What are the effects of employee’s motivation on productivity?
“Well done!”, “Nice job!”- Sweetest word coming from the boss. In a working environment, are you one of the people who always seem to get the opposite? If you do, what makes you feel after the compliment, if not after the criticism? One way to make you better at anything in any relationship was to place yourself in somebody’s shoes. Let’s say let’s place yourself onto your manager’s shoes.
1The greatest challenge to managers in this century is that of the ability of taking employees to their peak performance level or a flow situation where according to Bowen (2006) a “whole-person” experience is involved. According to Vecchio (2006), the notion of flow or peak experience attempts to capture the ‘optimal experience of joy and creativity’ where every other thing grows pale in comparison to the activity on hand. The worker concerned is so engrossed with the assignment that the sharp edge of exertion is dulled by passion and not necessarily monetary rewards.
2The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through employees. To do this the manager should be able to motivate employees. But that’s easier said than done! Motivation practice and theory are difficult subjects, touching on several disciplines. In spite of enormous research, basic as well as applied, the subject of motivation is not clearly understood and more often than not poorly practiced. To understand motivation one must understand human nature itself. And there lies the problem! Human nature can be very simple, yet very complex too. An understanding and appreciation of this is a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace and therefore effective management and leadership.
It is no gainsaying the fact that simplistically high motivation level naturally results in increased productivity. Consequently, managers are constrained to abandon their command-control approach for relationship. This has further been heightened with the rise of free agents who are continuously looking for avenues of improving their skills, competencies, reputation and marketability.
If one takes a high road approach, it is without equivocation the fact that the employees of the future are going to be complex beings requiring complex approaches to manage and motivate.
Considering the changing nature of workplace in terms of job content and context can validate this hypothesis. The needs and preferences of employees are becoming so complex that the run- of -the- mill rewards system may be incapable of addressing with greater satisfaction.
Think about the employees on your staff who are lacking in motivation. What is behind their attitude? What are the unmet needs that are making them listless? Whatever the reason, you as their manager can motivate them to appropriate levels of performance.
Here’s how:
Motivation is an “Inside Job”
You, as a manager, need to acknowledge that you are powerless to motivate your employees! The fact is, we are all motivated to do what we believe is in our best interests. If that happens to coincide with what the boss wants, so much the better. As a manager, however, you are definitely in a position to influence what people are motivated to do.
That’s a fine distinction, and here is an example of what makes the difference.
Requiring an unwilling orthotist to complete some uniquely challenging insurance paperwork by 5 PM could easily be met with resistance–unless you can help the employee identify the work with his welfare or with that of the entire orthotic practice. When that happens, he will naturally feel motivated to work harder–because it is in his best interest to do so.
So how do you help him identify with his own welfare or that of the practice? There are three common ways to influence motivation: incentive, fear, and personal growth. An example of “incentive” would be explaining how that special reimbursement would affect the practice’s bottom line–and probably everyone’s year-end salary increase.
Motivation by “fear” would be explaining that failure to complete these forms on time will jeopardize a large contract, and ultimately affect the practice’s–and his–future.
Motivation by “personal growth” could be talking to him about how he will be promoted to a higher-level position if he is able to take on this extra duty.
Why should we study and apply employee motivation principles?
Quite apart from the benefit and moral value of an altruistic approach to treating colleagues as human beings and respecting human dignity in all its forms, research and observations show that well motivated employees are more productive and creative. The inverse also holds true. The schematic below indicates the potential contribution the practical application of the principles this paper has on reducing work content in the organization.
Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus:
Job performance =f(ability)(motivation)
Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement is a slow and long process. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly. There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation.
1. Positive reinforcement / high expectations
2. Effective discipline and punishment
3. Treating people fairly
4. Satisfying employees needs
5. Setting work related goals
6. Restructuring jobs
7. Base rewards on job performance
These are the basic strategies, though the mix in the final ‘recipe’ will vary from workplace situation to situation. Essentially, there is a gap between an individual’s actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap.
Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. It is inducing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator. Naturally, these goals as also the motivation system must conform to the corporate policy of the organization. The motivational system must be tailored to the situation and to the organization.
Surprisingly, factors such as pay, benefits and working conditions were given a low rating by both groups. So after all, and contrary to common belief, money is not the prime motivator. (Though this should not be regarded as a signal to reward employees poorly or unfairly.)
What’s Your Management Style?
Your management style profoundly impacts your employees’ motivation, too. In The Human Side of Enterprise, Douglas McGregor described a new way of explaining how managers view employees according to two alternatives, which he termed Theory X and Theory Y. Although McGregor’s book was written many decades ago, we still rely on his work because it has held true over the years.
Theory X managers are control-oriented. They make decisions without the input of others, are demanding, confident in the validity of their own views, may use pressure to reach objectives, act decisively, and expect no criticism from employees. Theory Y managers are empowerment-oriented. They make decisions by consensus and help others feel ownership. They encourage creativity and initiative. They lead by example and give recognition for work well done. They value and encourage teamwork. You may be thinking that Theory X managers de-motivate their troops and that Theory Y are better motivators. Yes, sometimes that is true, but not always.
Let’s say your practice is in a financial crisis. Do you think your employees need a leader who says “Well, team, let’s chat about what we need to do here. Do you think having a team-building pizza party on Friday will help us get out of Chapter 11?” Of course not! In a crisis, or when employees are really out of line, a Theory X approach is better suited.
On the other hand, for purposes of motivation, Theory Y is generally considered the management style that brings forth better results. So analyze your natural management style, and modify it when circumstances require a different approach.
3How to Encourage Entrepreneurial Thinking
If you want your staff to be motivated to do their best, let them feel like owners of the practice. Good managers make every employee feel like a business partner, because when people feel ownership of something, they look out for it.
3How to Help Your Employees
To succeed in today’s dynamic work environment, employees need to know far more about the practice than just how to do their specific jobs. Help them understand the entire practice, how it operates, what the competition is up to, and how they can be even better contributors to the practice’s success.
Help them see the forest, not just the trees. Ensure they know your practice’s mission, its goals, and its strategies for achieving those goals. Ways to do this could be giving employees books or articles about the industry, sharing profit-and-loss (P&L) information, and encouraging them to identify things they can do to contribute directly to achieving the practice’s mission or objectives.
Show them how the practice operates and what generates income. Have a brown-bag lunch to review some business basics. Analyze scenarios that show the impact one person has on the entire organization.
Help them understand the competition and your industry. Encourage them to ask clients to compare your practice with other practices they have experienced. Put someone in charge of obtaining the competition’s promotional literature, which you can all share. Allow employees to stay current with industry changes by attending conferences and trade shows. Budget for membership in professional associations. Join Internet discussion groups on subjects dealing with your industry.
Encourage independent thinking. Allow your employees to make decisions that involve risks. When someone makes a mistake, treat it as a “teaching moment” instead of a catastrophe. Set an example by letting employees know you took a chance trying something new, and be honest with the outcome, even if it’s not particularly positive.
Give employees the responsibility for achieving something and the authority to do it their own way. Then they’ll find all sorts of motivation. Share your power with them. Allow them to make more choices. Hold them accountable for their actions and outcomes. When they have a greater sense of accountability, they’ll perform better.
How to Exercise Judgment
Keep in mind that your employees have to be capable of assuming this greater responsibility. If they are unprepared, as Jamie, the service manager was, they will fail. And their failure can have a ripple effect on your entire practice. Give them incremental increases in power, authority, and choices so that they will grow successfully and become more and more motivated.
1 http://ezinearticles.com/?Increasing-Employees-Motivation-and-Productivity&id=4813985
2 http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html
3 http://www.oandp.com/articles/2005-11_01.asp
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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