What motivate me at the work place?

As a manager or supervisor in your office, perhaps the most difficult job you encounter is how to effectively motivate your staff and keep them motivated. This is due to the facts that not every person needs the same kind and level of motivation, and the same person may need different motivation at different time.  

So, at all time you have to identify your staff’s requirements individually and tailor the most appropriate motivation to each of them. You have to offer something that they value as fulfilling their needs and goals at a particular time to make them continuously contribute the best of their effort.  

When considering motivation to the staff, most managers will likely suggest the solution in terms of monetary. Of course, the incentives such as pay increments, extra allowances, bonuses and vacation schemes are good motivators. After all people work basically on the monetary reasons. But, money is not the magic motivator that solve for all. To certain people at certain time, they need other effective tools to motivate them in the work place. 

If I’m asked what I need as motivation beside the monetary, I‘ll give preference in terms of other recognitions and quality work life. They are as follow: 

         i.            I come to work to accomplish tasks. So, in the first place I need a suitable working environment. The working space, the people around and the surroundings should comply with the type of job I’m doing. It is not necessarily too comfortable, but it should be harmoniously fit so that I can produce the best.

 

       ii.            I have the feeling and ambitions. So, I want my good efforts and successes to be appreciated and recognized. When come to appraisal for certain opportunity, I want to be evaluated fairly and comparably to other staffs. Wrongly appraised will demolish my respect to my superiors. 

     

      iii.            At time, I may make mistake. Do not simply punish, but guide and encourage me to do better. Guidance and encouragement will motivate me more. That will make me work with my true heart and mind.

 

      iv.            As a person, beside my job I also have other responsibilities concerning my family, my community and myself. Unfortunately, there are times that I may have problem out there. In this circumstance, I need the opportunity to solve the problem first. In return I would not mind to work extra hours or even weekends.

 

        v.            In taking directives from my superior I want to know what I am doing the jobs for and why I am required. When I know the purpose and understand the value for my existence, I will not hesitate to contribute to achieve the objectives.

 

      vi.            When I am assigned for a particular task, I appreciate the trust that is put on me. By that, I am happy to accomplish it by myself. Thus will reflect my responsibility and commitment, and the achievement I’ve made. But, on top of that, it would always be nicer if my superior come down to me as a ‘team member’. I will be more motivated when my superior understand ‘how’ I perform the tasks been directed.

 

     vii.            In accepting the challenge to perform a specialized job, I regard myself as the one with knowledge and skills, and having the commitment to accomplish it. With this attitude, I would appreciate if I’m allowed to make certain approaches my own way, rather than following exactly to the stated procedures and guidelines. A little freedom in applying the skills will inspire me to proceed with difficult jobs.

 

   viii.            Besides all, what also important is that I am provided with the right tools and adequate resources. Without those, though I may proceed with the work, the result would not display the perfection. And that would tarnish my credibility too. I’m best encouraged to employ my knowledge, skill and commitment when proper tools and resources are in my hands.

 

Those are eight ‘wishes’ that I expect to be provided as motivators. For other people there may be other expectations.  Anyhow, the basic principle of motivation at the work place – If staff are effectively motivated, they will give of their best volunteerly – should be applicable.

Delegation of authority

When your name occupied the top position in the hierarchy-structure chart of your organization, or one of the departments or sections or even the smaller sub-units within your organization, you are a leader. No matter whether you lead the whole organization or just the small part of it, you possess certain powers. That includes the power of authority; the legitimate power related to your position as determined by your organization. It gives you the rights to make decisions that involve other people in your down-streams.

As a person with authorities, would you rather keep those authorities to yourself or would you prefer to delegate some of them to your subordinates?

This is about the delegation of authority. General Douglas MacArthur, been described as a great commander and administrator, might had asked himself the same question during his time. That’s why he had emphasized a great deal on the delegation of authority in the list of questions he developed as the principles of his leadership. I just pick a few of them here:

· Do I heckle my subordinates or strengthen and encourage them?
· Do I delegate tasks that should be mine?
· Do I arrogate everything to myself and delegate nothing?
· Do I develop my subordinates by placing on each one as much responsibility as he can   stand?

(You may see the full list here: http://www.leadershipnow.com/macarthurprinciples.html)

Delegation of authority is one of the elements that contribute towards the effectiveness in operating the organization’s activities. It simply means leaders empower the subordinates by deciding how much authority they should delegate to them.

The clarity on the ‘authorized power’ for making decisions among the subordinates will enable them to help smoothening the flow of work processes. Besides, the delegation of authority is benefited in several other aspects, such as:

i. It develops a more competitive climate within the organization, as subordinates are challenged and motivated to contribute their best performance in comparison to their peers.

ii. It encourages the development of professional administrators among the subordinates through abilities to gain skills in making more significant decisions.

iii. With the delegated authorities, subordinates are able to exercise the broader and higher autonomy that leads to better leadership and managerial creativities.

iv. By delegating part of authorities to the subordinates, leaders may release themselves from ‘overloaded’ responsibilities and may converge his attention on tasks that are more important or with urgent priorities.

Anyhow, the delegation of authority should be implemented within certain limits. If you delegate all the authorities to your subordinates, you will no longer remain as a leader because it left you with no power to control or make decisions. But, if you delegate nothing to your subordinates for fear of loosing your power, it also dismisses you from your status. A leader should motivate and receive the support from the subordinates.

Therefore, the delegation of authority should be made in light of various factors, such as:

i.     the routine of the decisions to be made.
ii.   the degree of importance of the decision.
iii.  the amount and level of tasks to be accomplished.
iv.  the capability (such as skills and competencies) of the subordinates to take the responsibility.

Employee Performance Management: About Motivation

Human factor is crucial in the performance management of the organization. As managers are responsible of acting towards the effectiveness of the employees, they have to institute efficient frameworks for dealing with people. On the other hand, employees need reasonable encouragements and motivators in order for them to produce the best for the organization.

In managing for the employees’ performance, motivation is one of the elements that managers should capture into their attention. In fact, to get the best from the employees, managers have to spend much of the managerial time on addressing motivation to them.

Why motivation? It is because motivation being the force that acts upon individuals to initiate and direct their behaviors. In the organizational context, motivation influences the way employees behave and respond towards their tasks and how persistent they would maintain a particular attitude with them.

To motivate, managers require sustainable approaches and skills to maintain people’s enthusiasm and commitment. An important point to take note is that different people possesses different behavior because their needs and goals vary. So, different people may require different kind and level of motivation. Therefore, when considering motivation, it is important for the managers to look forward positively and to take a long-term view for the success.

In order to understand the nature of motivation that a person requires, managers have to understand his/her needs individually. Basically, it should focus on the aspect of satisfying the human needs and wants to develop good behaviors in them. Motivation theories such as those developed by Maslow, Hertzberg and McClelland can be useful to facilitate as guides for managers in determining the best motivation they should choose for their individual employees.

Normally, achievement and recognition are positive motivators to the employees. As people have needs and goals, they want to achieve them. Similarly, as people have feelings, they like to feel appreciated and fairly recognized on good deeds they made. Thus, managers have to punctually develop reasonable progresses in the employee’s achievements, and to arrange for proper appreciations to their efforts and contributions. Remember that good working behaviors of the employees emerge from good managerial behaviors of the managers.

Motivation, in many ways, is the key to the success of human development. Managers should aim to increase employees’ performance through self-motivation, rather than enforcing external motivation (such as the imposition of strict rules and conditions of service) to bring about higher standards of performance. When employees are shown clear expectations, encouraged, valued and trusted, they will be motivated and will most likely give all their best for the benefit of the organization.