Employee motivation can be define as the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction, a predisposition to behave in a purposive manner to achieve specific, unmet needs. an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need. The will to achieve. It can also be defined operationally as the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals.
Motivated employees are needed in our rapidly changing workplaces.
Motivated employees help organizations survive.
Motivated employees are more productive.
To be an effective manager, need be to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform. Of all the functions a manager performs, motivating employees is arguably the most complex.Communicate openly, honestly and frequently. Hold whole staff meetings periodically, attend department meetings regularly, and communicate by wandering around work areas engaging staff and demonstrating interest in their work.Implement an open door policy for staff members to talk, share ideas, and discuss concerns. Make sure that managers understand the problems that they can and should solve will be directed back to them, but it is the executive’s job to listen. Congratulate staff on life events such as new babies, inquire about vacation trips, and ask about how both personal and company events turned out. Care enough to stay tuned into these kinds of employee life events and activities. Stop by the work area of employees who are particularly affected by a change to communicate more. Make sure the employee is clear about what the change means for their job, goals, time allocation, and decisions.Communicate daily with every employee who reports to you. Even a pleasant “good morning” enables the employee to engage with you.Hold a weekly one-on-one meeting with each employee who reports to you. They like to know that they will have this time every week. Encourage employees to come prepared with questions, requests for support, troubleshooting ideas for their work, and information that will keep you from being blindsided or disappointed by a failure to produce on schedule or as committed.
Employee motivation is a continuing challenge at work. Particularly in work environments that don’t emphasize employee satisfaction as part of an embraced and supported overall business strategy, supervisors and managers walk a tough road.
My word to managers is get over it. No work environment will ever perfectly support your efforts to help employees choose motivated behaviors at work. Even the most supportive workplaces provide daily challenges and often appear to operate at cross purposes with your goals and efforts to encourage employee motivation.
