EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION

Organizations are concerned about becoming more operationally efficient and bout employee engagement, job satisfaction, and performance. The question for these organizations: What motivates employees? Some of us mistakenly believe that money is sufficient to motivate employees. This, of course, is not the case. The wages employee earns are transactional; it is contractual. Employees expect to be paid for the work that they do. With all the discussions around wages, such as minimum wage, etc., none of it discusses motivation but instead examines the ability to “live.” Bonuses are temporary motivators. It is like eating a cone of ice cream on a hot summer day. You eat it quickly, and then it is done; you move on, looking for the next ice cream. You are not motivated beyond this.

So, how do these organizations motivate employees to do their best work over the long term? The answer revolves around a leadership structure that recognizes high performers, provides all the tools that employees need to do their job, and provides work and schedules that help employees succeed.

Leaders must have a purpose. They influence their followers to come along with them, not through a transactional arrangement, but by giving them something to be excited about over the long term. Effective leadership is interested in a transformative work environment through engagement, job satisfaction, and performance.

While leaders are charged with critically and strategically thinking about the future, they must also consider the practical side of leadership. This means that they are not afraid to get “their hands dirty,” stepping in to help resolve problem issues that occur and provide alternative measures that work. They can also be effective if they are visible, demonstrate empathy, be self-aware, and continually build strong relationships. Of course, the term “My door is always open” is a joke. The door is always closed, but the leadership should always be open to ideas, changes to processes that offer flexible outcomes.