Factors Affecting Employee Motivation

Increase Employee Performance by Harnessing the Power of Motivation

Employee motivation and productivity can be enhanced and improved by creating a work environment that maximizes the factors that affect performance. These factors are simple to understand, easy to measure, and can add tremendous value to any organization that is willing to implement them. Use these 10 tips to make sure that your employees are energized and inspired to produce the best results possible.

1. Interesting Work

Intrinsic motivation comes from the shear joy and pleasure of doing a task. When you read a great book, no one has to pay for each page you read. It is a pleasure to learn how the story unfolds and watch the plot develop. It is the same way with employee motivation. To maximize employee performance, find out what employees like about their jobs and then try to add more tasks that align with their own natural interests and talents.

2. Appreciation & Recognition

William James said, "The deepest desire in human nature is to be appreciated." It does not matter how much you pay someone, everyone want to know that their efforts are being seen and appreciated, especially by their manager. Don't just send them a thank you e-mail - that just means you care enough to hit the "Enter" key. If you really want to thank someone buy them a real "Thank You" card and describe how their behavior and performance has added value to the team and organization. Make it a point to catch people doing things right and they will inevitably do things right more often.

3. Feeling Involved In the Work Process

Research shows that when people get to participate in creating a system or process, they are much more likely to follow it than one simply imposed upon them by an outside expert. Recognize that the people doing the job have the knowledge of how things can be done better, faster, and cheaper. If you want them to tell you, then make it easy for them to offer suggestions and reward employees who contribute ideas that add value to the bottom line.

4. Achievement

Napoleon once remarked, "It is amazing how willing men are to risk their lives for a little bit of tin and ribbon to wear upon their chest." Awards and prizes can serve as a great motivator to harness the power of healthy competition. It is always better to use rewards that are meaningful and inspiring. When an employee exceeds your expectations, then make sure you recognize their achievement. On the day someone retires, they will pack up these awards and prizes to serve as fond reminders of a wonderful career.

5. Job Security

If everybody had what it takes to be an entrepreneur, then there would be no General Electric or Toyota and we would all be buying products from artisans and craftworkers. Thankfully, many people prefer to be part of a large organization and can be more productive when they get to focus on doing their job instead of worrying about developing a business plan or marketing strategy. Telling people that they are lucky to have a job creates an atmosphere of fear and worry that decreases job performance. Instead, tell your employees that the company is lucky to have such a skilled and committed workforce and people will take pride in their work and their company.

6. Increased Responsibility

We all know that some employees lack ambition and have no desire to advance on the job, but the vast majority of workers want a chance to take on more responsibility and add more value to the organization. Always be aware of opportunities for training that will equip your employees with the skills and tools they will need to advance in their career. Always try to fill open positions with internal applicants before looking for an outside candidate. This will create a culture of career development and preserve institutional memory and organizational knowledge so that it can be transferred to rising employees as they advance in their own career.

7. Good Wages

Robert Bosch, founder of the world's largest automobile parts supplier, said, "I do not pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages." If you want motivated, high productive employees you have to pay such people according to their ability and performance. Good employees are motivated by more than just good wages, but never allow low wages to be the wedge a competitor can use to steal away your best people.

8. Good Working Conditions

If you want to get the most out of people you need to create an environment that facilitates success. At the minimum, you must offer a safe, clean, and sanitary work site. To get the most out of employees, help them take pride in their workspace, even if it is only a cubicle or workstation. Allow people to personalize their own work sites with photos or small trinkets so they will feel like they have a place that belongs solely to them.

9. Being Part of a Team

Being part of a dysfunctional team is an emotionally draining experience that results in low morale, low productivity, and high turnover. The great coach, Vince Lombardi, once remarked, "Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." We are all social beings and we all want to be part of a healthy team where we can give and receive support, help, and encouragement. Organizations can harness this natural human desire by aligning employee efforts to achieve goals that are mutually beneficial to both the organization and its employees.

