At a personal level motivation is the engine that drives us forward, that sets us onto taking initiative, actually setting to become productive in the various activities that we undertake. In a corporate environment, office, or whatever other space where we are expected to be productive, motivation can come from within ourselves, as a response to a number of stimuli.
Personal gain is at the heart of motivation but it can be expressed in a number of ways. On one hand there are the materials gains that drive us to be productive, salary, raises, bonuses, etc. Although not material, we can also be motivated and self motivated by reaching goals, by being appreciated. Motivation is in many ways an art, as it can be managed and manipulated to lead to better results from ourselves or from those that we want to motivate. Here are a few motivation techniques that will increase the productivity of employees.
The power of example. Employees always judge the persona that manages and scrutinizes their work flow. Therefore, if you want to create an environment where people produce more and get involved, you have to set the right example for them. Showcase the attitude that you want your employees to have.
Happiness is the greatest motivation. Happiness is not the kind of high brow concept as some would think. It can be achieved with a lot of minuscule things, things that at first look don’t look to be too important. Smiling, engaging your employees in casual conversations, and even common sense actions such as allowing them to take breaks whenever they want to, will lead to feeling more comfortable at the office/workplace. Therefore, don’t forget you are working with human beings that have feelings and that need to be respected.
If you are a manager allow your employees to take time for important matters. Try to prevent altercations and to make the work environment feel like home, without, however, sacrificing the quality of the work or the amount of work necessary. Also, try to understand your employees, try to get to know them and see what each one of them responds to.
Employee and company success should be shared. This can be achieved by corroborating company success with individual success, either by offering employees more money when the company is having a successful streak, or by allowing them to buy shares in the company. When an individual feels that he’s working for himself, for his own well being he will be more productive.
Financial gain is not the panacea of motivation. Don’t make the wrong assumption that if you increase an employees’ salary, say, by doubling it, he will be twice as productive. Quite on the contrary, he will feel that he deserves that amount and sometimes the exact adverse response can happen. Money is an incentive that should not be abused, instead it should be dispensed only after an increase in productivity.
Also, agency and autonomy for the employee, that is, having a grasp hold on the result of his activities and being able to make choices by himself and relate them to the company’s success is more important than money. However, underpaying an employee will always lead to decreased productivity, and a lack of interest in the job done.
