Motivating employees

Lal Fonseka Productivity Consultant, Brandix Lanka Limited

Motivation is one of the most important keys to success. When there is lack of motivation you either get no results, or only mediocre results, whereas when there is motivation you attain greater and better results and achievements.

Everyone needs to be motivated in order to succeed in life. But what is motivation, really? Some define motivation as mental drive or an emotional desire. Others define motivation as the work they do in life.For me, motivation means neither. Motivation is, in fact, the energy that gives birth to desire and work. It is this energy that is the foundation of motivation, motives and the quality of the action-brings-result dynamic that flows from motivation.

Is absenteeism or a lack of positive attitudes a problem in your company? Your answer would certainly be a positive one. Not only the absenteeism, the labour turn-over is also a burning problem in most of our organizations in Sri Lanka.

The main problem is for this negative situation is the low employee morale. It is amazing how many negative problems can be solved when you do things that improve employee morale. Your employees will get energized with a few simple morale boosters.

Boost employee morale on a daily basis and you will have an employee motivation programme that creates happy, loyal and productive employees. You being the head of the organization or the departmental manager, if you could stand near employees’ entrance when they arrive in for work in the morning to say good morning, the morale of them will boost without anybody’s notice. But a majority of our business leaders arrive in late and even after arriving late, they will get confined to their respective air-condition rooms.

No longer can leaders hire workers and expect to get motivated individuals. Learning how to motivate is now one of the most relevant and essential skills leaders can possess in today’s ever-changing workplace. Three decades ago, good leadership was usually synonymous with assertive decision-making. Leaders were celebrated for their acourage and risk-taking when shaping corporate strategies. Those times have changed. Today, leaders must go beyond the day-to-day operations taking 'tough decisions.' Leaders in today’s society are expected to be social scientists and the great leaders of today and tomorrow are those gifted individuals who have mastered the art of motivation. The ability to understand people and to be able to tap into their respective motives is the skill that make the difference in today’s society.

What about making good decisions and tough choices? These are still central to what leaders must do, but today the leader’s job doesn’t stop there. Once the decisions have been made, today’s leaders must be able to motivate their workers to accept and embrace organizational decisions. What separates exceptional leaders from ordinary leaders is the ability to inspire and motivate employees. In order to enhance the motivation of your employees, all human resource managers, supervisors and business owners can use these five quick and easy tips.

1. Written appreciation

Send a thank you letter to your employee's spouse and/or parents raving about your employee's great qualities. A copy of this letter could be displayed on the notice board for others to have a notice of it. It only takes a few minutes to write a letter that will be treasured forever by your employee. I have used this technique much effectively seven years ago and the results achieved were enormous. We had parents/wives meetings twice a year and awards for the quality jobs performed by the employees were presented to them through their parents or wives.

2. Motivational moments

Hold a three-minute 'Stand Up' office meeting each morning to communicate any changes or special things that may happen during the day and end your meeting with an inspirational poem, story or quote. Your employees will start the day with positive energy. In one organization, the day starts with an exercising event. All higher ups take part in this exercising activity without any reservation. Before entering into the organization, they are given a chance to worship their respective religions.

3. Social interaction

Provide fun activities where employees can get to know each other better and become friends. For example, certain organization allows its employees to come to work with T-shirts and bottoms on Fridays and Top leaders share lunch with employees in order to have an informal interaction.

4. Create a cheerful environment

Employees are more productive when they have neat, attractive and adequate workspace. Encourage employees to implement 5S in their respective work areas to add some attractiveness and neatness. The fourth principle of the five principles of the inventor of the Toyota Motor Corporation is practiced successfully in a known organization. This fourth principle is shown below. 'Always strive to build a homelike atmosphere at work that is warm and friendly'

5. Personal attention

Have regular one-on-one meetings with employees to discuss their work concerns and their career goals. Your employees will feel that you really care when you provide some guidance to help them achieve their career goals. “One-on-one meetings between staff and leaders are hugely motivational,” explained a human resources (HR) director from a reputed organization-“they make people feel valued during these difficult times.”

If you are a manager, supervisor or business owner, you can take action immediately to raise employee morale. Choose one of these five tips, and begin today.

In conclusion, perhaps the single most important technique for motivating the people you supervise is to treat them the same way you wish to be treated: as responsible professionals. It sounds simple; just strike the right balance of respect, dignity, fairness, incentive and guidance and you will create a motivated, productive, satisfying and secure work environment.

What's more, employee motivation is sagging throughout the country-morale has fallen at almost half of all companies, according to a recent research-at a time when businesses need engaged leaders and other employees willing to go above and beyond expectations. Organizations face the challenge of retaining talented people amid morale-sapping layoffs that tend to increase voluntary turnover over the medium term. One thing you must take into consideration is that often, top performers are the first to go.