Motivation Stream

Motivation Stream Has Moved

2010-10-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

We have moved the Motivation Stream Blog to our new website Motivo Performance. Please follow this link: http://www.motivoperformance.com/blog/

Thanks for following us.
Carl

Engagement Vital but Managers Not Trained

2010-08-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

Is the gap between management salaries and the rank and file growing wider? Are there big bonuses for the bosses while everyone else endures pay freezes, furloughs and doing more with less?

This could be disastrous to your future and certainly profitability of any company. There is irrefutable evidence that employee engagement is correlated with productivity, so plummeting engagement is a real threat to the standard of corporate excellence and the need to get more from less.

Many managers, with little sense of ownership, will throw their hands in the air, bemoan their circumstance and blame the company for not providing resources. Others will strive to make the best of the situation by taking internal action. What will you do?

Engaging your workforce for success requires some basic action that every company can and should take.

First, building trust is vital. One course of action is initiating reviews of the organization’s values and soliciting employee opinions. This is highly recommended. It creates a sense of ownership and responsibility as long as employees believe their voices are being heard and will be acted upon.

Second, managers should understand that engagement is fundamentally an emotional response, not a rational one. Perceived unfairness in pay of the executive compared to the staff can be a potent cause of disengagement. The need to feel fairly treated is an innate human given. Others are:

• the need to feel valued

• appreciated

• listened to

• involved in decision making

• be trusted and given the opportunity to increase in knowledge and skills

Company practice too often ignores these needs.

Third, we suggest that many employers are underestimating the huge influence on engagement levels made by line managers. It's not that other things are unimportant it's just that they are trumped by a far more important factor – the atmosphere in the workplace. The evidence suggests that around 76% of decisions to engage or disengage are made on the basis of the relationship with an immediate manager. People join organizations, they leave managers.

Yet, fewer than 20% of managers have received any training in engagement skills, how to bring out the best in their people. The old command and control management paradigm is still all too common but is no longer effective in the knowledge economy. It creates disengagement.

The bottom line? There's an underlying principle for engagement, whether it's employee engagement, customer engagement or even two people entering a personal relationship – and it is this: engagement correlates with how the relationship makes us feel about ourselves.

Employers whose policies make people feel good about themselves are engaging employees. Managers whose behaviors and attitudes in the workplace make their people feel good about themselves create engaged employees. That's the long and short of it.

(Funny Video) The Office: Engagement Audit

(To the Point) 30 Second Motivation Training

Engagement Linked to Financial Performance

2010-08-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Senior leaders should take the lead on employee engagement - for the sake of the organization. Hewitt Associates in a recently released 2010 study shows a clear link between highly engaged workforces and highly performing companies. “Organizations with high levels of engagement (where 65 percent or more of employees are engaged) outperformed the total stock market index even in volatile economic conditions…companies with low engagement (where less than 40 percent of employees are engaged) had a total shareholder return that was 44 percent lower than the average.” If that does not illustrate the connection clearly, please read the entire article for more info: Hewitt Analysis

Hewitt's research shows that 46 percent of organizations experienced a decline in engagement levels in the quarter ending June 2010, while just 30 percent saw an improvement. Obviously, there is a growing gap that will be problematic as the economy recovers. Employers are struggling with financial issues and employees are stressed beyond limits. Many are thinking about leaving when the opportunity arises. This will lead to shortages in talent for many companies. It is the prudent thing to put systems in place that will mitigate these issues and support financial performance.

There are some critical steps to improving engagement levels and boost morale. Companies must think well into the future and be proactive now to see successes 2 to 3 or 5 years out. Some steps you can take now are:

· Communicate a clear vision for the organization now and into the future
· Engage leadership to be visible and to walk the talk to lessen employee anxiety
· Create systems that will energize employees and managers alike…provide feedback on how well the company is doing and the impact employees are having
· Actively involve all stakeholders in the process. A sense of ownership for the future will create an environment that helps retain top talent
· Use all the tools available to your organization to increase morale. One program or approach may not be enough
· Adjust your strategies as needed to keep the edge

Understand what drives positive employee behavior and make sure your employees know that you appreciate all the sacrifices they have made on behalf of the company. Acknowledge people's contributions and reward people for their effort. Recognition can have an immense effect on a person. These actions help to create a workplace where people feel secure and valued.

