Monday, July 8, 2013

The Key To Staff Motivation & How To Capitalize On It




Developing and maintaining the motivation of members of your team is perhaps one of the most important skills of leaders and managers.



After all, leaders and managers only achieve through the efforts of others. And (we) know from our own experiences that the level of performance we achieve depends on our inner drive each day to overcome the obstacles that get between us and our goals. This is as true for the new starter in the mailroom as it is for the CEO of a global corporation.



We may have personal experience of both great motivational leadership and not-so-great leadership – or worse. So, what is it that great motivators do? While a lot has been written on the subject and there are many acclaimed gurus, here are a few simple ideas that can help any leader unlock the power of motivation.



2 Key starting points to staff motivation and how to capitalize on it



 These ideas flow from two starting points:



Firstly, there are a range of different factors that determine how someone is motivated. They can be grouped broadly into three areas: rational factors, emotional factors and fundamental work related needs



Secondly, every person is unique. So the specific factor or group of factors that determine how an individual is motivated have to be understood – and these can change over time.



Rational factors in employee motivation



The main group of motivating factors are rational. Essentially these are the individual’s needs and preferences. They are often considered more tangible and objective than emotional factors.



Rational factors include:



Money – the individual considers that they are well-paid. Money may simply be the hourly or weekly wage, the availability of regular over-time, or the total remuneration including bonus, superannuation and other benefits.