Tag Archive for 'Motivation'

How Much Recognition Do Employees Need?

Published
by
Anthony
on March 25, 2009
in Employee Engagement and Motivation
. 0 Comments

employee recognition How Much Recognition Do Employees Need?

If you’ve asked yourself this one, you’re certainly not alone. When it comes to praise and recognition, managers and employees often have two very different opinions on the subject. Managers feel that they provide ample recognition while employees generally feel that praise is glaringly absent in the workplace. Because of this disconnect, it’s not uncommon for managers to unknowingly run the risk of  demotivating employees, simply on the fact that they don’t provide enough praise.  So the question still begs, “How much recognition is appropriate?”

According to Gallup data, the key to effective recognition is that it be honest and based on outcomes that are measurable. They suggest that the correct answer to our question is once every seven days.

“Once every seven days, all employees should be individually recognized or at least told that they have done a good job or that they have set a record. And you can never give too much recognition if it is honest and deserved.” - Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter, 12: The Elements of Great Managing

Think of the last time you were praised for providing your best efforts or the time you put into a particular project. How did you feel? Recognition doesn’t always have to be a grandiose event. Even simple recognition of routine efforts can be the difference between an employee increasing productivity and silently looking for other jobs over their lunch hour.

In the research for their book, 12: Elements for Great Managing, Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter found that less than 1 in 3 employees can give a strong positive answer to the statement, “In the last seven days, I have received recognition for doing good work.”

How does that compare to your situation? If providing praise at least once every seven days sounds like a lot, it may be time for a gut check. There should always be something that you can find positive about someones efforts within that time span. Without a doubt there is a direct correlation between recognition and level of employee engagement.

Rodd Wagner and James Harter may have said it best, “With its power, ridiculously low cost and rarity, (praise) is one of the greatest lost opportunities in the business world today.” Perhaps we should rethink our question, asking ourselves instead -“When was the last time I praised someone for good work?”

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Best Practices for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Published
by
Anthony
on March 19, 2009
in Entrepreneurship and Motivation
. 2 Comments

det2 Best Practices for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

This month marks the launch of new website aimed at motivating aspiring entrepreneurs. Daily Entrepreneur Tip (DET) is a site that provides short tips (150 words or less) pertaining to various aspects of entrepreneurship. Certainly an interesting concept for those looking for those looking to gain additional insight, yet don’t have hours to spend searching in research. Each post contains only one lesson and is written by an experienced entrepreneur willing to share tips, suggestions and/or lessons learned from a variety of ventures. One new post is presented each day, Monday through Saturday, without exception.

Brian Linton, creator of the site, contacted me last week about becoming a regular contributor, to which I gladly accepted. DET is right up my ally being that, any giving time; I have my hand in or am consulting on various entrepreneurial projects. My first contribution entitled “Customer Service is King” debuted today and joins an array of best practices that continue to grow each day.

Should you need a little boost, DET also offers a free text service sending short, inspirational and motivational quotes directly to your phone at random times throughout the week. Take a look, learn something new or share your personal experience by submitting a tip. Though it’s still in early stages, I foresee this becoming a vast library of entrepreneurial best practices. I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.

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Employee Motivation

Published
by
Anthony
on August 24, 2008
in Leadership, Managing and Motivation
. 1 Comment

motivation Employee MotivationNo matter the size of your organization, having a team of motivated, hard-working employees is crucial to your business success. When people lose their motivation they become less focused, less productive, and less creative, all having a negative impact on the bottom line. The challenge today is that motivation is changing. A previous post entitled “The New World of Work” examined the dynamic changes that are upon us in the workplace and with regard to motivation, managers and leaders need to adapt as well.

Finding out everyone’s individual motivators and catering to them can be a constructive approach in the short term. Yet on the flipside, creating and fostering an environment that is conducive to people motivating themselves, may yield much larger returns in the long run.

Examining this issue further, the Harvard Business Review published an article this month, discussing a new motivational model targeting every person’s innate emotional drives. These four drives underlie the every action that we take.

  1. The drive to acquire (obtain scarce goods, including intangibles: social status, etc.)
  2. The drive to bond (form connections with individuals and groups)
  3. The drive to comprehend (satisfy our curiosity and master the world around us)
  4. The drive to defend (protect against external threats and promote justice)

The theory (backed by evidence) is that since these drives are ingrained into our minds, the degree to which they are satisfied conversely affects our emotions and behavior. The authors suggest that as a managers and leaders, we need to attend to all four of the drives to truly impact employee motivation.

How do we do that you ask? The article suggests that for each drive there is a primary lever that we need to use in order to maximize fulfillment. The following table matches each drive with its corresponding lever, and suggestions of actions to be considered.

hbrmotivation Employee Motivation© 2008 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation

When each lever is properly executed, the model motivates because the actions taken on all fronts reinforce one another - a holistic approach, setting the stage for intrinsic motivation.

Instead of asking yourself: How can I motivate my employees? Ask: How can I create an environment that is conducive to my employees motivating themselves? Chances are if you address all four drives above, you are off to a good start…

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