Are you demotivating your employees?

Harvard Working Knowledge published an article by by David Sirota, Louis A. Mischkind, and Michael Irwin Meltzer, “Why Your Employees Are Losing Motivation” on motivation that really resonated with me. A large part of a leaders job involves initiating and leading change and this requires of leaders the ability motivate and inspire others to join them on the journey. Unlike much of the advice I’ve read on motivation that start from the assumption that people are naturally unmotivated and it’s the leaders job to instill motivation, these authors research found that people are naturally motivated and it’s how we lead and manage them that cause their motivation to increase or decrease. Their findings are that…

Most companies have it all wrong. They don’t have to motivate their employees. They have to stop demotivating them.

The great majority of employees are quite enthusiastic when they start a new job. But in about 85 percent of companies, our research finds, employees’ morale sharply declines after their first six months—and continues to deteriorate for years afterward. That finding is based on surveys of about 1.2 million employees at 52 primarily Fortune 1000 companies from 2001 through 2004, conducted by Sirota Survey Intelligence (Purchase, New York).

Decreasing motivation in the workplace is caused by the management style adopted by the employees direct manager. The authors found that to sustain employee motivation and enthusiasm managers must meet three goals that the majority of workers look for from their work.

Goal 1: Achievement - To be proud of one’s job, accomplishments, and employer.

1. Instill an inspiring purpose. A critical condition for employee enthusiasm is a clear, credible, and inspiring organizational purpose: in effect, a “reason for being” that translates for workers into a “reason for being there” that goes above and beyond money.
2. Provide recognition. Managers should be certain that all employee contributions, both large and small, are recognized. The motto of many managers seems to be, “Why would I need to thank someone for doing something he’s paid to do?” Workers repeatedly tell us, and with great feeling, how much they appreciate a compliment. They also report how distressed they are when managers don’t take the time to thank them for a job well done yet are quick to criticize them for making mistakes….. Receiving recognition for achievements is one of the most fundamental human needs. Rather than making employees complacent, recognition reinforces their accomplishments, helping ensure there will be more of them.
3. Be an expediter for your employees. Incorporating a command-and-control style is a sure-fire path to demotivation. Instead, redefine your primary role as serving as your employees’ expediter: It is your job to facilitate getting their jobs done. Your reports are, in this sense, your “customers.” Your role as an expediter involves a range of activities, including serving as a linchpin to other business units and managerial levels to represent their best interests and ensure your people get what they need to succeed.
4. Coach your employees for improvement. A major reason so many managers do not assist subordinates in improving their performance is, simply, that they don’t know how to do this without irritating or discouraging them. A few basic principles will improve this substantially…. First and foremost, employees whose overall performance is satisfactory should be made aware of that. It is easier for employees to accept, and welcome, feedback for improvement if they know management is basically pleased with what they do and is helping them do it even better.

Goal 2: Equity - To be respected and to be treated fairly in areas such as pay, benefits, and job security.

1. Communicate fully. One of the most counterproductive rules in business is to distribute information on the basis of “need to know.” It is usually a way of severely, unnecessarily, and destructively restricting the flow of information in an organization…… Workers’ frustration with an absence of adequate communication is one of the most negative findings we see expressed on employee attitude surveys. What employees need to do their jobs and what makes them feel respected and included dictate that very few restrictions be placed by managers on the flow of information. Hold nothing back of interest to employees except those very few items that are absolutely confidential…… Good communication requires managers to be attuned to what employees want and need to know; the best way to do this is to ask them!
2. Face up to poor performance. Identify and deal decisively with the 5 percent of your employees who don’t want to work. Most people want to work and be proud of what they do (the achievement need). But there are employees who are, in effect, “allergic” to work—they’ll do just about anything to avoid it. They are unmotivated, and a disciplinary approach—including dismissal—is about the only way they can be managed. It will raise the morale and performance of other team members to see an obstacle to their performance removed.

Goal 3: Camaraderie - To have good, productive relationships with fellow employees.

Promote teamwork. Most work requires a team effort in order to be done effectively. Research shows repeatedly that the quality of a group’s efforts in areas such as problem solving is usually superior to that of individuals working on their own. In addition, most workers get a motivation boost from working in teams….. A manager needs to carefully assess who works best with whom. At the same time, it is important to create the opportunity for cross-learning and diversity of ideas, methods, and approaches. Be clear with the new team about its role, how it will operate, and your expectations for its output.

Related to all three factors

Listen and involve. Employees are a rich source of information about how to do a job and how to do it better. This principle has been demonstrated time and again with all kinds of employees—from hourly workers doing the most routine tasks to high-ranking professionals. Managers who operate with a participative style reap enormous rewards in efficiency and work quality…. Participative managers continually announce their interest in employees’ ideas. They do not wait for these suggestions to materialize through formal upward communication or suggestion programs. They find opportunities to have direct conversations with individuals and groups about what can be done to improve effectiveness. They create an atmosphere where “the past is not good enough” and recognize employees for their innovativeness.

Technorati Tags: Purpose, Research, Management, Leadership, Business, Motivation, Inspiration, Team, Performance

Related posts:

1. Passion and engagement equals increased profits
2. Defining Employee Engagement
3. Five Steps to Engaging Your Employees
4. Managment Plays a Crucial Role in Employee Engagement
5. Four principles leaders can use to guide employees through disconcerting change….

Tagged as: Engagement, Inspire, Management