Employee Motivation Techniques - How to Achieve Peak Performance Through a Change Initiative

The term "employee motivation techniques" is in my(3) Consistency - in all aspects of the way in which
view a little misleading as it implies a tactical "quick fix"you lead the change; manage the delivery; handle the
approach. Whereas to achieve a peak performancecommunication; and ensure the realisation of the
from your people and in so doing, to create a genuinebenefits.
source of competitive advantage demands a strategic(4) Capability - constant attention to the management
approach that embraces leadership style, corporateof the projects and initiatives that are delivering the
cultures and the supporting business and managementcapabilities into your organisation that will deliver the
processes.benefits.
At root this is all about the emotional dimension -Jon R. Katzenbach is the Senior Partner of
specifically the emotional commitment of yourKatzenbach Partners LLC, a consulting firm in New
employees and achieving an alignment and maintainingYork City that specializes in leadership, team, and
the balance between corporate performance andworkforce performance. In his book " Peak
individual employee fulfilment.Performance: Aligning the Hearts and Minds of Your
In practise this means establishing what is important toEmployees" Katzenbach examined the leaders of
your people, communicating to them what is importantsome of America's most successful corporations and
to you and the organisation, and finding ways offound distinct patterns to their employee motivation
meeting both their and your goals. This is what lies attechniques and thus employee performance that
the heart of employee motivation techniques.differentiated them from their competition.
There are 4 factors that underpin all this in a changeFindings showed:
management context:(1) A strong belief in the worth and value of each
(1) Clarity in all areas- especially of the business needemployee
for the change, of the specifics of the change, the(2) An engagement with their employees that was
benefits of the change, and most importantly theemotional as well as rational.
impacts of the change. Also, at an individual level(3) They got the balance right between worker
ensuring that people know precisely what is expectedfulfilment and enterprise performance.
of them - i.e. you translate the vision into actionableOverall what he found was that each company had
steps.what he calls a "workforce value proposition" that
(2) Communication - constant communication; two-waymakes clear is expected of employees and what they
communication; communication that explains clearlyget in return - and this transcended monetary awards
what is happening or not happening and why, thatwith an emotionally committed workforce.
listens actively and demonstrates to people that youThe key to effective employee motivation techniques
have thought through the impacts of the change onand how and lead them through change, really is to be
them, and that you are prepared to work with them tofound by engaging with the people at the coal-face in
achieve their buy-in and commitment to the change.your organisation.