Motivate
Remind people of what the organization, the department and the team are trying to achieve and where they fit into this. Create a line of sight from individuals' roles to the future achievements of the organization and highlight the benefits for the public in meeting these goals. Make the effort to know what values your people hold and align these with what the organization is trying to achieve and how the organization is planning to do this. This can create a sense of purpose and pride in what people are doing.

This is about people, connecting with people, valuing people, supporting people and developing people. Employee engagement is related to many positive outcomes; financial performance, productivity, employee well-being, and job satisfaction, just to name a few, and leaders cannot let this be undervalued in the current climate.

Qualities of a Good Boss Drive Retention

2010-07-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

So, you want to be a good boss? Well, it won’t happen overnight. Most of us are not born to it. It takes time to develop the skills necessary to achieve that title. It is a continuous learning process and fraught with problems along the way. Many people cannot begin to achieve a balance among their personal needs, employee needs and those of their company. If you can, then you will be well on your way to earning the respect of peers and employees alike. If you work at it, you too can be considered a “Good Boss”.

Good Bosses retain talented employees. Remember most people don’t quit a job they quit a boss!

So, what makes a Good Boss? Below are the attributes you will have to hone or gain in the process:

1. Leadership
It is true that not all good people make good bosses because there is a significant difference between a follower and leader. A person, who has good leadership qualities, is someone who leads by example. Never ask an employee to do something you would not or have not done yourself.

2. Be Trustworthy
Trust is the basis for almost all the relationships in your life. Without trust, it's impossible to create healthy and productive environments, either with work or personal situations. When people trust you, they are more willing to give their best, as they know that they always get your best.

3. Be a Communicator
In any sort of management role, it is quite common to hear people refer to the "big picture". This is just a clichéd way to describe creating and inspiring a vision. How do you communicate your vision or that of the company? You can't push people to believe in or want to work toward the organizational vision, but rather, one of the qualities of good leadership is that you guide, lead, and inspire people to want to participate in the process of moving toward the vision. You achieve that being open and forthright in all your communications with employees.

4. Tolerance
A good boss realizes that, because their employees are also human beings, some things are really beyond their control. So, if something goes wrong and it is not habitual, provide forbearance. Of course, your tolerance should not to be given to employees who abuse the system or you.

5. Courage
It takes courage to give commands and manage a group. It also takes a brave soul to take full responsibility for your employees' actions. Therefore, it is very important to find the right kind of people who will work productively and with little interference. Hire well.

6. Positive Attitude
You cannot expect that your staff will provide very good results if they see you in a bad mood all the time. Be optimistic and smile. It is for you and your employees. They will respond to your positivity. One of the most important qualities of good leadership is that the individual is aware of him or herself ... their abilities and the impact that they have on others.

7. Provide Tools
You must remember that an employee has to have everything he or she needs to do the job you have asked of them. Then give them the freedom to do it without micromanaging.

8. Empathy
A good employer is seriously concerned about his employees, and would recognize that they also have needs and feelings. The ability to place yourself in the shoes of the employee helps you to better understand what they need to achieve improved results. Motivation also increases if workers compensation and rewards are used to show your appreciation.

9. Listen
Be open to listening to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Listening builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

10. Have Fun
In times when the work is not so busy or if you are with your employees at a company outing, be lighthearted and show your people your fun side. Joke with them, laugh with them, talk with them. Remember that there is a time and place for fun. Above all be sincere.

Being a good leader has many rewards. True leaders earn and deserve respect and the loyalty of their employees, and at the end of the day you will find pleasure in your ability to lead.

What other qualities would you add to this list? Please leave a comment.

Valued Employees are Happier Employees

2010-07-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post due to summer schedules, but here is the latest...

What creates motivated, contributing people? How do businesses maintain high employee morale when people work long hours? Many companies already know the answer—employee recognition programs.