10. Help with Personal Problems

How many times have you heard about a bad boss who told their employees to leave their problems at the door so they could focus on their job? Unfortunately, they probably left their motivation and productivity at the door as well. Smart managers know that it is not their job to be a counselor or therapist, but it is there job to recognize when one of their employees is having personal problems that are affecting their job performance. They need to have open lines of honest communication so that employees can feel encouraged to ask for help and then be directed to their Human Resources Department or their Employee Assistance Programs.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Employee-Motivation---10-Tips-to-Boost-Job-Performance&id=1011144

Leadership Development 5

We have distilled the complex role of leadership into four core skills:

1. Trust- building
Exceptional leaders have developed the ability to emotionally connect with everyone on their team – regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, experience, qualifications, IQ, years of service, or behavioural style.

2. Mentoring
The best leaders are adept at coaching for performance. The have the ability to sit down with a team member and have an open, honest discussion about their performance is an essential leadership skill.

3. Inspiring Commitment and Passion
Committed employees are more productive, stay with the organisation longer, and deliver the best customer service. Leaders must develop the capability to inspire their employees and ensure they are not only engaged but also passionate about their work.

4. Building Winning Teams
The ultimate achievement for an exceptional leader is to make themselves redundant – to build a team that takes ownership of their own performance and is totally committed to delivering exceptional value every day. While the team may achieve high levels of performance individually and collectively, the need for a leader to provide inspiration, guidance and mentoring typically does not go away.

Leadership Development 2

Many leadership development programs attempt to teach leadership skills in one session – whether it’s a keynote speech of 90 minutes or a five-day intensive leadership retreat. The reality is each of these skills needs to be applied before they are really learned. The uniqueness of Intégro’s approach is the focus on developing one skill at a time and requiring leaders to apply that skill in the workplace.

Leadership Development 1

Great leadership is often cited as the key ingredient in a successful organisation, whether it’s a company, non-profit, club, or sports team. Conversely, underperformance and failure is frequently attributed to a lack of leadership. It’s an elusive concept. Many of us assume that leadership is an inherent attribute: you’re either a born leader or you’re not.

This could not be further from the truth. Leaders can be, and usually are, developed over a period of time. Successful leaders have mastered a range of skills. They are seldom just born that way.

Employee Proactivity 2

To create a team of proactive employees, leaders need to demonstrate flexibility and foster a trust-based work environment. Our research has found that the two are strongly connected.

In demonstrating the attributes of flexibility, leaders can begin by developing an understanding of the basic needs that all employees have. Once a manager accepts that the organisation's success is intrinsically links to its ability to satisfy employees' needs the path towards a team of proactive people has begun.

Employee Proactivity 1

How do you get employees to think for themselves, take responsibility, and raise performance?

In the endless drive for greater productivity, every manager wants employees to become more proactive. More proactivity equals better productivity. And better productivity usually means improved financial performance, happier shareholders, and less sleepless nights for leaders.

Employee motivation 2

Many firms continue to use money as a motivator, but research tells us that its impact is limited at best. For the vast majority of organisations, motivation is a process, not an event. It begins with leaders developing an awareness of the intrinsic needs that actually drive employees’ behaviour and motivation. Once leaders understand these needs, they can begin the process of addressing them.

The process takes time and concerted effort, but the difference between average and world-class, as evidenced by Gallup research, is startling and clearly worth the time investment.

Employee motivation 1

The difference in performance between an organisation with an average level of motivation and one with high levels can be dramatic – Gallup research tells us that the gap between levels of highly motivated employees at world-class organisations versus the rest is 34 percent.

This demonstrates that organisations with average motivation levels have considerable ground to make up!

Leads to stability of work force 4

Similarly, motivation is important to a business as:

The more motivated the employees are, the more empowered the team is.
The more is the team work and individual employee contribution, more profitable and successful is the business.
During period of amendments, there will be more adaptability and creativity.
Motivation will lead to an optimistic and challenging attitude at work place.

