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In the eyes of leaders, leadership is simple: it involves two things. First, using people—employing virtue in the inner circle and talent in the outer circle, leveraging strengths and tolerating weaknesses. Second, motivating—solving difficulties and remembering achievements. Through positive incentives, guide subordinates to run forward; through negative incentives, push them along. That is, "positive incentives + negative incentives = leadership." The leader's job is guidance and service; the art of leadership is the art of motivation.
Whether admitted or not, all behavior is driven by the question: "What's in it for me?" Therefore, to create a positive work environment, first hire self-motivated employees. You can identify such people by reviewing their resumes.
Unfortunately, most managers have to work with existing staff. The key is to find ways to foster an inner desire for success. But before that, managers must clarify which behaviors they want to motivate: reducing costs? Speeding up work? Improving customer satisfaction?
Once goals are clear, managers can:
(1) Provide information for employees to do their jobs well. This includes the company's overall goals and mission, work that needs to be done by specific departments, and specific problems individual employees must address. Open communication not only makes employees feel they are part of business decisions but also helps them understand business strategy. Provide this information not only at the start of a project or task but continuously throughout the process and near its end. In other words, managers must
(2) Give regular feedback. "Feedback is crucial—it's the breakfast of champions." The employees doing the work are the experts. So managers must
(3) Listen to employees' opinions. Invite them to participate in decisions related to their work. If this open communication and two-way information sharing become an integral part of business operations, the motivational effect is even stronger. Therefore, companies should
(4) Establish channels for communication at all levels. Employees can use these channels to ask questions, voice concerns, or get answers. There are many ways to encourage employees to speak freely, such as employee hotlines, suggestion boxes, group discussions, Q&A sessions with the president, and "open door" policies. One of the most important purposes of open communication is to enable managers to
(5) Find motivation from employees themselves. Each person's inner motives differ. Therefore, rewards for excellent work should vary by individual. Show respect for others. If there are signs that an employee prefers a certain treatment or wants to do a certain type of work, respond accordingly. Managers should
(6) Identify tasks employees would do even in their spare time. Help create opportunities for them to do more of these tasks. If a salesperson enjoys visiting potential major clients in their spare time, let them take on larger client projects. This challenge will surely invigorate them. Find the most effective workplace motivators. Research shows the most effective motivators are:
(7) Congratulate employees in person when they do a good job. This congratulations should be timely and specific. One way to show appreciation is to
(8) Keep in regular contact with subordinates. "When I chat with you, I invest my most precious asset: time. This highlights the importance of our relationship and shows I care about your work." Regular contact also makes employees more likely to approach managers with important issues and seek help. If managers cannot show appreciation in person, they should
(9) Write a note praising good performance. Written congratulations make the manager's appreciation visible and the "good feeling" lasts longer. One-on-one praise alone is quite encouraging. So it's no surprise that public recognition further accelerates employees' desire for success. Managers should
(10) Publicly praise employees for excellent work. This tells them their achievements deserve attention and praise from everyone. Today, many companies see teamwork as vital. So don't forget team members when recognizing; instead,
(11) Hold meetings to celebrate and boost morale. Celebrations need not be elaborate; just let team members know promptly that they did a great job. Routine, unchallenging work drains morale. For employees to perform well, companies must
(12) Provide employees with a good job. Managers should not only guide employees on how to grow in their work but also give them opportunities to learn the latest skills. Next,
(13) Ensure employees have the right tools to do their best work. Working for a company that invests in leading technology is generally morale-boosting. If employees have the most advanced tools in the industry, they take pride in their work. If they can proudly boast about their work, that pride contains enormous motivational power. If the company lacks a positive work environment, consider integrating the following seven principles to improve it. First,
(14) Understand employees' personal needs. Today's employees have diverse needs, such as single mothers, dual-career couples, people with disabilities, etc. If you understand employees' needs and try to meet them, you'll greatly boost motivation, such as through flexible work schedules. Although there is increasing talk about managing employees by performance, truly
(15) Promoting employees based on performance can still be called a change. Too many companies promote based on seniority. This approach not only fails to encourage employees to strive for achievements but also fosters a wait-and-see attitude. Regarding performance, companies should
(16) Develop a complete set of criteria for promoting from within. Employees have many things they want to do and can do in their careers. How many opportunities does the company actually provide to achieve these goals? Ultimately, employees will measure the company's investment in them by the opportunities provided. Employee policies should provide job security.
(17) Emphasize the company's willingness to hire long-term. Show employees that job security ultimately depends on them, but the company will do its best to ensure long-term employment. Many people see work as both a means of livelihood and an opportunity for social interaction. If the company
(18) Has a community-like atmosphere, it shows the company has done its utmost to build an organization where everyone wants to work. Backstabbing, office politics, and low morale can demoralize even the most ambitious people. Much contemporary literature downplays the importance of money. Even so, don't overlook the motivational power of money. Most companies can match competitors' salary levels. However, the environment that motivates employees to achieve better performance and higher job satisfaction is not easily replicated. From a cost perspective, it's not cost-effective. Spending a lot of money to improve employee performance often doesn't last. Why? Mainly due to structural problems in monetary reward plans. For example, year-end across-the-board bonuses are particularly discouraging. High performers see underperformers getting the same money and lose the desire to maintain top performance.
On the other hand, if used properly, money can be extraordinarily motivating. To maximize the effect of money,
(19) Employee salaries must be competitive. That is, pay based on the value of the employee. When employees feel their compensation is fair, they won't focus solely on the paycheck. The company also benefits greatly. Even if the company has established a competitive salary system, it can
(20) Let employees share in profits. To achieve greater gains, clearly indicate which employee achievements significantly impact business results, and make work goals clear. Additionally, to ensure the money truly motivates, the bonus amount must be substantial. Motivating employees through these methods cannot be done overnight; it requires long-term effort. As experts in positive reinforcement advocate, at the end of each day, employees either go home enthusiastic and return the next day with high spirits, or they leave listless due to something unpleasant at work. Performance is a reflection of daily events. These methods are not really innovative.
Motivating employees, in essence, is respecting them. This is what today's exhausted and numb employees need most.
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