Motivating Employees

It is said that incentives play a major role in motivating your employees and encouraging them to achieve higher goals. In any organization, incentives work because employees are then goal-driven and push themselves to achieve their targets.

Each organization has a reward system in place to motivate their employees. This reward system is based on incentives like an increase in the salary, cash, gift or a holiday. Compensation is offered to each employee based on his or her performance on the job. Incentives are usually seen as short term motivators for employees. Hence, incentives are used a lot to motivate sales employees so that they achieve their targets.

The role of incentives is not to overload the employees with excess work but to realize their accomplishments and make them feel an important part of the business. Incentives allow the employees to take on responsibilities and in turn increase their job satisfaction. However, along with incentives, appreciation, positive feedback and praises are also important to motivate employees.

Most organizations give incentives to employees annually or on a target basis. It is important to give incentives on a timely basis so that employees can see the immediate benefit of accomplishing their goal.

One must understand that each employee has his own characteristics and each employee has different motivational needs. Your business can actually be taken to a new level if you develop a sense of understanding about how you should motivate your employees. Incentives, by far, motivate most types of employees to a certain extent. Incentives also play an important role to retain employees. A proper reward system should be enforced for people who have been in the organization for long years.

While rewarding employees, some of the key elements that are taken into account are day to day performance, enthusiasm, punctuality, willingness to accomplish a task, ability to innovate and ideate and overall fulfillment of goals.

One should also take care that employees don’t just work for financial incentives. One should create an environment where employees love to come to work because they enjoy their jobs. HR managers and bosses should use incentives to motivate employees but should do so judiciously. Incentives also motivate the employees when you want them to go that extra mile to achieve your targets!

It is said that people tend to develop certain leadership styles from the environment that they live in and the culture that they are brought up in. These styles which are derived from certain motivational drives affect humans in their thinking pattern, actions and behaviour. There are three drives that dominate leadership styles. These drives are Achievement motivation, affiliation motivation and power motivation.

Different leaders have different motivational drives. In the first style, achievement, goal setting and success is very important to these leaders. If they are given a project, they work not just for the rewards that are associated with it but for the challenge that the project poses. Leaders who are high on achievement motive want to receive personal credits for their efforts. Such leaders find it difficult to delegate work to their team members because they often feel that they will not be able to complete the task the way they will complete it. Such leaders strive for excellence and performance. As leaders, these people expect their employees to also be achievement driven.

Affiliation motivation is a drive to relate to people on a social basis. When you compare people with high achievement motivation in relation to people with high affiliation motivation it is seen that the two patterns of behaviour diverge significantly. Leaders who are high on affiliation motivation work harder when they are complemented for their friendly attitude and co-operation with their team. These set of people value relationship and tend to be sensitive. These leaders want job freedom to develop the relationships at work place. These leaders are great while handling a team and getting work done from each employee.

Power motivation is a drive that urges people to influence other people, take control and take charge and change situations. People who are high on power motivation are in born leaders. These people are willing to take risks to achieve certain changes.  Positional power in these leaders is used within the context of an organization to influence and motivate other employees for the overall progress of the company. Out of the three, people with positional power motivation that they use for legitimate purpose are most likely to rise to the top through consistent and successful performance.

Every individual needs motivation to work- be it intrinsic motivation that he/she generates himself/herself or extrinsic motivation that he/she gets from an external environment. Nonetheless, motivation is a huge factor in an organization especially for employees to work harder and put in their best.

Intrinsic, meaning internal motivation is a technique to feel a driving force which will lead towards accomplishment of your goals. In common terms, intrinsic motivation is a passion or interest in doing a good job. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation comes from outside, i.e, from the environment. Money, competition, awards and accolades, appreciation and praise are all examples of extrinsic motivation. While both forms of motivation are important for employees to put in their best in an organization, employees who are intrinsically motivated will work because they derive pleasure from their work. If they do not like a particular job they will not be motivated to do it even if they are offered better salary than other employees.

HR managers trigger the intrinsic motivation in employees by giving them a definite purpose or a goal which they are passionate about. They fill their employees with passion and make them believe in what the company sells. Presenting challenging jobs to employees who are internally motivated can help the organization to perform better. Creative visualization is a technique that can be used to motivate employees intrinsically. Creative visualization gives an individual that power through which one can see their ideas and images related to the goal.

