OB - Motivation Technques

7/27/2019 OB - Motivation Technques

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OB

Motivational techniques adopted by corporates.

FLOW OF PROJECT

1. INTRO

WHY IS MOTIVATION NEEDED IN AN ORG. ?

2. CO. #1

3. CO. #2

4. CONCLUSION IMPORTANCE OF MOTIVATION IN AN ORG.


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1. Recognit ion/At tent ion. When your employees accomplish something they have achieved something. Yourrecognition is appreciation for that achievement. I believe that most managers don't give enough recognition becausethey don't get enough. Therefore, it doesn't come natural to do it. If this applies to you, you need to drop this excuselike a bad habit! Become a giver! Look at the price. Recognition is free!

2. Applause.A form of recognition yes, but a very specific form. Physically applaud your people by giving them around of applause for specific achievements. Where? When? The answer is wherever and whenever. At meetings or

company-sponsored social gatherings, a luncheon, or in the office. At the end of a shift, before a shift, and wheneverpossible in the middle of a shift.

Using plaques or trophies is another effective way of applauding your people. Although "wooden applause" is oftensuccessfully used in the form of Employee of the Month plaques, more creative ideas are sorely underutilized. Takethe time to be creative, matching special accomplishments with unique awards.

3. One-on-One Coaching . Coaching is employee development. Your only cost is time. Time means you care. Andremember your people don't care how much you know... until they know how much you care.

Whenever the emphasis is on positive feedback, I make sure to do this coaching in "public." Whenever you recognizeand encourage people in "public," it acts as a natural stimulant for others who are close enough to see or hear what'staking place.

4. Training.Is training ever finished? Can you possibly overtrain? NO and NO. For whatever reasons, too manypeople feel "My people have already been trained" or "I've got good people...they only need a little training." Buttraining never ends. Schedule "tune- up" training sessions. These should be led by you or by a supervisor with helpfrom specific employees who show a particular strength in the skills taught. I know this takes time, but these types oftraining sessions will continually enhance the performance of your people and the productivity of your business.

5. Career Path.Your employees need to know what is potentially ahead for them, what opportunities there are forgrowth. This issue is a sometimes forgotten ingredient as to the importance it plays in the overall motivation ofpeople.

Set career paths within your organization. Do you promote from within? I hope you can answer yes to that. Althoughspecific circumstances require you to look for talent outside your company you should always first consider internalpersonnel. If you do this you are sending a very positive message to every one that there are indeed further career

opportunities within your organization.6. Job Tit les.When you talk about job titles you are tapping the self-esteem of people. How someone feels about theway they are perceived in the workforce is a critical component to overall attitude and morale. Picture a socialgathering that includes some of your staff. The subject of work inevitably comes up. Will your people be proud, orembarrassed, to share their title and workplace? The importance of feeling proud of who you are and what you do ismonumental.

Be creative as you think of possibilities for titles. Have your staff come up with ideas giving them input into the titles.Bottom line, you are dealing with pride...and pride enhances a positive attitude...and a positive attitude is thefoundation for continuing success.

7. Good Work Env i ronment.A recent industry study shows just how inaccurate your results can be. Employerswere asked to rank what they thought motivated their people

and then employees were asked to rank what really did motivate them.

Employers felt "working conditions" was a nine (or next to last) in terms of importance. What did the employees say?Number two! Working conditions are very important to the way employees feel about where they work.

Cosmetically, does your office look nice? Are there pictures on the walls, plants and fresh paint among other featuresthat generally make people feel good about their environment? Does their work space have enough room or are theycramped in a "sardine can?" What about furniture? Is the desk the right size, chair comfortable? Is there file spaceand do they have the miscellaneous office supplies needed for maximum performance? Is the temperature regulatedproperly so they don't feel they're in the Amazon jungle one minute and the North Pole the next?


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8. On-the-Spot Praise.This too is associated with recognition but the key here is timing. When there is a reason forpraising someone don't put it off for any reason! Promptness equals effectiveness. Praise people when theachievement is fresh on everyone's mind.

What is effective is for us to get off our keisters and go out and tell whoever it is what a great presentation it was orapplaud them for the sale...praise them promptly for what they accomplished or achieved! Don't allow time to creep inand snatch away any ounce of the positive impact that praise can have when it is delivered promptly.

9. Leadership Roles. Give your people leadership roles to reward their performance and also to help you identifyfuture promotable people. Most people are stimulated by leadership roles even in spot appearances. For example,when visitors come to your workplace use this opportunity to allow an employee to take the role of visitors guide.

