action oriented and, in the process, lose touch with the more important development of self. What is your primary focus right now? If you can't write it on the back of your business card, then it's a sure bet that your leadership is suffering from a lack of clarity. Take the time necessary to get your focus back on what's important. Further, would you describe your thinking as expansive or contractive? Of course, you always should be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, but try never to take on what others can do as well as you. In short, make sure that your focus is on leading rather than doing.

Leadership Development : First Class Noticer Warren Bennis suggests that we learn to observe closely and accurately. To become what writer Saul Bellow calls a "First-Class Noticer." This part of what he considers to be the single most important attribute of successful leaders. Essentially being a first-class noticer means to get out and learn as much as you can. Primarily we must learn how to learn. This involves some introspection to discover just how you learn and then to get out and do it. Expose yourself to that which is not "common" to you. Be open to experience. Bennis states that when those who lack adaptive capacity hit a rough patch, they tend to shut down and scar over. The fortunate remain hungry for experience no matter how severely they are tested. Look for experiences that are new and different and seize opportunities. Develop relationships with people who are different from the people you ordinarily have relationships with, especially those that come from different backgrounds and age groups. See movies and plays, read books and visit museums. These will broaden your outlook and develop a deeper well from which to draw from. Above all, Bennis reminds us to stay comfortable with "not knowing ... but finding out." In this world, do we need a better reminder than what happened on September 11, 2001? We have to be at ease with uncertainty, chaos, and complexity

and not settle for the easy answer and the silver bullet. They don't exist in today's world. Never did, actually.