A study conducted by the nonprofit Recognition Professionals International revealed employee appreciation programs create a positive work environment, motivate high performance and decrease employee turnover.

These recognition programs are mostly administered by human resource departments to reward length of service, above and beyond performance, sales performance, retirement, suggestions and ideas, safety performance and perfect attendance. Common tangible awards are certificates and plaques, followed jewelry including watches and rings, company logo merchandise and various forms of gift certificates.

Florida Power and Light uses its corporate-wide Web site to provide managers with tips and tools to recognize employees for outstanding service.

The distribution business unit, for example, implements the STARS program. Since the employees in that unit work directly with customers every day, this program recognizes those who approach problems creatively, go above and beyond to help a customer, or who cause a customer to call or write about a job well done.

Supervisors submit all STARS nominees into a database where they are reviewed by a committee of peers who don’t know the employee’s names. The monthly winners receive a cash reward. Upper management also selects employees for quarterly and annual awards.

“The program promotes teamwork and motivates employees to provide excellent service that will make a positive impact on customers,” said FPL spokesperson Sharon Bennett.

Please feel free to contact me for more information on programs such as this.

So, what is Performance Improvement and why is it on everyone’s mind?

2010-06-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

What is a motivated person? How do we recognize them? How do we define motivation? These are questions our clients ask daily.

How do you elicit performance improvement from your most important asset: your people? Academic and practical theories are abundant and may conflict, but in our experience the answer lies in the alignment of four things:

> Communication - Are your mission and objectives clearly defined? Does the message generate excitement and sustain interest?

>Training – Have you provided the necessary tools and education so that employees have the skills and competencies they need to succeed? Do they know what is expected of them?

>Reward/Reinforcement - how will you recognize success? Are positive behavior changes being spotlighted? Are you recognizing only those things you want repeated?

>Measurement – Have you set benchmarks? Can you determine progress toward your goals? Are you providing feedback and adjusting accordingly?

Lead by Example

If you want motivated employees, be motivated yourself! If you need your team to engage more fully with your client base, then lead the way and demonstrate how the job should be done. Never exhibit anything less than excellence. Walk the talk and others will follow.

Motivation is best when excited from within, when employees see behavior they want to emulate they will be given a reason to perform at higher levels.

Here is a definition of Motivation: That which incites to action; anything prompting or exciting choice, or moving the will; cause; reason; inducement; object of desire; incentive
Are you prompting or exciting choice?

Motivation, of course, is not a steady state. It needs to constantly be worked upon and invested in. But if you are looking around one day and find yourself in a happy place, the chances are you have hit upon the right blend of communication, learning, measurement and reward. And the chances are you are holding on to your best people, who continue to deliver great performance.

FLEXIBLE EMPLOYEE REWARDS

2010-06-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS EMPLOYEE REWARD?

A company’s success is in the hands of its people. When they’re motivated, it will make a difference to the business and the bottom line. Employee reward programs are among the top strategies to build a motivated workforce. Employee rewards increase focus, a key to reinforcing desired behaviors and developing new habits; in addition, rewards in the workplace build a connection between meeting personal and professional goals.

WHY EMPLOYEE REWARDS? HOW DOES IT WORK?

Businesses face a wealth of choices when designing an employee reward system. One of the most popular formats is a points-based accumulation program, because it enables participants to earn points and choose from a wide variety of trips, merchandise and services as their rewards.

In addition to this flexibility for the participant, points-based accumulation plans also enable flexibility to the sponsoring company. Businesses can select the types of rewards offered to ensure that they align with the corporate values and personality. Thus, an employee reward program can be customized to fit a company and its people, ensuring the reinforcement of the values and the likelihood that each participant will find many personally meaningful options from among the rewards offered.

There is another, perhaps surprising, benefit that comes with rewards and other points-based accumulation plans: better ROI. Recent research indicates that nonmonetary rewards in the workplace consistently deliver better return on investment than cash awards.

Offering meaningful rewards is one of the most important ways to optimize the success of employee’s reward program. When every employee has a tangible reward in mind, their energies will shift toward achieving that reward. They’ll keep that reward in mind, make decisions that get them closer to their goal, and use their mental picture of their reward as inspiration when facing an obstacle or challenge. Thus, it’s important that a company understands its people and know – and can offer – the employee rewards that will motivate them.