A great place to hand out leadership roles is to allow your people to lead brief meetings. Utilize your employees'strengths and skills by setting up "tune up" training sessions andlet one of your employees lead the training. Thebest time to do this is when new people start.

Or, assign a meeting leader after someone has attended an outside seminar or workshop. Have them lead a postshow, briefing the other employees regarding seminar content and highlights.

Have your employees help you lead a project team to improve internal processes.

10. Team Sp irit . Have a picture taken on your entire staff (including you!), have it enlarged and hang it in a visiblespot. Most people like to physically see themselves as part of a group or team.

When running contests in your area, try to create contests and affiliated activity that are team driven. People drivingto reach goals together definitely enhance team spirit solely because they must lean upon others and be prepared tobe leaned on.

One very effective idea for me has been building a collage of creative ideas with the "Team" theme. All employeesare responsible for submitting a phrase referring to TEAM on a weekly rotation. Each of these ideas (such as TEAM:Total Enthusiasm of All Members or There is no I in Team) is placed on a wall, creating a collage of Team-orientedphrases. Don't have one person responsible for this...do it as a team.

11. Execut ive Recogn it ion. This is the secret weapon. And like any secret weapon, timing is most critical. If this isused too often the value is diminished. And if it is used only for special occasions and rare achievements the value isescalated. We talked earlier about general recognition and the positive impact that has on your people. That will goup a few notches when it comes from an executive. Some of the same vehicles can be used here such as memosand voice mail. To add yet another level of stimulation, have an executive either personally call to congratulatesomeone (or a group) or even show up in person to shake hands and express his or her appreciation.

12. Social Gathering s. Scheduled offsite events enhance bonding which in turn helps team spirit, which ultimatelyimpacts your positive work environment. Halloween costume parties, picnics on July 4th, Memorial Day or Labor Day,and Christmas parties are only some of the ideas that successfully bring people together for an enjoyable time. Someothers that I've used with equal success are softball games (against other companies or among employees,depending on staff size), groups going putt-putt golfing or movie madness.

13. Casual Dress Day . This will apply more to the Business-to-Business world based on the difference in normaldress codes from the Business-to-Consumer arena. For those required to "dress business" every day a casual day

becomes a popular desire. Use holidays to create theme color casual days such as red and green before Christmasor red, white and blue before July 4th, or black and orange prior to Halloween. This will add to the impact you're tryingto have by calling a casual day in the first place. Establish pre-vacation casual days for each individual employee toenjoy on the day before his or her vacation.

Major sports events are a perfect opportunity for casual days to support your local or favorite team with appropriatecolors, buttons, and logo wear. Spontaneous casual days produce a lot or stimulation based on the element ofsurprise. Announce a casual dress day for the following work day "just because." Use individual or team casual dressdays as contest prizes or awards for specific accomplishment.


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14. Time Off.Implement contests that earn time off. People will compete for 15 minutes or 1/2 hour off just as hardas they will for a cash award. And in many cases, I have had people pick time off over cash when given the choice.Put goals in place (padded of course) and when these goals are reached by individuals, teams or the entire staff,reward them with time off. Allow early dismissals, late arrivals, and extended lunch periods or additional breaks.

15. Outs ide Seminars.Outside seminars are a stimulating break. Because outside seminars are not always costefficient for most people, consider on-site seminars or workshops for your staff. Use outside seminars as a contest

prize for one or two people. Then set up a structured plan for those seminar attendees to briefly recreate the seminarto the rest of your people when they return. Now everyone gets educated for the price of one.

16. Addit ion al Responsibi l i ty .There are definitely employees in your organization who are begging for and canhandle additional responsibility. Our job as managers is to identify who they are and if possible match responsibilitiesto their strengths and desires.

17. Theme Con tests. Over the years my contests have produced up to 170% increase in performance. But equallyas important, they've helped maintain positive environments that have reduced employee turnover by 400%.

Overall the most successful contests seem to be those affiliated with different themes. Holidays, anniversaries, sportsand culture are examples of ideas to base contests on. Sports, without a doubt, provide the largest opportunity for awide variety of contests. Even Culture can be used to create theme contest. My favorite is using the '50s and '60s asa theme for a contest that I run at least once a year.

18. Stress Managem ent.There are many articles and books available on the subject. Make this reference materialavailable to your people. Make sure they know it is available and encourage them to use it.

If possible, have an in-house seminar on stress management techniques. So that production time is not lost, youmight consider having a brown bag luncheon with a guest speaker on this subject. Because stress is an ongoingconcern, anytime is a good time for a seminar like this to take place.

Be as flexible as you can with breaks during the course of the day.

