| Employee motivation and employee productivity can | | | | enough; therefore, it may appear they have no |
| be tricky. Have you ever managed people you'd | | | | motivation. |
| describe as capable and talented, but they just "go | | | | Now we know better. They're motivated...just in a |
| through the motions" of showing up and doing the bare | | | | different direction than you. Sometimes it doesn't take |
| minimum? You might ask yourself, "Where is their | | | | much to affect someone's motivation and productivity. |
| motivation?" | | | | A friend of mine is the number one salesperson for a |
| What may be happening in the above scenario is that | | | | company. He once told me he had zero motivation to |
| these talented, capable people are motivated to show | | | | win a sales contest which included a fully paid trip to |
| up at work and do as little as possible without getting | | | | Cancun for 10 days with his wife. Why? |
| fired! | | | | His children weren't included on the trip. If he and his |
| The definition of motivation is - An inner drive that | | | | wife were leaving on vacation, he wanted his kids with |
| compels behavior. Therefore, to say someone "just | | | | them. Since that wasn't the case, he got very creative |
| isn't motivated", just isn't possible. Employee motivation | | | | with order schedules, so he could place second in the |
| begins with understanding that within every human | | | | contest without losing commissions in the long term. |
| being, there's an inner drive that compels behavior. In | | | | Granted, the company's quarterly bottom line would be |
| other words, everyone has motivation. Criminals are | | | | lower, but this way my friend could get what he |
| motivated as much as you and I...only in a different | | | | wanted - a family vacation on his terms. |
| direction to achieve different outcomes. Each of us | | | | Like my friend, all of us have motivation toward what |
| behaves as we do, because of an inner drive called | | | | we want and away from what we don't want. |
| "motivation." | | | | If my friend's manager had asked, "What would |
| One question that might arise from the above definition | | | | provide you the most motivation to win this contest?" |
| is, "If motivation comes from within, does that mean | | | | ...he would have heard my friend say, "Just give me |
| employee motivation and productivity isn't possible with | | | | four days in Disney World with my wife and kids, then |
| some people?" That's a great question. Let's take a | | | | get out of my way and watch me win this thing." One |
| closer look at employee motivation and productivity | | | | simple question would have made all the difference in |
| and how we can get more out of people. | | | | my friend's motivation to win, but his manager didn't |
| The first step is in understanding that each of us has | | | | ask it. |
| "wants" in key life areas such as financial, health, | | | | When you show interest in what people want and help |
| relationships, business/career, spiritual and recreational. | | | | them get more of that, you ignite employee motivation |
| Our vision in those areas, and our journey toward | | | | and productivity in the direction you desire. |
| fulfilling them, is what determines our motivation and | | | | Do you struggle with business productivity and |
| productivity. When there's a "gap" between where we | | | | employee motivation? Are you desperately trying to |
| are and where we want to be, inner drive "kicks in" to | | | | find a way to increase productivity and motivate some |
| somehow close the gap. | | | | employees? Are you about to throw in the towel |
| Given the above, every interaction you have with | | | | because you think motivation isn't possible with some |
| people, motivates or de-motivates them. Every | | | | people? If so, consider that they may not be getting |
| interaction "raises a mirror", where they see | | | | enough of what they want, and that's why they |
| themselves in relation to where they want to be. Your | | | | appear to have little motivation. |
| words and actions have immediate meaning for | | | | How do you find out what employees want? You |
| people: their relationship with you either moves them | | | | must ask them. If their productivity and motivation is |
| toward or away from their desired destination. If | | | | low because important things aren't being fulfilled, you |
| people experience you as a barrier to having more of | | | | may be able to increase productivity and turn things |
| what they want, they may "hold back" their | | | | around by finding a way to make their job a vehicle |
| productivity. For them, more effort isn't worthwhile | | | | for getting more of what they want. |