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Proper Motivation: the key to an organization's success Motivation of our employees is one of the most important issues facing companies today. The need to instill our employees with motivation is becoming ever more important especially with the shift towards a more socially and culturally responsive workforce. So how does a company find out what motivates its employees? How do they provide a motivational plan that includes incentives both traditional (money) and nontraditional elements?
What will these elements be? How do we keep our managers focused on the plan and give them the tools they need to make the plan successful? What effect will our plan have on the working atmosphere of our organization? It is clear that organizations need motivation plans that motivate, provide desired incentives, keeps our managers involved in the process and results in increased value to the organization. The following plan is what I submit for discussion. History There has been a significant amount of time and energy put into the study of motivational theories.
The basis for these studies have been to come up with some working theory that explains what motivates an individual, why, and how this motivation is reliant upon both external and internal factors of the environment in which the individual is immersed. Our text lists several theories on motivation. The ones mentioned are: The Hierarchy of Needs- this theory is based on Abraham Maslow's needs system, which states that as certain needs are met a shift upwards in the hierarchy occurs. The lower the need on the chain the more important it is to the individual and thus needs to be satisfied before others. Theory x and Theory y- these two theories are based on a negative (theory x) and a positive (theory y) belief in humans. Theory x states that people dislike work and will avoid it if possible.
It also says that safety is the primary concern of the individual. Theory y says that people believe work to be a natural part of life like eating or sleeping. It goes on to say that most people will accept and even seek responsibility. Two Factory Theory- this theory relies heavily on the belief that the feelings of the individual determine the outcome of the work they are performing. McClelland's Theory of Needs- this theory breaks motivation down into 3 different needs of the individual (achievement, power and affiliation).
The need that motivates an individual takes precedence over the others in this theory. Goal-Setting Theory- specific intentions expressed by the individual and made into goals determines the level of desire and achievement placed into the task. Reinforcement Theory- this theory is reliant upon the rewards given for tasks. It states that the level or degree of achievement directly relates to the reward given. This theory is in direct contrast to the Goal-Setting Theory. Equity Theory- this theory is based on the comparisons individuals make.
It states that a person will seek to equalize a situation by adjusting either their workloads to meet those of the other people in their environment. Expectancy Theory- this theory states that the strength of the tendency to act is dependent upon the strength of the expectation that the act will result in a desired outcome in relation to the attractiveness of the individual. Of these I believe strongly in the Goal-Setting Theory of motivation discussed by Robbins (2001, p. 249). This theory says, "intentions expressed as goals, can be a major source of work motivation" (p. 250). Difficult goals set and accepted by others results in a much more productive environment. Allowing the employee to be actively involved in determining what it is they do and allowing them the opportunity to help set their own goals is a very powerful incentive.
It makes the person feel much more involved in their work. They are not merely cogs in a machine that do the same thing day in and day out. They are a creative and unique aspect of the environment in which they interact. This satisfies feelings of self-worth as well as helping to keep themselves motivated. If they know that they had a hand in determining what and how they perform a job the onus is shifted more to them and away from the organization that employs them. This is the theory I base my plan on.
The Plan As I have mentioned my motivation plan is based generally on the goal-setting theory. The plan is based in part upon my own experiences as well as guidelines from an outline provided by Lynn Thomas (1999, para. 8 - 19). Below is a general outline of the plan: 1) Communicate my vision: write it down, post it, and communicate it constantly to the employees and the rest of the organization. 2) Communicate what is expected of each employee: let the employees know in clear and concise terms what it is you expect of them. You should always write it down. Without the knowledge of knowing where they are headed how can we expect our employees to set any goals?
They need to see the big picture before completing the details. 3) Listen, value and ask for employee ideas and feedback: the first step is admitting you " re not perfect. We all make mistakes. Allow your employees the chance to help you improve yourself and to provide you, as well as the organization better, more diverse and creative ideas. A good plan will always be in a state of fluctuation. Change it, as it needs it. 4) Give your employees responsibility as well as authority to perform their responsibilities: by giving your employees the ability to handle problems on their own or to make decisions in times of crisis you providing a way for your department to expand it's influence as well as developing greater ability to deal with tough situations. 5) Let employees make mistakes and always provide the resources available for improvement of the individual: a person learns through their mistakes, do not be right on top of everyone trying to fix the problem before it occurs.
Provide the training and support so that your employees go into their jobs with a feeling of confidence in their ability as well as their confidence in the organization for which they work. 6) When someone does something right, let him or her know: provide positive and genuine feedback when the situation warrants it. Do it immediately and do not make someone wonder if they did a good job. Let them know. 7) Celebrate the small wins as well as the big ones: every positive step is a cause for celebration. The successful completion of any job creates positive momentum for an individual. Create steps along the way to recognize this and allow everyone to benefit from such occasions. 8) Create customized motivation plans for everyone: as our recent studies have shown, nobody is motivated the same way. Find out what it is that motivates each individual and work with him or her to create a proper motivational plan that will work for him or her.
In promote surveys, questionnaires, and interactive meetings are all ways to develop and maintain this. 9) Keep track of each individual's goals and provide constant reports on how they are doing compared to the goals that were set. Do this bi-monthly, monthly or weekly depending on the work situation in which they are involved. Always allow room for modification of the goals should the situation requires it. Do not focus on the negatives. Highlight the negatives as the chances for improvement while stressing the positive. 10) Realize that genuine conflict is more valuable than harmony: there is no perfect situation. We are not going to breeze through life without conflict.
The sooner realize that and plan accordingly for it the better off both we, as individuals and the organization will be. Always allow people to use their critical thinking skills to combat conflict. Proper conflict resolution goes a long way in this regard. 11) Maintain a pleasant, comfortable and friendly work environment: the more stress you can keep out of the workplace the better. People want to enjoy coming to work. Cater to each individual's needs as best as you can to ensure that this situation occurs.
This can mean time off for special family situations, providing day care or just allowing an occasional day off to pamper one's self. 12) Resources, resources, resources: give your people the tools to get the job done. Do what it takes to provide for them. This can include a variety of things such as constant training for technology driven positions, new equipment to keep up to industry averages or an adequate onsite reference area for research driven environments. 13) Do what you ask: show your employees that you are not just paying lip service to what you desire. Act and perform your job the very way you ask that they perform their's. The most important part of this plan is the follow-thru. Stick to it.
Use it in all situations and remember to update it as time passes and the environment requires it. It is all well and good to have a plan at your fingertips that you do not follow but this is not going to get you very far in terms of motivating and keeping your employees motivated. Do not let external factors, such as departmental peer pressure, force you to change. The need for support and follow thru of this plan needs to include all levels of the organization.
The organization needs to provide the support, resources and freedom to follow through on each step of this plan. The manager, in turn, needs to filter the resources given to him or her down to his employees and act as any good manager would. Be there for them and always keep an eye out for possible signs of change in the environment. Conclusion We must keep our employees motivated in this day and age. The times of sitting back and just allowing the work to happen without any sort of guidance or support are gone. A properly structured motivation plan that involves all parties concerned is of vital importance.
Providing constant feedback, incentives and the ability to change as needed are all a part of this plan. I believe that the motivation plan can be the first step in expanding the boundaries of performance. If the plan is used and changes made to fit each unique situation that may arise this motivational plan can provide many rewards and the organization will benefit. Proper motivation is the key to successful business. (Word Count: 1, 823) Works Cited Robbins, S. P. (2001). Organizational behavior (Custom electronic text, University of Phoenix).
Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing. Thomas, L. (1999, June), "Wow!" ing employees: the foundation to higher profits Rough Notes, 142 (6), 84 - 86.
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