The current work scenario has adopted a breakneck pace, where one has to be in his/her top game. Competition supplements such an environment, where there is a replacement ready to nudge the predecessor out of the race. Hence, the requirement for a motivating situation can be considered as an urgent need for stability.
Although, most say that motivation is subjective, monetary gains is not always the best bet. Ideally, every organisation requires an environment to thrive. A motivating place is where people push themselves harder, to ignite better performance. There’s a difference between drive and force-employees that generally give in their 110 per cent because the aim to work hard comes from within, free from external exertion.
This can be facilitated if the manger inspires unbridled zeal to achieve amongst his employees, while gently guiding them to glory. Hence, one can safely say that employee motivation is the key to a healthy workforce. So what does the role of a great manger entail?
On one hand, great managers require drawing out the best from what employees have to offer; on the other, they need to mould employees for their own growth, alongside the development of the organisation. This is easier said than done as managers have a tough task.
No work environment will ever perfectly supplement the efforts to help employees choose motivated behaviours at work; hence the odds are not always in favour of managers.
Even the most supportive workplaces come with their own set of daily challenges to operate at cross roads with goals and efforts to encourage employee motivation.
Here are a few ways by which, a manager can promote a motivating environment:
Hire high performers and inspire the underperformers: It is a smart choice to hire high performers as they tend to be self-motivated to begin with. As you construct a team of high performers, they feed off ideas and energies off each other, raising the standards of work. Yet, concentrating solely on high performers can be a little myopic as every low performer can be a stellar professional, who’s low on guidance. A capable manager guides and nurtures the dormant ones to unearth their performing potentiality.
Stop micro-managing: To promote a healthy, proactive workforce, managers need to get out of the way. Often, they take personal pride in their employee’s performance, coming across as interfering when it’s actually mentoring. Truth is, no one likes to have his/her manager breathing down his/her neck —in fact, it drives employees crazy. The best way out is to show your employees that you are interested in what they are doing, but you trust them to make their own decisions and do things differently.
Promote your team’s accomplishments: In the melee of things to be completed and targets to be achieved, it is common to lose track of accomplishments. As a leader, it’s your job to be your employee’s agent and make sure their good work gets noticed, recognised, and appreciated. Don’t worry about over promoting your team’s good work as most managers love to get good news. Just make sure the bragging is about them, not about you, as it promotes harmony and urges one to do better.
Encourage camaraderie (during work hours): As much as it is important to promote your team’s accomplishments, it is equally essential to reward them. Take your team to lunch or bring goodies to celebrate milestones, or just to lighten up and have some fun together. Yet remember to keep it during work hours and at their consent. While it’s okay if your employees want to go out for a drink after work or get together on their own time, a leader should never intrude on people’s own time in the name of team building. No matter what climate the organisation provides, managers have to create an environment that fosters productivity and culls out motivation from employees. The test of a good manager stands in working with the odds and emerging victorious.
(The writer is GM, HR Publicity & Promotion, Karam Industries)