19. Pizza/Popc orn /Cookie Days. Every now and then pizza, popcorn, or cookie days will help break up thateveryday routine and help people stay motivated. Because it is a natural tendency for people to get excited inanticipation of something, structure some of these days in advance. Then buy some pizzas or different cookies or

even whip out some different types of popcorn.

20. Gags and Gimm icks. Use different gimmicks as awards to help inspire performance increases from your people.The key to awards is establishing the perception of priceless value that is associated with them. They should berecognized as status symbols in your environment. Here are some of my ideas:

Plastic/rubber whale for "whale" of a performance. Pillsbury dough boy for the person raisin' the most bread. Cardboard stars for star-studded performances. Plastic phonograph records for setting a new record. California raisins for those with the highest percentage of "raisin" their productivity. Special parking space for the person who drives the hardest. Toy cymbals for those "symbolizing" total effort. Special Mountain Dew can for that person who exemplifies the "can do" attitude. A figurine of E.T. for out-of-this-world performance. The Eveready Bunny for those that keep going, and going, and going. Large Tootsie Roll replica for those on a "roll." A drum for the person that "drums" up the most business.


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Motivation is a very important for an organization because of the following benefits it provides:-1. Puts human resources into action

Every concern requires physical, financial and human resources to accomplish the goals. It is throughmotivation that the human resources can be utilized by making full use of it. This can be done by buildingwillingness in employees to work. This will help the enterprise in securing best possible utilization ofresources.

2. Improves level of efficiency of employees

The level of a subordinate or a employee does not only depend upon his qualifications and abilities. Forgetting best of his work performance, the gap between ability and willingness has to be filled which helps inimproving the level of performance of subordinates. This will result into-

a. Increase in productivity,b. Reducing cost of operations, andc. Improving overall efficiency.

3. Leads to achievement of organizational goals

The goals of an enterprise can be achieved only when the following factors take place :-

a. There is best possible utilization of resources,b. There is a co-operative work environment,c. The employees are goal-directed and they act in a purposive manner,d. Goals can be achieved if co-ordination and co-operation takes place simultaneously which can be

effectively done through motivation.

4. Builds friendly relationship

Motivation is an important factor which brings employees satisfaction. This can be done by keeping intomind and framing an incentive plan for the benefit of the employees. This could initiate the following things:

a. Monetary and non-monetary incentives,b. Promotion opportunities for employees,

c. Disincentives for inefficient employees.

In order to build a cordial, friendly atmosphere in a concern, the above steps should be taken by a manager.This would help in:

d. Effective co-operation which brings stability,e. Industrial dispute and unrest in employees will reduce,f. The employees will be adaptable to the changes and there will be no resistance to the change,g. This will help in providing a smooth and sound concern in which individual interests will coincide

with the organizational interests,h. This will result in profit maximization through increased productivity.

5. Leads to stability of work force

Stability of workforce is very important from the point of view of reputation and goodwill of a concern. The

employees can remain loyal to the enterprise only when they have a feeling of participation in themanagement. The skills and efficiency of employees will always be of advantage to employees as well asemployees. This will lead to a good public image in the market which will attract competent and qualifiedpeople into a concern. As it is said, Old is gold which suffices with the role of motivation here, the older thepeople, more the experience and their adjustment into a concern which can be of benefit to the enterprise.

From the above discussion, we can say that motivation is an internal feeling which can be understood only bymanager since he is in close contact with the employees. Needs, wants and desires are inter-related and they are thedriving force to act. These needs can be understood by the manager and he can frame motivation plans accordingly.


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We can say that motivation therefore is a continuous process since motivation process is based on needs which areunlimited. The process has to be continued throughout.

We can summarize by saying that motivation is important both to an individual and a business. Motivation isimportant to an individual as:

1. Motivation will help him achieve his personal goals.

2. If an individual is motivated, he will have job satisfaction.3. Motivation will help in self-development of individual.4. An individual would always gain by working with a dynamic team.

Similarly, motivation is important to a business as:

1. The more motivated the employees are, the more empowered the team is.2. The more is the team work and individual employee contribution, more profitable and successful is the

business.3. During period of amendments, there will be more adaptability and creativity.4. Motivation will lead to an optimistic and challenging attitude at work place.


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1. Business Promotion

Many companies today do not use this employee motivation technique due to budgetrestrictions.This technique can create positive feedback both inside and outside theworkplace.

Give your employees small things like pencils, pens, or even coffee mugs. All with yourcompanies logo on the them. You may even choose to dopolo shirts, hats and jackets. Withmany great graphic software options youremployees and company will standout.

2. Surveys

Surveys are used widely today by almost every company. Surveys are designedto providefeedback about any topic. Companies than use the feedback to discover problems and

solutions. They may even shed light on possible newopportunities that were previouslyoverlooked.

