Knowledge is power, isn’t that what they all say? And some knowledge is incredibly powerful; knowing how to effectively motivate an employee, for example, improves relationships and morale across your organisation and increases productivity into the bargain. So how do you do it?
We’ll let you in on a little secret – most employees are already motivated. You don’t motivate them, per se; instead, you need to influence them to direct that motivation towards your business goals. Of course, employees aren’t always excited to do what their manager thinks is important. If they’re doing their job purely to make a living, why should they care? It’s your job to turn this mindset around and inspire them to go that extra mile.
It may surprise you to learn that money is not the answer – Frederick Herzberg discovered as much when he was researching his famous HBR article One More Time, How Do You Motivate People? He proved that people are more motivated by a sense of achievement and recognition than anything else. That means your job is not to give them financial incentives, but to create workplace conditions that make people want to do better.
Before you start, ask yourself this: how well do you know this particular employee? Guide your interaction with them based on what you know about their interests, education, goals, strengths, weaknesses etc. This is a good way to figure out what might motivate them most.
You should meet employees one-on-one, but keep it informal – this is an exercise aimed at helping them, not a job interview. Ask them what their priorities are, and note the answers; if an employee is having trouble identifying any, suggest a few. Your aim here should be to identify their priorities and expectations in their role. Repeat this exercise for employee strengths and areas in which they might want to improve.
It’s important to note that in order for this exercise to work you should ask the employee FRIST before giving any input, emphasise achievement before discussing any need for improvement and raise any issues without seeming like you’re being overly critical. This is an exercise to motivate, not to reprimand. You should also ask the employee how you can help them achieve the goals you have discussed. We guarantee they’ll appreciate it.
One key thing to remember is that you must follow up on what is discussed in this meeting. Execute the plans you and your employees come up with; otherwise, it simply won’t work. Feedback, engagement and constant communication are essential; invest the time, and you’ll see the results in your team of motivated, inspired employees.