Most organizations strive to motivate their employees extrinsically. All employees are motivated to work harder for their rewards, incentives, bonus etc. However, managers must remember that money is not everything. One needs to understand the need of the employee and reward him or her accordingly. Along with rewards, recognition is something that can be a huge source of motivation for most employees. Recognition and appreciation is greatly valued when it is received on time. You can keep your employees motivated by simply saying “good work”. Organization is a place that is full of opportunities for employees to grow and widen their knowledge. Employee development is as important as rewards and recognition to motivate your employees

Employees contribute significantly to the growth and development of the organization. At the core of every thriving business, lies the tireless involvement of employees. If employees are good and their performance is up to the mark, the business has no reasons to get worried. Management realises the value of employees and that’s why they keep putting lots of efforts into keeping their spirits high. Employees need to be motivated to give their bests. Apart from several other motivational programs, organizations also conduct motivational games for employees. These games are an excellent way of keeping them motivated and they add the fun factor as well.

Motivational games keep employees inspired and happy and the combination of these two crucial factors proves extremely beneficial for organizations. Games for employees also help the organization come together and function as a team. It promotes teamwork. Employees are from different backgrounds and games contribute in weaving the concept of teamwork into the largely diverse background.

Puzzle Games are quite popular among the employees. Staff members are broken down in different groups and handed over puzzles to solve. Whichever team solves the most puzzles within the fixed deadline is declared winner. Tug-o-War is another usual game fixture that involves two teams pulling the rope towards their side. One who manages to pull over the other team is declared winner. One of the employee motivation games is blindfolded obstacle course that provides lots of fun and learning. Separate teams are made up and blindfolded. A route destination is decided and obstacles like lamps, chairs, tables etc are placed all along the way. The blindfolded members have to find their way individually. He is assisted by one member who has his eyes open and who instructs them verbally. When all the members of a particular team reaches destination in the shortest time duration, the team is declared a winner.

There are several other popular motivational games like ‘Balloon Blowing’, ‘Talk all the way’ which is very helpful for introvert and talkative employees. The game helps in breaking the ice between different team members and allows them to know each other in a better way. Cricket, basketball, volleyball and ‘Light the Fire’ are some other fascinating motivational games for employees.

In any organization, human resource is one of the biggest resources that an organization has which contributed to its overall growth and profitability. To maximize employee productivity, organizations need to focus on two areas i.e. personal employee motivation and the work environment. Motivation is one of the key factors that lead to employee productivity. Challenging goals, incentives, rewards and recognition, appreciation and accolades, salary, bonus, increments are all types of employee motivation that have known to increase employee productivity at work place.

If team leaders and managers are able to motivate the employees through their goals, projects and interesting work, one can sure see an increase in the enthusiasm of employees to accomplish that work. Along with this, it is also important to recognize each and every employee who is involved in accomplishing a project. Rewards and verbal appreciation have known to boost the morale of an employee and in turn increase their productivity.

In an organization, the work environment must also encourage employees. A motivating work environment is one where no employee is treated in an unfair manner. All employees must be treated respectfully. It is essential for a manager to give each employee a feeling of playing an important role in the organization or social media.

One important tool for increasing productivity is praising your employees for the good work done. Praises have known to be very effective in raising employee productivity. Even simple words like ‘well done’, ‘good job’, and ‘perfectly executed’ can go a long way in motivating your employees and increasing their productivity. Praises are something that many managers tend to ignore but if used wisely can benefit a lot.

Along with praises, clear goals are also important for employees to be motivated to work harder. Set realistic objectives and challenging but achievable targets for employees to be motivated enough to accomplish the target. Communication is important to increase the overall productivity of the employees. Not only does clear communication helps the employees to know their job well, but it also motivates them to maximize productivity. Along with good working conditions and feasible work environment, employee productivity depends a lot upon motivation. Hence, managers must make sure to put in every effort to motivate their employees and in turn increase employee productivity.

The quotes have the power to change people’s destiny. Agreed, it is merely few words but then, what goes behind those words is what actually matters. These motivating quotes demonstrate belief, conviction, courage and a lifetime of experience. Words can be the most powerful and effective tool in every sphere of life including home, school, business or workplace. To motivate employees, an organization does what it needs to do yet few goals remain beyond the periphery of achievements. These goals can be accomplished with the power of employee motivation quotes.