Determination of barriers

Employee motivation techniques like surveys can be used in thedetermination of

whetherany barriers exist. Barriers can take the form of ethical issues and problems withco-workers just to name a few. It's critical to indentify these existing roadblocks andeliminate them for an easier motivating process.

I have personally used this technique with a prior company. The survey hereasked

employees 10 questions about their management teams. They grade each manager on a

scale of one to five. One being never and five being always. Theareas of questioned coveredtopics like favoritism, respect, work ethic, following of policy, etc.

The results were analyzed ad then ranked in order. The results of the surveywere also used

on end of year reviews.

3. Understanding Employees

Here is another employee motivation technique that is quite effective.Spending a little time

with each of your employees will go a long way. Dontjust talk about work, try to find outwhat they like to do outside of work.These will be things you can talk about form time totime. Your employees will come to the conclusion that you actaully care about them.

Leaders will also learn what makes each employee tick. These facts will help them run their

business more effectively. The most important point here is that they will not feel just like a

number. There is great acticle on this technique in detail and here is the linkto "Manging

One to One" from Inc magazaine.
http://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/employee-motivation-ideas.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/employee-motivation-ideas.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/employee-motivation-ideas.htmlhttp://www.inc.com/magazine/20011001/23479.htmlhttp://www.inc.com/magazine/20011001/23479.htmlhttp://www.inc.com/magazine/20011001/23479.htmlhttp://www.inc.com/magazine/20011001/23479.htmlhttp://www.inc.com/magazine/20011001/23479.htmlhttp://www.inc.com/magazine/20011001/23479.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/employee-motivation-ideas.html


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4. Building Employee Recognition Program

Employee recognition programs can be as big or small as you want. These programs aredesigned to motivate employees through awards.

The problem with many of these recognition programs is that the awards are sub par. I

have found employees to seek awards with more value. Not justa plaque on the wall.

Try this example in the future

Set up an employee of the month program. Use awards like gift cards, days off,choice ofshifts, etc, to really create excitement. Use traditional things like plaques and coffee mugs

that say employee of the month. They will feellike you went out of your way for them.

5. Enjoyable Work Environment

This may be one of the most important techniques. Having a pleasant workplace

environment will help in motivating employees and increase performance. Having fun is alsoa great way to manage Stress.

Here are some greatteam buildingideas to try. Put together an impromptu wiffle balltournament. Run this event during lunch breaks for example. If you really want turn someheads. Get your management team together and wash some cars.

They might seem silly, but trust me they work! For more ideas check out this article

onfun team building games.

6. Assemble Roundtable Committee
http://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/team-building-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/team-building-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/team-building-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/team-building-in-the-workplace.html


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Bring together five or six key people like mid level leaders, Department Heads, etc. Then

have that group elect one representative. This individualwill meet with management todiscuss issues and concerns of the employees.

Leaders often will say they have an open door policy. But many employeeswill not believe

this. This committee will allow leaders to maintain a calmworkplace. So in short: leaders get

a good work environment, committee members feel important, and employees have a wayto vent.

It's a win win all around

7. There is no I in Team

This employee motivation technique can be sometimes difficult to create.There are times

when some employees just don't trust or like each other. Asleaders sometimes we have toforce the issue to build teamwork.

Group employees into different groups for a variety of projects. Tie theseprojects together

with a recognition program and make it an contest. Keep inmind that you should dosomething for the entire workplace no matter whatthe outcome. This will help you keep thepeace.

8. Positive Reinforcement

When it comes to human nature we all like to be appreciated. And in business this is no

different. This employee motivation technique can be useddaily and will be effective. In the

past leaders have used fear tatcics or other bad management practices. These ways justcreate an negative atmoshpere.

In today's world there are so many negative things going on. So it is no surprise that it

effects the workplace. As leaders we need to make an commitment to appreciating ouremployees. Don't just say "good job", go outof your way by buying coffee and donuts orlunch.

9. Build Trust and Respect

Building trust and respect is hard engouh in life. In business it is justas tough if not harder.Workplace motivation will be non existent if thereis not some level of trust and respect.

There is no quick way to build trust and respect. It has to be built overtime. We need to

know if we can count on our employees. One way to startbuilding trust is to give employeesspecial projects with deadlines that areimportant.

In order for leaders to earn respect they need to treat others with respect. If you would likesomeone to respect you keep this in mind. Every move youmake like decisions andcomments will be judged. Even the way you speak tocustomers and coworkers will bejudged. This will be the basis for someoneto decide whether or not torespect you.

