An employee’s relationship with his
or her direct manager is the single
most important factor influencing engagement, the responsibility falls to
management to improve motivational levels. Accordingly, here are 5 easy
ways to motivate – and demotivate – employees.
1. Align individual
economic interests with company performance– Okay, so this first one isn't quite as easy as the others; it does take more doing at the highest
management levels than the rest. But incentive compensation programs
that give employees at all levels of an
organization a chance to benefit when a company prospers… can naturally boost
motivation (always assuming solid individual performance in order for one to
share in financial rewards).
New Data Shows Depth Of
Employee Discontent.
2. Take a genuine interest
in the future path of an employee’s career – It does wonders for an employee’s attitude to believe that a
manager really cares about where his or her career is headed. Mentoring,
coaching, suggesting additional training or coursework - all of these can
be helpful to employees, and highly valued.
3. Take a genuine interest
in their work-life balance – To the
extent that managers can offer some flexibility in schedules… and be
understanding about family commitments, doctors’ appointments and so on – such
sensitivity can be greatly appreciated. Small gestures often make a big
difference.
4. Listen - This is an easy one: Just listen thoughtfully. To
employees’ ideas for job improvement… or their problems, concerns,
frustrations, conflicts, dramas, kids’ issues, parents’ issues, grandparents’
issues – you name it, I’ve heard it. Okay, so you do have to separate
the wheat from the chaff and as a manager it can wear you out at times – but
within reason, intelligent listening is an integral part of the job. (If
someone is a chronic malingerer, and carps for the sake of carping, just tell
them to knock it off and get back to work. But if someone is a good
employee… well, people appreciate being heard.)
5. Do unto others as you
would have done unto you -
When it comes to treatment of subordinates, this is as basic as it gets.
But powerful too – still as valid today as it was a few thousand years
ago. It shows you respect your employees as individuals, and for
the job they do.
Now about those easy ways to demotivate someone…
1. Use your positional power as a manager in a way that shows you
don’t fully respect your employees as individuals - This is the
reverse of number 5 and it can be subtle. Be chronically late for
employee meetings. Don’t return their messages. Ignore their
suggestions for how to improve operations. These may seem like small
things to an executive with weightier issues on his or her mind… but the
reality is people resent them. As noted above, small things can make a
big difference in one’s feelings about work.
2. Take credit for a project one of your employees actually did most
of the work on - This is guaranteed to make people crazy. Good managers
are secure enough to give full credit where it’s due.
3. Lose your temper - A nasty cousin
of number 1) above. It’s just human nature: People dislike being on
the wrong end of this sort of thing. Lost tempers are often followed by
lost loyalty.
4. Don’t stand up for your employees when under personal or organizational
attack - Assuming
the attacks aren’t merited – just personal or organizational nonsense
(which has been
known to occur) – your employees will want and expect you to back them
up. If you don’t, they’ll remember it.
5. Be emotionally stingy
- People like praise. They want to know
they’re doing a good job and are valued. (Assuming they are doing a good job, of
course. If they’re not, then telling them they are does nothing except
erode your credibility.) But if they are doing well, simple words
of encouragement are easy, inexpensive and can be motivational.
Courtesy : – Victor Lipman and Forbes