Words have always been strong weapon in the hands of employers. Right usage of words can motivate employees to stratospheric heights and demoralising words can peg them back. Sometimes, just a simple ‘Thank You’ or ‘Well Done’ can go a long way in motivating employees. Using employee motivation quote can be extremely effective in increasing the productivity of the employees and also in enhancing their morale. Let’s check out some impactful quotes that can be wonderfully used to motivate the workforce.

Being committed to some goal in your life – a sense of having a mission, a purpose, even a calling – is a very motivating, very comforting thing. Some people’s mission steps up to greet them; others have to hunt theirs down.

–      Anonymous.

Build upon strengths, and weaknesses will gradually take care of themselves.

-       Joyce C. Lock

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.

-       Norman Vincent Peale

The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fibre.

-        William Mather Lewis.

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

-        Martin Luther King, Jr.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

-       Henry David Thoreau

One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.

–      Sheila Murray Bethel.

If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.

-       David Viscott.

Square your shoulders to the world, be not the kind to quit; It’s not the load that weighs your down but the way you carry it.

–      Anonymous.

Courage is about doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.

-        Eddie Rickenbacker.

Things will happen in your life that you can’t stop, but that’s no reason to shut out the world. There’s a purpose for the good and for the bad.

–      Walter Sparrow, Now and Then.

“For every person who doubts you, tells you, you will fail, try twice as hard to prove them wrong.

–       Anonymous.

Don’t’ let the low times keep you down. Learn from them and reach for the high times.

–      David Wiemers.

Accept everything about yourself. I mean everything. You are you, and that is the beginning and the end; No apologies, no regrets.

–      Clark Montanas.

If you believe in yourself, things are possible.

–      Shannon Macmillan.

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.

-       Winston Churchill

Above all, challenge yourself. You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you have, what you can accomplish.

–      Cecile Springer.

The economic downturn faced by world economy is extremely vicious. Many people lost their jobs, unemployment rate was into double figure, many companies had to shut their doors and the resources became hard to come by. The period of 2008-09 took a heavy toll on finances. Customers started to cut back on their expenses, demand for products and services hit an all time low and the fall in stocks prices led to depleted bank balance. It was an extremely tough period for employees because many of them got laid off and the rest had to adjust with reduced salaries. Retaining a job became more important than earning high salaries. Management had a hard time convincing employees that situation is under control. These types of situations lead to increased anxiety levels in the company. How could employee productivity be maintained to its optimum when they don’t have the job security? Motivating employees during recession is a tough task but definitely not impossible.

Recession tests the real ability of organization to stay afloat and keep the flock together. More often not, management thinks of downsizing the organization and that takes place only by terminating certain number of employees. The second option favored by companies is of restructuring the business to a small size. Company is hard pressed to take tough decisions but for the survival of the business, these decisions become mandatory.

Management needs to be honest with the workforce. It should explain why things are happening, what are the consequences and how can we overcome the troubled times ahead. Because of recession, priorities of the organization changes and these changes must be conveyed to the team. Hiding the real facts won’t help the cause. To maintain the workplace motivation, management need to state things as it is and should also present its expectations. Employees are lot more co-operative than you might give them credit for.

Management should never display panic or make gloomy forecasts. It is important to let the employees know that you are in control of the situation. Management should lead by example. Employee motivation during recession is very much a handiwork of able leaders. The leaders can create a positive environment even during downturn and keep employees motivated. Other significant steps to motivate employees during recession are, creating suitable strategies, keeping lines of communication open, focussing on the future and finally, nipping gossips in the bud.

: Image courtesy businessweek.com

One of the most important assets of any organization is its employees. Keeping employees motivated is one of the key roles of any organization as it leads to increase in overall productivity and profitability of that company. It is mainly the department of Human Resource that takes care of employee motivation. Salary, incentives, good working atmosphere, appreciation, healthy environment are some of the common aspects that motivate an employee at work.

Every individual needs motivation to work- be it intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation. Nonetheless, motivation is a huge push in an organization especially for employees. It is the job of the main manager in an organization to get the work done through the employees working under him. Hence it is important for a manager to motivate his/her employees to perform. However, motivation is a concept that is not tangible and so it is not as easy to measure the same!

Team days are essentially a good way to motivate your employees. Team days means fixing on a day where all the employees are called to be present at a particular location preferably not office, but a location like a resort. Team days are essential because it gives them a chance to interact with one another and know their roles and responsibilities and clear out in case any misunderstanding exists. It is important for the employer and the employee to know what is expected out of them and what is the framework in which they are suppose to operate. This framework gives them a perspective to look at things in an organization and helps them to know what their boundary is. Quintessentially, it allows them to know their dos and don’ts and motivates them to work harder to stretch these boundaries.

