There are many reasons why leaders experience decreased worker motivation which subsequently reduces productivity and can eventually contribute to the demise of an organization. Strategic incompetence, arrogance, and ideology have been identified as the three most significant causes of why great institutions fail (Ullman, 2010). As a result, company leaders are always looking for new ways to increase employee performances. One strategy is to harness the power of motivation. In his article, Employee Motivation, Thomas Haizlip (2008) suggests that staff workers motivation can be improved and enhanced by building an environment that is focused on maximizing the components which can have a positive effect on performance outcomes. (Haizlip, 2008). His article disclosed ten strategies that were developed for business leaders to help employees become energized and inspired to produce the highest results possible. These strategies are simple to comprehend, easy to monitor, and are most likely to add significant value to any institution that is open to include them as organizational tactics. Today’s post will take a closer look at the first three:
1. Interesting Work
Most leaders acknowledge that intrinsic motivation comes simply from the shear joy and pleasure of doing a task. For instance, when we dive into an epic novel, no one has to pay us for each page we read. It can be exciting and enjoyable to discover how the story develops and experience the plot unfolding. Haizlip postulates that the same tactics can be used to help develop employee motivation. In other words, in order to maximize employee performance outcomes, leaders must discover what employees enjoy about their jobs, then try to add more tasks that are in alignment with their own inherent interests, talents, and skill levels.
2. Appreciation & Recognition
According to William James, the American philosopher and psychologist that was also trained as a physician, the deepest desire in human nature is to be appreciated. Haizlip contends that it does not matter how much an individual is paid, the important component is that employees want to know that their efforts are not only seen they are appreciated, especially by their supervisors. He suggests leaders implement a strategy that does not include just sending a thank you e-mail; which he states indicates that the employer merely cares enough to hit the “Enter” key. If leaders really want to thank someone, he contends they buy them a real “Thank You” card that sincerely expresses how their behavior and performances have added value to the team and organization. In short, the most effective leaders will make it one of their missions to observe and catch people doing things correctly and in doing so, they will inevitably continue to remain motivated to do things right even more frequently.
3. Feeling Involved In the Work Process
Haizlip’s research also concluded that when people are invited to participate and are intimately engaged in creating a system or process, they are much more likely to follow it than by simply having it imposed on them by a third party. Successful leaders will recognize that the people actively participating on the job have a unique understanding and posses the knowledge of how tasks can be achieved better, faster, and more efficiently. He suggests that if supervisors want staff members’ authentic input, then it is up to the leader to develop easy ways for employees to offer suggestions. He also adds that rewarding employees who contribute ideas can only help to add value to the firm’s bottom line.
That’s it for today’s post. On Wednesday we will look at three more strategies Thomas Haizlip outlines to help leaders inspire employee motivation. Until then … stay organized!
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Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. – Norman Ralph Augustine
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References:
Haizlip, T. (2008, February 26). Employee motivation: 10 tips to boost job performance. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from Ezine@rticles.com: http://ezinearticles.com/?Employee-Motivation—10-Tips-to-Boost-Job-Performance&id=1011144
Ullman, H. (2010, October 27). Why great institutions fail. Retrieved November 17, 2012, from UPI.com: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Analysis/Outside-View/2010/10/27/Outside-View-Why-great-institutions-fail/UPI-29031288175220/
