Inspiring Employees To Keep Them Motivated

Ever worked for a company where excessive levels of approval are the rule rather than the exception?  Or a manager who always assumes that the 80 people under him understand the memos he sends via e-mail?  Or a supervisor who habitually calls you at home on days when you’re off duty expecting you to come to work?  Chances are, you work in a place where managers are the problem, not the source of inspiration.

                According to a survey of about 1.2 million employees at 52 Fortune 1000 companies conducted from 2001 to 2004 by Sirota Survey Intelligence in New York, the great majority of employees are enthusiastic when they start a new job.  But in about 85 percent of companies, the study says, employee’s morale sharply declines after their first six months and continues to deteriorate for years.

 

                David Sirota, Louis Mischkind and Michael Irwin Meltzer, authors of a Harvard Management Update article titled “Why  Your Employees Are Losing Motivation”, say the fault lies squarely at the feet of management.

Three Goals

                Equity, achievement and camaraderie, the authors say, should be the three goals management should satisfy to keep employees enthusiastic about their work.  Employees should be respected and treated fairly in areas such as pay, benefits and job security, should be proud of their job, accomplishments and employer, and should work in an environment where good, productive relationships with co-workers exist, say the authors.

                “One goal cannot be substituted for another.  Improved recognition cannot replace better pay, money cannot substitute for taking pride in a job well done, and pride alone will not pay the mortgage, “they explain.  “Employees should be provided with a sense of security, one in which they do not fear that their jobs will be in jeopardy if their performance is not perfect and one in which layoffs are considered an extreme last resort, not just another option for dealing with hard times.”

Practical Tips

                How should managers do all these? Sirota, Mishkind and Meltzer give these practical tips:

1.       Inspire .  Employee enthusiasm is fired up with a clear, credible and inspiring purpose, say the authors.  “This means in effect, a reason for being that translates to a reason for being there that goes beyond money.

The authors cite a statement created by a small company “devoid of high-powered executive attention and professional wordsmiths”: Benefits are about people.  It’s not whether you have the forms filled in or whether the checks are written.  It’s whether the people are cared for when they’re sick, helped when they’re in trouble.”  The authors say it was created for a department normally known for its fixation on bureaucratic rules and procedures.

2.       Recognize.  The authors lament the mentality of many managers:  Why would I need to thank someone for doing something he’s paid to do?

Workers repeatedly tell us how much they appreciate a compliment and how distressed  they are when managers don’t take the time to thank them for a job well done yet are quick to criticize them for making mistakes… a pat on the back, simply saying good going, a dinner for two, a note about their good work to senior executives, a paid day off, or even a flower on a desk with a thank you note are a few of the hundreds of ways managers can show their appreciation for good work.  It works wonders if this is sincere, sensitively done, and undergirded by fair and competitive pay. 

3.       Facilitate.  Incorporating a command-and-control style is a sure-fire path to demotivation.  Your job is to facilitate getting your employees’ jobs done.  Your reports are, in this sense, your customers.

All the managers have to do is ask their employees what they need so they can turn in good performance. Luch and schmoose sessions with employees are helpful.  And if you can’t immediately address a particular need or request, be open about it and then let your workers know how you’re progressing at resolving their problems.  This is a great  way to built trust.

4.       Communicate.  Managers who subscribe to the philosophy of giving information only when they feel their workers need to know something should certainly undergo intensive training on employee motivation and engagement.  The habit of many managers is a way of severely and destructively restricting the flow of information in an organization.  

In giving regular performance feedback (which is not the same as an annual appraisal), managers should refrain from making such remarks as “That work was shoddy, “ or “You’ve been careless.”  The reason you’re giving feedback is you want to improve your employees’ performance, not prove your superiority.  Focus on what is doable without demanding the impossible.

5.       Listen.  Employees are a rich source of information about how to do a job and how to do it better.  Participative managers continually announce their interest in employees’ ideas.  They do not wait for these suggestions to materialize through formal upward communication or suggestion programs.  They find opportunities to have direct conversations with individuals and groups and to recognize employees for their innovativeness.  The managers give employees freedom to operate and make changes on their own commensurate with their knowledge and experience.  Nothing is more powerful than freeing competent people to do their jobs as they  see fit.

Source :  Wikipedia, Philippine Panorama

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