10. Cross Training


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The most common purpose of cross training is for sevreral people to haveknowledge of

other coworkers jobs. This will solve coverage problems likedays off and vacations. This

technique is a great to way to create empoloyee motivation through out your comapnay.This employee motivation technique will benifit the employees by increasingskills learned,possible advancement and job security.

These employee motivation techniques should give youa solid base to get started. Wesuggest that you pick two or three techniques that fit your comapany. In my opinion; the

best and most effectivetechnique you can use is positive reinforcement. Use this techniquedaily andyou will be on you way to creating a positve workplace.

Keep in mind that there are many others ways to motivate the workplace.Check out thefollowing article on the "Seven Stages of Motivaion In the Workplace".
http://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.html


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Expectations of positive employee motivation

Inspired workers

Focused on same goals

Increased productivity

Increased desire for advancement

#1 Merrit Increases

Merit increases are a simple pay increase that is awarded to an employee who hasexcelledin performance and productivity. Many companies allow this type of pay ofmerit award but

with restrictions regarding timeframes and limits. They also may require you to do a an

employee performance review. Smaller companies that have lessrestrictions benefit wellusing this technque.

#2 Recogniton

Using recognition has always been a solid answer to how to motivate employees. Itsallabout appreciating your staff and letting them know that they are doing good. Make sure

that others hear what you are saying. Use meetings, hallways and even the lunch room aspossible platforms. This idea is powerful, becasue we all like positivefeedback.

#3 Talk to employees about career plans

Many employees would like to advance their career, but for some reason don't inquire about

it. Leaders can still motivate employees that they feel are promotable.The simpleconversation alone will improve their self esteem and confidence. They may even surpriseyou with increased performance. The point here is don't wait forthem to come to you, go

after them and inspire.

#4 Thank you notes

Thank you notes a handwritten personal sentiments that are effective. I have heardof

employees holding on to thak you notes for self motivating purposes. Notes can be writtenon paychecks or by leaving a not on an employees desk.

Try Team Building Games

Fun team building games are a highly effective way to solve your problems of how to

motivate employees. These ideas will inspire and motivate your staff. There are some really

simple ones that you can create quickly with no cost. Your investment may cost you a fewhours. This short articlewill help get you started in a snap.

#5 Movie passes

This type of award is similar to a merit increase that was mentioned above. This idea is way towork around restrictions of merit increases. Movie passes fall underthe heading with gift cards,

so your choices are unlimited.
http://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/fun-team-building-games.html


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#6 Coffee

This one my be the oldest trick in the book of how to motivate employees. Most officeshavesome sort of coffee making capabilites. Surprise the staff, take a coffee orderand pick it up or

schedule it for the next morning.

#7 Lunch

Schedule a potluck or provide lunch for your staff. Providing lunches impress,but the scheduled

luncheons provide something to look forward to. Ask the staff forsuggestions for an added touch.

#8 Birthday acknowledgement

There is something about birthdays and the workplace that go hand in hand. It'sa good way tobreak up the day with a little fun. Many managers pick up the costthemselfs. While others

arrange a schedule for the year. One employee is responsiblefor another employees birthday.

#9 Word of the day

You can really have fun with this one. Have your staff come up with some bizarewords.

Designate times throughout the day to use the specific word. If you want toreally have some fun

turn the word into a chant.

#10 Make time for employees

Another way of how to motivate employees is just make time for your staff. Listento what they

have to say. Learn a little about them and show them that you areinterested. Spending a little

time will provide employees the sense that they aremore than just a number.

#11 Inspirational stories

There are many stories that you can find to talk about. Movies, books and evencurrent events.

What ever story you choose, try to make it realatable.

#12 Inspirational sayings

Use these simple sayings throughout the day, but don't over do it.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."Aristotle "Great spirits have always encounteredviolent opposition from mediocre minds"AlbertEinstein

Inspirational sayings can be found in motivational posters that you could hangaround the office.

These poster are most effective in sales types of offices. The main reason for there success is that

they get you to think and focus on the task.


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Managing Stress in the workplace and how to motivate employees goes hand and hand.

Being able to handle stress will improve your ability to motivate workers. Stress can have a

negative effect on employees. Read this article and learn more on how to handlestress inthe workplace.

The above 12 quick ways of how to motivate employees are extremely effective.The best

practice is to use them in conjunction with a long term employee motivatonprogram foroptimal results. For more information on building long lasting motivation in the workplace.Then checkout thisarticle about how to create succesfulmotivation in the workplace.
http://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/stress-management-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/stress-management-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/stress-management-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/motivation-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/stress-management-in-the-workplace.htmlhttp://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/stress-management-in-the-workplace.html

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OB - Motivation Technques