Before starting any employee reward program the company must ask itself two questions:

1. How many employees will be positively reinforced by this program?

2. How many will be negatively impacted by it?

WHAT KIND OF EMPLOYEE REWARDS?

Monetary rewards:

Profit sharing

Project bonuses

Stock options

Managers argue that monetary rewards encourage compliance rather than risk-taking because most rewards are based only on performance. As a result, employees are discouraged from being creative in the workplace.

Another argument states that monetary rewards may be used to circumvent problems in the workplace. For example, incentives to boost sales can be used to compensate for poor management. Employers also may use monetary incentives as an extrinsic rather than an intrinsic motivator. In other words, employees are driven to do things just for the monetary reward versus doing something because it is the right thing to do. This can disrupt or terminate good relationships between employees because they are transformed from co-workers to competitors, which can quickly disrupt the workplace environment.

Non – Monetary rewards:

Generational non-monetary reward differences are affected by career stage and proximity to retirement. The older the employee, the more the focus is placed on retirement and the meaningfulness of the emotional connection made with the company. The younger the employee, the more the focus is placed on job satisfaction (opportunities to grow) and the work environment (work/life balance). The bottom line is that incentives must be tailored to the needs of the workers rather than using the "one-size-fits-all” approach, which is impersonal and often ineffective.

On-the-Spot Awards

Manager-to-Peer Recognition

Nominated Recognition

Employee Appreciation

On-Boarding

Employee of the Month / Year

Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Retirement

Non-monetary incentives desired by different generations of employees:

Research suggests that desired monetary incentives differ for employees based on career stage and generation. Surveys by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) have shown that most workers will work past retirement age if offered flexible schedules, part-time hours, and temporary employment (Nelson, 1999).

The Real Driver of Engagement

2010-05-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Imagine working for a company where nearly 25% of the employees hate their jobs, over half (55%) of the employees are apathetic and uninterested and do just enough to stay employed. Only the remaining 20% do their job enthusiastically and care about the company’s future. Unfortunately, you don’t have to look far to find such a company. This is the profile of a typical U.S. Company.

Why are today’s workers so disengaged? A recent global survey by Towers Perrin gives some insight. For employees, the real driver of engagement is the belief that a company cares about them. Senior management's interest in the well-being of employees is what most drives engagement, according to the survey. For many employees, "caring" translates to providing opportunities for career development.

Other key factors to employee engagement are trust in the organization's leadership and feeling a sense of pride when workers see their organization's logo.

"Appreciation is the single largest driver of a company’s caring attitude.”

But employee appreciation must be aligned with what's important to the company. Here is how you can create that culture of caring and trust. Each employee wants to see a clear vision about where the company is going and to know "my supervisor plans my work around things that matter”. It motivates the American worker.

Workers feel their bosses and companies appreciate them, according to the survey, when they…
1. Believe their companies are great at showing appreciation to those who excel.
2. Observe senior management modeling the behavior.
3. Perceive a clear connection between recognition and goals of the organization.
4. Experience recognition as timely, personal and sincere.

This is not as complex as some would have you believe. The essential element is that you want to have an enhanced culture and are willing to work toward that goal. Decide to begin the process and put into place a system to help you create your own culture of recognition that will lead you toward improved bottom line results.

Follow this link to see how your company measures up: (Then Call Me for Help)

Five Signs Your Company is Committed to Engaging Employees

Valued Employees = Engaged Employees = Business Results

Carl can be reached at 504-737-7272 or carl@recognitionsys.net

Are Your Reward & Recognition Programs on Target?

2010-05-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Simply put, it is crucial to identify a particular activity that is known to be a key to your success and then put a program in place to reward that behavior every time it occurs.

People tend to do things if they feel that it is in their own best interest. Organizations need to connect what employees want for themselves to overall organizational goals by rewarding behavior in a way that is meaningful to them and their own self-interest. By pointing out that a particular behavior is rewarded, you could be well on your way toward reinforcing the performance that will help achieve business goals. Moreover, people don’t walk away from companies they feel care about them, so rewarding them can stabilize your talent pool.

