Here are four tips based on an understanding of human motivation.
1. Autonomy – give team members the tools, training and access to information resources to solve problems at all levels of operation. When leaders provide the tools and coaching for employees to make good decisions within the realm of their jobs, employees are more committed and accountable for owning what they do.
2. Higher purpose – Show your team members how their efforts make a difference to a higher goal, relating your efforts to overall corporate goals and objectives and your impact. Providing a sense of purpose and direction with tangible benefits for the company so your employees are growing personally and professionally through their work.
3. Opportunity to grow – Feedback, polls, and surveys when geared toward making employees better in their work and also geared toward showing what they are doing well, makes employees happier and more accountable. Coupling this with helping people to learn new skills and new experiences they believe there are growing professionally and they are.
4. Recognized Success – all people have egos and want to be recognized for their contribution to the project or team. A good manager will share recognition across the team and put the spotlight on everyone but him/her–self. During tough economic times, it is more important that ever to use non-monitory ways to motivate people. Motivation is not manipulation when you discover ways that result in greater personal satisfaction for employees at the gut level.
One way to leverage human motivation is to provide them the tools and understanding to create an open and innovation work culture. An enterprise social network (ESN) does just that. Obviously, there is the hurdle of adoption and use, but once your team recognizes the benefits, freedom and opportunity. You as a manager can leverage these tips for human motivation within an ESN to create a motivated and productive workforce. Because, as we know most employees leave because they feel stagnate in their jobs.
Food for thought…
