Aspirations India

By Radhika Malhotra

Employee motivation is essential for a highly productive organization. The challenge today is that a lot of managers want to know how to motivate their employees. No matter how big is the size of your company, having a team of motivated, hard-working employees is crucial to your business success. When people lose motivation, however, their job performance suffers -- they become less productive, less creative, less of an asset to the company. You pay a heavy price when employees have motivation issues.

How then to fire up an employee who has lost his or her motivation, whether a former hard worker whose performance has declined over the years, or a long-term problem employee who has failed to improve?

Ideally an organization should ask, "How do I create a climate that is motivational for my employees?"

Build a foundation: It is important to build a solid foundation for your employees so they feel invested in the company. Tell them about the history of the business and your vision for the future. Ask them about their expectations and career goals, as well as how you can help them feel part of the team. When any new employee starts, make sure he or she receives a thorough welcome orientation.

Arrive at work in a good mood: Managers have to understand that their mood weighs far more than anyone else's on the team. When an employee is in a bad mood, most of the team will dismiss it. When the manager is in a bad mood, everybody notices. When managers arrive at work frustrated, stressed, and in a stormy mood, it will erode employee motivation. So when you come to work, make a decision before you open that door to arrive in good spirits, full of optimism, and ready to go.

Make sure people know what you expect: Ambiguity can stifle employee motivation. When employees know exactly where you are going as a team, and when they know exactly what is expected of them, they will require less direction and prodding from you. Make sure your staff is clear about expectations, and are constantly reminded of the vision and goals of the company.

Put people on the right path: Most employees are looking for advancement opportunities within their own company. Work with each of them to develop a career growth plan that takes into consideration both their current skills and future goals. If employees become excited about what's down the road, they will become more engaged in their present work.

Match tasks to talents: You can improve employee motivation by improving employee confidence. Assign individuals with tasks you know they will enjoy or will be particularly good at. An employee who is successful at one thing will have the self-confidence to tackle other projects with renewed energy and excitement.

Provide regular feedback: People want to know how they are doing. It is important for a manager to provide ongoing feedback for their staff. This covers both positive feedback, and constructive criticism. Give regular feedback.

Acknowledge contributions: You can make a huge difference in employee morale simply by taking the time to recognize each employee's contributions and accomplishments, large or small. Be generous with praise.

Provide incentives: Offer people incentives to perform well, either with something small like a gift certificate or something more substantial such as a performance-based bonus or salary increase. Give out "Employee of the Month" awards. Such tokens of appreciation will go for in motivating employees.

Help people grow: Everybody wants to grow and develop. In today's world employees know they have to become more and more valuable in order to stay competitive. In fact, one of the elements people most want from their job is a chance to grow and develop. If you can find ways to provide ongoing development for your people it will help boost their motivation.

Educate the masses: Help employees improve their professional skills by providing on-the-job training or in-house career development. Allow them to attend workshops and seminars related to the industry. Encourage them to attend adult education classes paid for by the company. Employees will feel you are investing in them, and this will translate into an improved job performance.

Provide career coaching: Help employees reach the next level professionally by providing on-site coaching. Bring in professionals to provide one-on-one counseling, which can help people learn how to overcome personal or professional obstacles to their career paths.

Give people choice: An integral part of intrinsic motivation is autonomy. When people feel autonomous, they feel they are in control of their own destinies. In a work setting, this is demonstrated when people have choice in how to do their job. When you micromanage an employee, they feel like they have very little choice. This kills employee motivation because they feel more like a prisoner than a trusted part of the team.

Don't forget the fun: Once in a while you have put work aside and do something nice for the people who work for you. Treat the office to a pizza lunch or take everyone to the movies. Reward employees with an unexpected day off or by closing the office early on a random Friday afternoon.

Employee motivation has many facets but the manager who learns to apply some of these principles can go a long way in creating a motivating work environment. Remember, it's not so much how you motivate a person, as it is how you create a motivational environment where your employees will motivate themselves.

The author is senior lecturer, Rai Business School