To help assure your recognition process is on track, consider the following factors:

• Be strategic and make sure it reinforces your company values.

• Make your approach personal. Think about what will be truly memorable for the employee.

• Be inclusive. Your program should be able to occur in all directions: top-down, peer-to-peer, etc.

• Include easy-to-use, robust tools with appropriate reporting capabilities.

• The process should be fast, requiring few approvals, so the award is closely tied to the action performed.

• Use a cross-functional team to design the process (payroll, IT, communications, HR) so it appeals to all targeted functions.

• Conduct ongoing communications to inform and encourage use.

(No Good Deed Goes Unrewarded, Scott Himelstein, HR Magazine, January, 2010. p. 27.)

When creating your program, be aware of the tendency to assume “one size fits all” and that everyone will respond positively to the same program or practice. While it may seem difficult to individualize recognition programs, there are ways to help heighten effectiveness:

• Each manager should spend time on a regular basis with each employee to determine how that employee is best motivated.

• Managers should find ways to integrate the identified type of recognition into the employee’s development plan.

• Recognition needs to be given consistently.

• Be sure there are opportunities for management to recognize everyone’s contributions.

• Clearly communicate the reason for the recognition.

Provide opportunities for peer recognition that can result in increased productivity.

Valued Employees = Engaged Employees = Business Results

2010-05-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

Studies prove employees need to feel valued and know the work they do on a daily basis matters. More than three-quarters of employees, 76 percent, who responded to the 2008 World of Work study published by Randstad, an Atlanta-based employment-services firm, said feeling valued was the most important factor for happiness at work, out of more than a dozen options. When asked to identify the employer attributes they valued most, the top response (67 percent) was “recognizes the value I bring to the organization.” (Length-of-Service Awards Becoming More Personal, Rebecca Hastings, SPHR, 2009 HR Trendbook, p. 46.)

Employees who feel “cared for” by employers are more likely to return the favor by paying attention to the company’s bottom line, treating customers better, and supporting the overall work community. As Allan Schweyer of the Human Capital Institute points out: Engaged employees work smarter, not harder.

The key to making recognition and rewards programs work is to target them to specific business goals and individual employee needs. Goal alignment and reward reinforcement promotes excellence and increases the likelihood of business success. At the end of the day, your organization is more likely to craft the right program by:

Understanding the respective strengths of various rewards and recognition approaches.
• Remembering that demographics matter—as the nature of your workforce changes, so should the nature of your approach.
• The mix can be different for each employee. The key is to determine the mix on a case-by-case basis.
(Finding the Right Mix, Performance Improvement Council)

•

Become a More Engaging Manager

2010-05-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Recognize employee performance

To help motivate employees you need to show genuine appreciation for good work and recognize the improvements they make. Here are some steps you could take:

· say thank you - it is a powerful way of recognizing someone's contribution and motivating them to keep performing

· use internal publications, a note sent to the team or a poster to celebrate an individual's success and to show employees their commitment and effort are appreciated

· if you have an intranet create a bulletin board or forum so employees can thank colleagues for their efforts and help with key issues

· give spot rewards for specific contributions or tasks where employees have exceeded all expectations - for example - this could be a personal reward relevant to their interests outside work

· establish an award protocol so employees can nominate colleagues for their work and the way they have helped drive the business forward

· host social events when you achieve key milestones or targets to thank your team or teams for their work

· hold celebrations for employee's personal milestones or significant life events

Recognition Has a Proven Track Record

2010-04-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Recognition has a proven track record of engaging employees and is especially critical after a long, lean period, when employees have often been overstretched and under-rewarded.

A recent Manpower study showed that over 60 percent of workers plan to look for new jobs as soon as the economy provides opportunities. After a couple of years of the “lucky-to-have-a-job” message, employees are looking for more stability, opportunity, and appreciation. Proving to a tired workforce that they are individually appreciated may be the only way to engage them and combat exodus through the recovery.

