Motivational Methods

Motivation is the primary energy and commitment that is needed to assist employees in helping their companies to be successful. There are many different motivational techniques that are used to motivate employees. When motivating employees it is important to take into consideration that every employee is different. You have to cater to the different needs of employees and figure out which method to take in order to ensure motivation within that individual. Since everyone is not motivated by the same factors, it can be challenging to decipher which ally to take when implementing a motivational plan.

The first task a motivator should take upon would be to make sure that the employee knows the companies or team objectives. Once these goals have been identified and the employee knows what target they aim to reach and the employee is clear on the objective, then a plan to motivate the employees to reach the goals can be put into place. Motivating a group of individuals can at times prove challenging because every person is different and is not motivated by the same things.

The major problem that many employers, managers and supervisors have is the thought that their employees would become motivated by the same things that motivate them. If you feel that acknowledgement is the primary factor in becoming motivated there is a possibility that an employee may not feel the same. If you proceed to implement or force this type of motivation on an employee they may become resentful. Once an employee becomes resentful then the end result could be the opposite of motivation, which could possibly lead to a hindrance in the task that is at hand.

It is stated that if a challenging and interesting work environment is created it will prevent the motivational interests within the employee from becoming stagnant. When someone is motivated they will enjoy the work that they are doing and will produce at or above the expected level. If a person values a certain object or position this is usually the object that will motivate that person. If a person values money and material things they will be motivated by monetary gain in the form off raises and other material things. If they know they are receiving a bonus or any additional monetary incentive they will strive to reach the goal that has been set for them .If a person values their family, friends and co-workers they will be motivated by social gains such as days off and social activities and events. These individuals are more likely to become motivated if their social needs are met and targeted to onset motivation.

Frederick Herzberg identified traditional motivational strategies as the same technique used to make a dog move. You have to push the dog with your hands or give the dog a treat as an incentive to move. Every audience contains the "direct action" manager who shouts, "Kick the person!" And this type of manager is right. The surest and least circumlocuted way of getting someone to do something is to administer a kick in the pants -- to give what might be called the KITA" (Oregonstate.edu,nd)This traditional strategy has proven to work but it requires much work and effort. This is why newer strategies and motivations have become popular and put into practice. By making the employee want to take the initiative to complete a task will cause the task of the motivator to be less work. The task of motivation is made easier by putting fear into an individual, if an person