How To Improve Employee Motivation

Maximising employee productivity is a primary concern for leaders and managers, and examining the theory of employee motivation can provide some excellent clues on how to improve motivation and performance in the workplace. Incorporating this knowledge into team leadership training sessions and sales managers training can help boost performance for all employees, and make your upper-level staff more effective.

New theories based on years of research about employee motivation have shown that employee motivation stems from internal rather than external factors. The key in maximising employee motivation lies in understanding that there are two different types of motivation:

Autonomous motivation, where a person does a job because they find it interesting, or because it's in accordance with their personal values.

Controlled motivation, where a person does a job because they feel pressured to do it, whether by internal or external forces.

Not surprisingly, studies show that autonomous motivation is much more effective than controlled motivation. Aside from being associated with better workplace performance, high levels of autonomous motivation are also linked to social, psychological, and physical wellness.

Why? Simply because people enjoy work more when they feel interest in what they're doing, and because they enjoy work more when they feel that they're doing it because they want to, rather than because they have to. Interestingly, numerous studies show that offering monetary rewards doesn't increase autonomous motivation, and can actually decrease it.

Naturally that doesn't mean employees work better when they're not getting paid, or that employees shouldn't be rewarded for hard work, but it does show that higher wages aren't the key to improving employee motivation and performance.

Three Keys to Motivation

So what is most important? Motivating employees lies in meeting three basic psychological needs:

• Competence—people are more motivated when they feel that they're working effectively; providing initial and ongoing training, along with opportunities for skill acquisition, are good ways to foster this.

• Relatedness—workers are more motivated when they have mutually supportive relationships with peers and managers.

• Autonomy—people are more highly motivated when they feel that they perform their work willingly and by choice, which ties into the idea of work being interesting and inherently rewarding.

Providing a workplace environment in which these needs can be met promotes optimal motivation levels and productivity, and enhances employee satisfaction too.

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Building Trust: The Key To Leadership Development

The very best leaders have a wide range of skills, and one of the most important is the ability inspire trust in stakeholders and employees. Learning how to build effective relationships is all about establishing mutual trust on an individual level, and the basic principles of building trust in relationships is an important part of leadership training. There are six essential elements to building trust in relationships, each of which fosters trust in a different way.

Lead By Example

One of the most important concepts in leadership development is that of leading by example. Simply put, leaders should model the behaviour they want to see in their employees—if you want your staff to remain calm under pressure, take responsibility for mistakes, and treat co-workers with respect, it's up to you as a leader to get the ball rolling.

Foster an Accepting Atmosphere

People find it much easier to contribute fully when they're working in an atmosphere of acceptance. If they know they can express their ideas without being attacked or reprimanded, they're going to do so much more confidently. Just as important, people who work in such an atmosphere are more likely to take initiative and go the extra mile when it's needed.

Make Your Relationships Constructive Ones

As workplaces become more diverse, it's more important than ever that all workplace relationships are constructive. Leaders who can maintain constructive relationships with people of diverse backgrounds always have an advantage.

Focus on Situations, Not Individuals

It's easy to play the blame game when things go wrong, but it doesn't help engender trust in the workplace — just the opposite. Focus on the big picture when problems arise, and stay calm and clear-headed. You'll be able to make better decisions and solve those problems more effectively, and employees won't feel unfairly targeted.

Take the Initiative on Making Improvements

Change is a risk, and the best leaders are people who demonstrate their willingness to take risks. To establish credibility as a leader, it's important that you're the one stepping up when there's a problem to solve or an improvement to be made.

Strategy for the Long Term

An effective leader considers the long-term impact of the decisions they make—and they avoid deciding in favour of themselves at the expense of another. In the long term, it's always more prudent to make ethical decisions, to plan responsibly and extensively, and to set realistic but challenging goals.

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