A one-size-fits-all approach to recognition programs is not the answer and instead, may leave too many employees feeling cynical, disengage those who are “borderline” and lead them to conclude management “doesn’t even know what I value” — increasing the likelihood of a loss of talent.

In this environment, building a program that is tailored to the needs of each audience is essential. While sales forces respond to public recognition events and proudly display an award in the office, Millennial workers may need much more frequent – even if modest – recognition or prefer an award they can enjoy outside the office on their own time. For many, a sincere and heartfelt “thank you” from the company president can make the difference in loyalty.

Much has been asked of employees during the darkest months of the recession.

It is critical to let them know their hard work not only furthers the success of the entire group, but that it is acknowledged and appreciated.

Employee Engagement Study

2010-04-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

In the past few years, employee engagement has become one of the biggest and fastest-growing management trends, and with good reason: There is ample evidence it works. While part of this is common sense – an engaged employee is almost by definition a happier, more productive employee – hard numbers back it up as well.

As part of its 2007-2008 Global Workforce Study, consulting firm Towers Perrin (now Towers Watson) surveyed 90,000 employees in 18 countries about a number of topics, including what drives engagement – the desire and willingness of employees to go the extra mile in their jobs, to put in discretionary effort. While the firm came up with a number of answers about how companies drive engagement, the most eye-catching part of the survey was why. Towers Perrin compared the financial results of 50 multinational companies. In the course of one year, the companies with high employee engagement posted a 19 percent increase in operating income and a 28 percent increase in earnings per share; conversely, those with poor employee engagement scores saw operating income decline by nearly one third, and earnings per share drop 11 percent. More broadly, the firm has concluded that a 15 percent improvement in engagement will cause 2 percent improvement in a firm’s operating margin.

Best Companies for Leadership

2010-04-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Hay Group study shows the Best Companies for Leadership to be right at the cutting edge of current trends in demographics and employment. Recognizing concerns about work/life balance and the wider social contribution of their work, they are much more likely to make it easy for people to work from home – and they use their corporate social responsibility programs to attract employees.

The best companies are almost twice as likely to have a high proportion of women in senior posts. And nearly all of the best companies look for people with an appreciation of global issues, compared with less than two-thirds of their peers.

This indicates they recognize that in today's market, a globally inclusive approach is important, as is one that reflects the importance of a gender balance in the workplace.

"The cultures of The Best Companies for Leadership help them to attract and retain the leaders they need."

It's not just about direct investment in leaders. The best companies create cultures in which employees can behave like leaders, even if they have no formal position of authority. This has two important consequences.

Hay Group research shows, unsurprisingly, that well-motivated, 'engaged' employees perform better in a way that even feeds through to the bottom line. But when they are empowered by a culture that actively encourages them to take initiative, the performance gains are even higher. And by encouraging employees to step up to leadership opportunities, the Best Companies for Leadership are 'seeding' the next generation of leaders within their organizations.

The bottom line is... all this feeds though to the bottom line. The Hay Group Top 20 companies produce significantly better shareholder return than the S&P 500. And those firms that both engage and empower their employees see revenue growth 4.5x the norm. Proof if any were needed, that a forward-looking approach to leadership pays off.

Learn More at the Hay Group

Talent + Performance Strategies = Engagement

2010-04-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

Companies who want to achieve outstanding performance need to be clear about their business strategy and objectives. Their strategy needs to be understandable and consistently applied. It needs to be part of the organization's culture.

Once understood, the organization's reward strategy needs to be aligned with achieving those business objectives.

The approach seems logical, but it takes a coordinated, concentrated effort to accomplish such an alignment. Studies have shown that if followed, tying business strategy to performance management will reap improved organizational performance.

Another important component of organizational performance is having the right talent, in the right place at the right time; in other words, talent management. Understanding what competencies are required to accomplish the business objectives is the starting point. Then, ensuring that your talent reward strategy is aligned to your business performance will help keep the right employees engaged. Engaged employees put in more discretionary effort, result in more satisfied customers and ultimately lead to improved organizational performance.

Power of Intrinsic Motivation

2010-03-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Daniel Pink in his book Drive says that people would prefer activities where they can pursue three things.

