Motivation

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”

Motivation What is the meaning of

motivation?

~ Motivation basically means providing an incentive that would increase the productivity of an individual/employee

MotivationUnderstanding Motivation – Motivation is not a subject that is clearly understood and unfortunately it is often poorly practiced.

The word “motivation” is deprived from the Latin term, “motivus” which means “a moving cause”

Human nature is very complex and therein lies the difficulty. There is the old saying that you can take a horse to the water, but you cannot force it to drink - the horse will drink only if it is thirsty.

Motivation The same can be said of people. It has long

been observed that people will do what they want to do or are otherwise motivated to do

Are people born with self-motivation or drive? Some are and some are not, and those who are not need to be motivated. As complex as the human nature is, so is the the theory of Dr. Abraham Maslow. He developed a hierarchy of basic human needs, which serves as a guide in understanding the basic needs of employees

Motivation Physiological needs (this need is the

lowest on the pyramid and it covers basically physical needs such as the need to eat, to sleep, to look for shelter, etc)

Safety needs have to do with establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world. We need the security of a home and family. In some cases, safety needs cause persons to become religious.

Motivation Love needs – Human beings have a

desire to belong to groups. We need to feel loved (non-sexual) by others and to be accepted by others.

Esteem needs – There are two types of esteem needs. The first is self-esteem and the second is the attention and recognition that comes from others.

Motivation Self-actualization needs (this is

the highest need) – This is the desire to become more than what one is and to become everything that one is capable of becoming. People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, self-fulfillment, oneness with God, etc.

Motivation The job of a manager in the workplace is

to get things done through employees and team members and that is not a simple process. Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation. Ability depends on education, experience, and training, and its improvement may be a lengthy process. Motivation can be improved quickly if the manager knows the generally accepted strategies for motivation

Motivation

These strategies include – Positive reinforcement Effective discipline and punishment Treating people fairly Satisfying employees’ needs Setting work-related goals Restructuring jobs Basing rewards on job performance

Motivation It is believed that there is a gap between

the individual’s actual state and some desired state, and the leader/supervisor must try to reduce this gap. Motivation is one of the means to reduce and/or manipulate that gap. In studies conducted, employees attribute their motivation to job security, type of work, and advancement

Motivation Employees must feel a part of the

organization’s objectives Employees must understand these

objectives Employees must feel that they are

contributing to these objectives Once the organization allows its

employees to use their initiatives and make decisions then that institution has in effect empowered your employees

Motivation Do You Use Sticks or Carrots?

Employee motivation usually boils down to one of two approaches – the “stick” approach and the “carrot” approach.As many leaders have discovered, the traditional “stick” style of motivation fails absolutely in today’s workplace. In fact, this approach, which relies on discipline and punishment, often is counter-productive, creating a “them” (management team) and “us” (the workers) environment.

Motivation “Carrots,” style on the other hand, generally

result in immediate and positive results. It is stated that the pen is mightier than the

sword and in this case the carrot is mightier than the stick. Persuasion is far more powerful and effective than coercion. Leaders will find that persuasion builds morale, initiative and motivation, while coercion effectively suppresses such qualities.

Motivation A leader’s basic elements in persuasion

should include: Make suggestions Appeal to the person’s sentiments Appeal to logic

Likewise, an effective leader’s motivation toolkit should be composed of the following elements

Approval, praise, and recognition Trust, respect, and high expectation

Motivation Loyalty, given so that it may be received Job enrichment Effective communications Financial compensation and incentives

Once the employees are so motivated as to attain the goals, the manager will have, in effect, an effortless achievementAn effective leader will, therefore, recognize that in motivating people, there is no “one size fits all approach.”

MotivationWhat is empowerment? Empowerment is not just telling people what

they can and cannot do. It is much more that When employees are empowered

~They know and understand their duties and they know their limitations~When they have reached the limit of their authority, they are still willing and able to make suggestions and know that their ideas are respected and welcomed by senior management

Motivation Because employees are

empowered, they are not afraid to think outside the box, and present their ideas to management because they are aware that management will give their ideas some serious consideration

Motivation Listen to your employees

~ Most front line staff within an organization is usually considered the intelligence officers collecting information from the customers and passing it along to management.~ Employees must feel comfortable coming to management and relaying the information they have gathered from the members/customers.

