Motivation is the psychological feature that arouses an
organism to action toward a desired goal and elicits, controls, and sustains
certain goal directed behaviors. It can be considered a driving force; a
psychological drive that compels or reinforces an action toward a desired goal.
For example, hunger is a motivation that elicits a desire to eat. Motivation
has been shown to have roots in physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and
social areas.
Motivation in business
A motivated employee is someone that
works hard because they feel fulfilled when they do so. Motivation is an
important area of business research and over the years there have been many
'motivational theories'. One of the best-known theories of motivation is based
on Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation". Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity. His theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow used the terms Physiological, Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem, and Self-Actualization needs to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation". Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity. His theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow used the terms Physiological, Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem, and Self-Actualization needs to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through.
Maslow studied what he called exemplary
people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor
Roosevelt, and Frederick Douglass rather than mentally ill or neurotic people, writing that "the study of
crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple
psychology and a cripple philosophy." Maslow
studied the healthiest 1% of the college student population.
Basic
needs
Are for reasonable standards of food, shelter and clothing and
those other items which are required to be the norm to meet the needs of the
body and for physical survival. The base level of need will be typically met in
modern industrial society by the exchange of labour for a wage packet or salary.
Security
needs
Are also concerned with physical survival. In the context of the
workplace these needs could include physical safety, security of employment,
adequate rest periods, pension and sick schemes, and protection from arbitrary
actions.
Group
needs
Are concerned with an individual's need for love and affection.
The majority of people want to feel that they belong to a group.
Self-esteem
Needs are based on an individual's desire for self-respect and the
respect of others. Employees have a need to be recognised as individuals of
some importance, to receive praise for their work, and to have their efforts
noticed.
Self-fulfilment
Maslow placed self-fulfilment at the top of his hierarchy of
needs. Self-fulfilment is concerned with full personal development and
individual creativity. In order to meet these needs it is important for
individuals to be able to use their talents and abilities fully.
The organisation that wants motivated employees must pay due care and attention both to lower and higher order needs.
The organisation that wants motivated employees must pay due care and attention both to lower and higher order needs.
Frederick
Herzberg
The work of Frederick Herzberg complements that of Maslow.
Herzberg showed that to truly motivate an employee you need to create
conditions that make them feel fulfilled in the workplace. Herzberg set out a
key difference between 'movement' and 'motivation'. He said that you can get
employs to move by 'kicks in the ass' - i.e. punishments and rewards e.g.
penalties for poor work and high pay for good work. However, workers that move
are not the same as workers that are motivated.
According to Herzberg if you want to motivate employees you need
to create a series of 'satisfiers' which are quite different from high pay.
Herzberg's satisfiers included:
1.
Recognition of effort and performance
2. The
nature of the job itself - does it provide the employee with the appropriate
degree of challenge and enjoyment?
3. Sense
of achievement
4.
Responsibility
5. The
opportunity for promotion and improvement.
The ideas of Maslow and Herzberg have been built on in modern
theories of Human Resource Development. Human Resource Development involves
talking to employees to find out about their needs and aspirations so as to be
able to establish Training and Development Plans. Human Resource Development
recognises that not only do organisations have objectives and requirements, so
too do the individuals that work for them. Strategies such as empowerment i.e.
trusting employees to think for themselves and to make decisions rather than be
told what to do, and career development plans provide real motivation for
employees.
The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest
skills an entrepreneur can possess.
Here are 9 things i learned how to motivate employees:
1. Be generous with praise. Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.
1. Be generous with praise. Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.
2. Get
rid of the managers. Removing
the project lead or supervisor and empowering your staff to work together as a
team rather then everyone reporting to one individual can do wonders.
3. Make
your ideas theirs. People
hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask
them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea.
4. Never
criticize or correct. No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that
they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try
an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and
fix them.
5. Make
everyone a leader. Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let
them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for
others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their
reputation as a leader.
6. Take
an employee to lunch once a week. Surprise them. Don’t make an
announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of
your employees, and invite them to lunch with you. It’s an easy way to remind
them that you notice and appreciate their work.
7. Give recognition and small rewards. These two things come in many forms:
Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what he or she has
accomplished.
8. Throw
company parties. Doing things as a group can go a long way.
9. Share the
rewards—and the pain. When your company does well, celebrate. This is
the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go
out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company
succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high
performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and
transparent.
Leader is nothing without people who follow him.