1. Autonomy: People want to have control over their work.
2. Mastery: People want to get better at what they do.
3. Purpose: People want to be part of something that is bigger than they are.

Or as Leadership Consultant, Wally Bock, states, “This matches research that I've done with class members for over twenty-five years. They discuss a time when "it was great to come to work" and then create a description of what those times are like. The descriptions vary slightly in wording but always include the following.

Productivity
Community
Interesting and meaningful work
Clear and reasonable expectations
Frequent and usable feedback
Consistency
Fairness
Maximum control possible over work life

I'm describing the kinds of workplaces where intrinsic motivation happens. Pink is describing three things that provide that kind of motivation. In most highly effective workplaces, it's the boss that is the most important force creating an environment when intrinsic motivation can happen.”

Top management sets the basic compensation and benefits structure. If that isn't perceived as fair and consistent, natural intrinsic motivation won't kick in.

It’s your individual supervisor who has the biggest effect on your daily working environment. That's why there are pockets of excellence in otherwise horrible companies and why even the best companies have workers who are unhappy and teams that are unproductive.

In the real world, intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and their effects interact. You don't have a simple choice of which lever to pull. You have to understand and influence a complex system. To equate compensation as the only extrinsic motivator ignores praise, promotion, preferment (in scheduling), the admiration of peers, time off, and a host of other positive incentives.

Key Ideas that matter:

Key Idea: There is a difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

Key Idea: Intrinsic motivators are more powerful.

Key Idea: If you use monetary rewards to get people to perform the way you want, those rewards may have the opposite effect.

Celebrate Your Employee's Successes

2010-03-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

Keeping your staff motivated and on task takes more than wishful thinking. Setting up a plan for employee recognition is one step toward making your workplace a more productive one. By instituting a well-planned and monitored success-recognition program, you will reinforce the positive work behaviors your company is seeking in its staff.

How to Celebrate Employee Achievements

Step1

Establish the criteria on which you will recognize your employees' successes. Most successful programs will be inclusive of all staff and should provide specific requirements for eligibility that are well outlined for both staff and management. The kind of success that is expected for the reward should be clearly understood by all.

Step2

Among the most successful ways to recognize employee excellence is a non- monetary reward. Whether it is based performance objectives or related to a predetermined milestone, a symbolic award helps to increase employee morale and connection to the company which ultimately enhances retention.

Step3

Rewards can be a team-building event by organizing a lunch or other event to which an entire department is invited. These kinds of rewards are best given at random intervals, so that they are not taken for granted by your staff.

Step4

Wherever possible include your company's brand with your employee recognition connecting the reward with your company and its culture. Making an award meaningful is important to the process.

Step5

Elevate the award beyond the mundane. Just as a gold watch, given to an employee for many years of dedicated service, may become a goal to which many aspire, but your reward system should offer items that are highly sought after, such as high-tech electronics, luxury brands or custom items which have symbolic meaning.

Step6

Recognize an individual employee's successes with a hand-written note reinforcing why the employee is being recognized. This note could then be used as entry in a points system, from which items of individual interest may be selected.

What is a Culture of Appreciation?

2010-03-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Employee recognition is a communication medium that rewards and respects the contributions that help make the company a great place to work. By recognizing your employees/co-workers effectively, you encourage and reinforce the very actions/behaviors that create a better working environment for everyone. An effective recognition system is simple, immediate, and powerfully reinforcing.

To continue with your cultural transformation, you need to promote a culture where informal and formal recognition become a part of the management philosophy across the entire organization. We need to start respecting our co-workers by simply saying:

Why Should it be Part of Your Culture?

Never doubt that recognition is the fuel that propels organizations past their peers. This is so, because appreciation engenders a sense of camaraderie, connecting employees to each other, their department and to their company. Simple signs of appreciation have been proven to:

Foster job satisfaction
Build self-esteem
Increase production
Decrease absenteeism
Attract the best candidates for a job

In order to become “better”, you need to retain the talented employees you already have and attract candidates who are looking at your organization as a place of future employment. You must strive to become “better” with every step that you take on your "great place to work" journey. Recognizing your employees is a proven way to make people feel good about themselves and hence their environment. In addition, a culture of appreciation can lower barriers to collaboration and reward mutual successes.