Motivation~ If management chooses not to listen to their employees then they run the risk of developing a team of unmotivated employees, who will become negative and void of productivity as they would feel that their feedback and input are not important~ It is no longer important to be just member/customer focused but in order for the organization to be successful and productive it must be employee focused as well and one way to achieve this is to listen to your employee feedback and suggestions

Motivation Reward empowered action

~ The reward of an empowered action is positive press, which in turn can equal to increased business and examples of this is as follows – A store clerk overhears a customer requesting a product that is not on the shelves. He/she then relays this information to the manager, who then calls his supplier and request the product. The clerk then informs the customer that although the product is not on the shelves, the store would hopefully be in stock by the end of the week.

Motivation~ This action has done several things –- It has motivated the clerk because he/she is aware that information given to the manager would be respected and acted upon- The customer is now comfortable and satisfied knowing that the product is on the way and this will cause that customer to tell other potential customers who might just visit that store and purchase

Motivation

Staff must feel comfortable talking and telling management their suggestions so that they can be a part of the organization and the decision making as well

Motivation Treat employees fairly but not

equally~ Research states that 6 out of 10 employees believe their company is doing a poor job of applying personnel policies and procedures fairly. When employees feel they are not administered fairly, they lose respect for management, build up resentment towards fellow co-workers, and lose motivation for their work.

Motivation

~ However employees often confuse unequal treatment with a lack of fairness and they are two entirely different concepts. Employees should be treated exactly the same regardless of their jobs or personal needs. For example, employees resent when:Some departments get to leave early while others are expected to stay late

Motivation Employees should be treated fairly but

rarely should they be treated exactly the same. Of course no personnel decision should be based on differences in sex, age, national background, race, religion, sexual preference or disability.

Here is an interesting question – Do you have the same rules for a seven year old and a seventeen year old? The answer is no as they have different needs, different responsibilities and different capabilities.

Motivation~ There are many ways for individuals to motivate and change their lives for the betterment of themselves and their love ones.Here are a few steps that can assist in charging one’s life –Step 1 – Dream Great Dreams – Once you have identified your dream, you can take the steps to making them come true. Realize there is no straight line to take you from where you are to where you want to be.

Motivation~ Step 2 - Make a DecisionIn every single decision we make, we exert a power to shape and control our life. Unfortunately, instead of pursuing our own empowerment, we sometimes blame our choices on things that have nothing to do with us. How many times have you heard someone say “I have no choice” or “I couldn’t help it? Was that really the case, or did the person just not understand the power of his or her personal choices?

MotivationNotice how your life changes with every decision you make, no matter how small. Take responsibility for your decisions so you can shape your ultimate path.~ Step 3 – Exercise your power to choose Simply dreaming great dreams will not change your life; rather it’s what you do with these dreams that’s important. So identify what you need to do to make your dreams a reality.

Motivation~ Step 4 – Form a Support Team Enroll people in your dream who can help you attain it. Allow them to be involved, as they will provide energy and “know how” that will help you to persevere.~ Step 5 – Keep Score Just as you wouldn’t play in a competitive game without keeping score, neither should you ignore the score when it comes to your life. Keep track of your progress.

Motivation~ Step 6 – Establish a Baseline The baseline is where you are now. By now you have identified your vision, developed a plan of action, chosen people to help you, and identified your resources. You know which events must occur for you to succeed, and you know which step to take first. Now it is time to step off the baseline and move forward. If something interrupts your progress, you will need to evaluate what went wrong, make some adjustments and start moving again.

Motivation

~ Step 7 – Know where the goal line is The goal line is your desired outcome. As you focus on the long-term goal you have in mind, don’t forget the short-term goals that matter too. Setting and attaining small goals helps give your self-confidence a boost and keeps you motivated to continue plugging away toward your long-term goals.

Motivation ~ Step 8 - Reward Yourself Praises from others are great rewards, but it’s also important to reward yourself. After all, you’re doing all this for you. Commit to paper how you will reward yourself when you reach a certain goal, and then follow through. For example, take that exotic vacation you have been dreaming about, or treat yourself to a weekend getaway.

MotivationTake Charge Today for a Better Tomorrow

The thrill in this game called “life” is charting a course, facing a course, facing challenges head on, and holding someone else’s hand along the way. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. Either way, when you focus on the big picture and refuse to let past mistakes keep you down, you create a future filled with possibility. So live to the fullest in the present moment and make the most of it to achieve your vision.