During team days, a personal feedback is also given to the employees and they get a chance to discuss their problems and factors that de-motivate them, if any. Sometimes, the structure of the organization is such that it does not allow employees to bond and live and work like a family. If team day is a reality check for the company and its employees, it is also a celebration of what the employees have achieved so far for the company and it is time that they receive their due appreciation.

There are many organizational behaviour experts who have written and formulated many theories on motivation. Enormous research is done in this field and a typical organization keeps coming up with new ideas and programs that motivate the employees of that organization. What is important is to understand that motivation is not something that a manager can achieve in a day or two. It is more of an ongoing habit and only after years of practicing it, an organization would be capable of motivating its employees effectively. Surprisingly, a simple smile can also be a great motivator for many employees to feel better and perform even better! Through effective leadership and management, employee motivation can be achieved!

It is extremely difficult for an organization of any size and industry to sustain when the workforce is de-motivated. Unmotivated employees can be biggest threat to the existence of a company. It is a threat that is much bigger in magnitude than even competitors and market condition. Employees are the lifeblood of the company so, it’s imperative for the management to keep its employees motivated. However, it is easier said than done. Companies need to devise right strategies and methods along with supportive policies and decisions to motivate employees. Management need to work upon employee motivation tips to achieve the desired results.

Tips for motivating employees can be management related simple guidelines and methods which if implemented properly can go a long way in keeping employees all charged up. These ideas can be easily inculcated in the daily routines and will prove very helpful. The most important aspect is of providing an inspired and able leadership. A leader can comfortably manage the task of keeping employees motivated. He can lead from the front and share his vision. An employee needs to have the feeling that he is also considered as an important part of the organization. If the employee is having out-of-place feeling, it can be extremely de-motivating for him. If the management shares its vision with the employees by talking about company’s short term and long term plans, it can positively affect the employee morale.

Motivation management is an art which must be mastered by the employers. For example, they can always encourage employees to share their feedback about company’s new projects or plans. This is a positive sign of employee recognition and makes the staff feel that his opinion is valued and will hence encourage him to contribute more.

To keep employees motivated, workplace motivation is a key factor. Providing staff members with excellent atmosphere at workplace can play a crucial role in enhancing their morale. Management should also encourage regular interactive sessions because that will provide direction and will foster team spirit. By regularly exchanging ideas and programs, employers will ensure that all the team members are working efficiently. This is a hugely motivating factor that can lead to better performance from the workforce. The last of the motivational tips pertains to appraisal and rewards. Employees must be acknowledged and appreciated for their efforts. Regular appraisal should be an integral part of management policy. All these tips will help in keeping employees motivated.

Slowly but surely, most of the business managers are getting aware of the affects of employee motivation program on the overall direction of their business. Managers are putting their best foot forward in learning and understanding the significance of motivational programs. These programs help in determining the causes of positive and negative motivation at the workplace. Motivation programs are determined by certain factors like size of the company, industry type and location etc.

Employee motivation ideas and programs form an important part of the business strategies. Motivational programs are directed at different departments at different point of time. The approach preferred by organizations differs from each other. Conducting result oriented employee motivation programs at different levels of the organization can ensure continued success of the business interests. Employers must be very specific and precise while selecting the right employee motivation programs. They should consider existing business programs and models. Analysing the potential of existing programs can help them in devising new but more effective motivational programs.

Employers must be able to identify the needs of the employees and choose a program accordingly. Organizations have started to come up with innovative programs and employee recognition ideas. These ideas boost morale of the employees tremendously. Acknowledging the contributions of employees is an essential and effective tool in the hands of management. Employees must be ensured that their efforts are being appreciated and will be rewarded accordingly. Management can also think of initiating employee loyalty programs that will reward employee in accordance with their efforts.

Employee motivation program is a mutually beneficial arrangement between employers and employees. Employee motivation programs should be such that it covers the interests of the organizations as well as welfare of the employees. The end result will be growth of the company and enhanced morale of the employees. We know that productivity of the employees is directly correlated to their motivation levels. So, motivational programs should be created keeping in mind the existing needs and requirements of both sides. Organizations have the options of conducting motivation programs on their own or to assign the job to companies specialising in training and motivating employees. The benefits associated with such programs can be truly surprising.