| Five Tips for Employee Motivation | | | | appreciation for his hard work. He requested a day |
| I once worked as a Manager in the cable television | | | | at the racetrack with lunch. He promised to teach |
| industry. At the time I had an unlimited supply of | | | | me how to bet if I paid for lunch and did the driving. |
| electronics, clothing, cash bonuses, etc. to use as sales | | | | What I saw as an intrusion into my busy schedule, turn |
| and goodwill incentives. Giving away goodies via | | | | into one of the best “work” days I ever had. |
| contests, parties, and drawings were a weekly, if not | | | | We had a great time, talked some business, and took |
| daily, occurrence. After one rather expensive | | | | our relationship to the next level. |
| incentive campaign, I received “complaints” about | | | | 3. Think cheap and think custom. The old adage, |
| the taxes on a cash bonus and the color of a free | | | | “it’s the thought that counts” is real and it |
| $200 Showtime leather varsity jacket. These | | | | works. Customizing or tailoring recognition rewards, |
| incentives had become entitlements. The trinkets we | | | | appreciation gifts, etc. to match the recipient means a |
| used to motivate and energize did have a short-term | | | | lot more than the value of the gift. The sales rep. in |
| effect on sales and attitude. As a result, the work fell | | | | Tip #2 was an older gentleman who did not need |
| on management to constantly devise bigger and better | | | | cash bonuses, watches, or any other material |
| incentives to “motivate” the staff. In the words | | | | recognition. He merely wanted my time. Left to my |
| of Janet Jackson – “what have you done for | | | | own thoughts, it would have been the last thing I would |
| me lately”? | | | | have guessed. |
| Those years taught me a lesson about motivating | | | | 4. Be sincere and be immediate. Studies have shown |
| employees. Most of us would rather have inspired, | | | | that among the top employee motivators is being |
| self-directed teams that take pride in their work – | | | | recognized for a job well done. Recognition with |
| without heavy-handed motivation tricks. Here are five | | | | movie passes, thank you cards, gift certificates are |
| tips for truly motivating employees: | | | | fairly useless when used in isolation. Mix these with |
| | | | | immediate and sincere gratitude and you have the |
| 1. Focus on non-contingent interaction. Interacting with | | | | formula for effective performance coaching. I made |
| people on a personal level. As a leader, your | | | | it a habit to carry a supply of movie passes to hand |
| relationship with your team does not focus solely on | | | | out to my Generation Y staff. They understood why |
| work. Madeleine Hunter said, “people don’t | | | | they were getting them and appreciated the fact that |
| care how much you know, until they know how much | | | | someone was noticing their effort. |
| you care”. You don’t have to dole out | | | | 5.Share information and power. True motivation is |
| hugs and kisses every morning, but you can’t be | | | | intrinsic. You cannot truly make someone do |
| like a Vice-President I once worked under. He literally | | | | something against their wishes. People are |
| never left his office or spoke with the staff during the | | | | terminated everyday simply because they refuse to |
| course of the day. When he did attempt to lead, it | | | | perform – despite weeks, months, and years of |
| had minimal effect since we did not have a relationship. | | | | attempts to “motivate” them. People become |
| 2. Break the recognition rules. I once asked one of | | | | self-motivated when they feel valued and have input in |
| my sales reps. what I could do to show my | | | | their work environment, duties, and plans. |