Motivation Outside the Workforce:

One of the areas in which individuals tend to satisfy their motivational needs outside work is sports activities. It is interesting to note the effort that people put into such endeavours, for which they are unlikely to gain material reward. Try to motivate your staff to apply as much effort in the workplace as they would in a team sports event by making work as much fun as possible. A shrewd motivational strategy is to encourage your staff to take up team activities outside the workplace in order to improve their teamwork skills.

Satisfying Basic Needs:

Psychologist Frederick Herzberg developed a “two-factor” theory of motivation based on “motivators” and “hygiene factors”. Hygiene factors – basic human needs at work – do not motivate but failure to meet them causes dissatisfaction. These factors can be as seemingly trivial as parking space or as vital as sufficient holiday time, but the most important hygiene factor is finance. A manager should try to fulfil staff members’ financial needs. People require certain pay levels to meet their needs, and slow income progression and ineffective incentives quickly demotivated. Fear about lack of security in a job also greatly demotivates staff.

Points to Remember:

• The effects of getting hygiene factors right are only temporary

• The results of getting hygiene factors wrong can cause long-lasting problems

• The more choice people can exercise over both hygiene factors and motivators, the better motivated they will be

• Job insecurity undermines motivation at all levels

• Recognising good work is as important as rewarding it

Ensuring Motivation:

The second of Herzberg’s two factors is a set of “motivators” that actually drive people to achieve. These are what a manager should aim to provide in order to maintain a satisfied workforce. How much a person enjoys achievement depends purely on its recognition. The ability to achieve, in turn, rests on having an enjoyable job and responsibility. The greater that responsibility, the more the individual can feel the satisfaction of advancement. Motivators are built around obtaining growth and “self-actualisation” from tasks. You can raise motivation in your staff by increasing their responsibility, thereby “enriching” their jobs.

Heightening Workplace Motivation:

Achievement: Reaching or exceeding task objectives is particularly important because the “onwards-and-upwards” urge to achieve is a basic human drive. It is one of the most powerful motivators and a great source of satisfaction.

Recognition: The acknowledgment of achievements by senior staff members is motivational because it helps to enhance self-esteem. For many staff members, recognition may be viewed as a reward in itself.

Job Interest: A job that provides positive, satisfying pleasure to individuals and groups will be a greater motivational force than a job that does not sustain interest. As far as possible, responsibilities should be matched to individuals’ interests.

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