Leads to stability of work force 3

We can summarize by saying that motivation is important both to an individual and a business. Motivation is important to an individual as:

Motivation will help him achieve his personal goals.
If an individual is motivated, he will have job satisfaction.
Motivation will help in self-development of individual.
An individual would always gain by working with a dynamic team.

Leads to stability of work force 2

From the above discussion, we can say that motivation is an internal feeling which can be understood only by manager since he is in close contact with the employees. Needs, wants and desires are inter-related and they are the driving force to act. These needs can be understood by the manager and he can frame motivation plans accordingly. We can say that motivation therefore is a continuous process since motivation process is based on needs which are unlimited. The process has to be continued throughout.

Leads to stability of work force 1

Stability of workforce is very important from the point of view of reputation and goodwill of a concern. The employees can remain loyal to the enterprise only when they have a feeling of participation in the management. The skills and efficiency of employees will always be of advantage to employees as well as employees. This will lead to a good public image in the market which will attract competent and qualified people into a concern. As it is said, “Old is gold” which suffices with the role of motivation here, the older the people, more the experience and their adjustment into a concern which can be of benefit to the enterprise.

Builds friendly relationship 2

In order to build a cordial, friendly atmosphere in a concern, the above steps should be taken by a manager. This would help in:

Effective co-operation which brings stability,
Industrial dispute and unrest in employees will reduce,
The employees will be adaptable to the changes and there will be no resistance to the change,
This will help in providing a smooth and sound concern in which individual interests will coincide with the organizational interests,
This will result in profit maximization through increased productivity.

Builds friendly relationship 1

Motivation is an important factor which brings employees satisfaction. This can be done by keeping into mind and framing an incentive plan for the benefit of the employees. This could initiate the following things:

Monetary and non-monetary incentives,
Promotion opportunities for employees,
Disincentives for inefficient employees.

Leads to achievement of organizational goals

The goals of an enterprise can be achieved only when the following factors take place :-

There is best possible utilization of resources,
There is a co-operative work environment,
The employees are goal-directed and they act in a purposive manner,
Goals can be achieved if co-ordination and co-operation takes place simultaneously which can be effectively done through motivation.

Improves level of efficiency of employees

The level of a subordinate or a employee does not only depend upon his qualifications and abilities. For getting best of his work performance, the gap between ability and willingness has to be filled which helps in improving the level of performance of subordinates. This will result into-

Increase in productivity,
Reducing cost of operations, and
Improving overall efficiency.

Importance of Motivation 1

Puts human resources into action

Every concern requires physical, financial and human resources to accomplish the goals. It is through motivation that the human resources can be utilized by making full use of it. This can be done by building willingness in employees to work. This will help the enterprise in securing best possible utilization of resources.

Negative incentives

Negative incentives are those whose purpose is to correct the mistakes or defaults of employees. The purpose is to rectify mistakes in order to get effective results. Negative incentive is generally resorted to when positive incentive does not works and a psychological set back has to be given to employees. It is negative by nature. For example- demotion, transfer, fines, penalties.

Positive Incentives

Positive incentives are those incentives which provide a positive assurance for fulfilling the needs and wants. Positive incentives generally have an optimistic attitude behind and they are generally given to satisfy the psychological requirements of employees. For example-promotion, praise, recognition, perks and allowances, etc. It is positive by nature.

Motivation Incentives - Incentives to motivate employees 8

Promotion opportunities- Promotion is an effective tool to increase the spirit to work in a concern. If the employees are provided opportunities for the advancement and growth, they feel satisfied and contented and they become more committed to the organization.

Motivation Incentives - Incentives to motivate employees 7

Job enrichment- Job enrichment is another non- monetary incentive in which the job of a worker can be enriched. This can be done by increasing his responsibilities, giving him an important designation, increasing the content and nature of the work. This way efficient worker can get challenging jobs in which they can prove their worth. This also helps in the greatest motivation of the efficient employees.