Different Forms of Recognition

2010-03-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

"In good times, employee engagement is the difference between being good and being great. In bad times, it's the difference between surviving and not. In good times and bad, low engagement reduces performance and profit. And under the current circumstances, many companies can't afford to let those drop."

So what are these different types of recognition employees need? From Gallup’s “tips to help managers keep employees focused and engaged,” I see five types of recognition:

1) Recognition of effort – what we commonly understand as recognition for employees who go above and beyond expectations.

2) Recognition of skills and talents – noticing what each employee is good at and prefers to do, then giving them the opportunity to do it.

3) Recognition of the need for focus and direction – helping employees overcome the rampant rumors and focus on what you need them to do.

4) Recognition of personal needs – showing your employees you care about their well being by taking the time to understand them and their unique needs.

5) Recognition of the need to grow and develop – understanding employee needs to continue to learn something new and follow a career path in your company.

Is Your Company Committed to Engaging Employees?

2010-03-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

Imagine working for a company where nearly 25% of the employees hate their jobs, over half (55%) of the employees are apathetic and uninterested and do just enough to stay employed. Only the remaining 20% do their job enthusiastically and care about the company’s future. Unfortunately, you don’t have to look far to find such a company. This is the profile of a typical US Company.

Why are today’s workers so disengaged?

A recent global survey by Towers Perrin gives some insight:

For employees, the real driver of engagement is the belief that a company cares about them. Senior management's interest in the well-being of employees is what most drives engagement, according to the survey.

For many employees, "caring" translates to providing opportunities for career development.

Other key factors to employee engagement are trust in the organization's leadership and feeling a sense of pride when workers see their organization's logo.

"Appreciation is the single largest driver of a company’s caring attitude.”

But employee appreciation must be aligned with what's important to the company.

Each employee wants to see a clear vision about where the company is going and to know "my supervisor plans my work around things that matter”. It motivates the American worker.

Workers feel their bosses and companies appreciate them, according to the survey, when they…

-- Believe their companies are great at showing appreciation to those who excel.

-- Observe senior management modeling the behavior.

-- Perceive a clear connection between recognition and goals of the organization.

-- Experience recognition as timely, personal and sincere.

Follow this link to see how your company measures up:

Five Signs Your Company is Committed to Engaging Employees

Ideal Motivational Perk?

2010-02-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Many companies see cash as the ideal motivational perk. This is usually not the case. A recent survey from McKinsey found that three non-cash motivators rise above all other forms of incentive:

Praise from managers
Attention of leadership that takes place in one-on-one conversations
The chance to lead projects, teams or task forces.

Such nods and recognition topped even cash bonuses, increased base pay, and stock or stock options - the three top-ranked financial incentives, McKinsey found.

"The survey's top three nonfinancial motivators play critical roles in making employees feel that their companies value them, take their well-being seriously, and strive to create opportunities for career growth," the McKinsey report noted. "These themes recur constantly in most studies on ways to motivate and engage employees."

Rewards must be in alignment with the expectations of the organization and its people. Rewards can enhance valued employees' commitment to the organization, boost morale, motivate future efforts, reinforce positive outcomes, encourage repeat performances and help keep employees' "eye on the ball" vis a vis organizational goals. It also strengthens the connection between strategy and results.

Is Your CEO Struggling?

2010-02-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

Long gone are the days where the executive leadership of a company can remain sequestered in their offices with an internal focus on hard metrics. Given the current economic climate, it takes far more than cost-cutting to survive. It is the CEO who understands the need for focus on the soft metrics of employee engagement that will create sustainable growth in revenue and brand equity.

Ask yourself: How many of your employees are truly passionate about your company, its values, its vision, its mission, and the role that they play within the organization? Be truthful with yourself... Conduct a harsh, critical analysis and come up with a true head count of the passionate employees within your organization.

The key to having an engaged workforce is to have a passionate workforce. And the simple truth of the matter is that no single person in the company can instill passion in the ranks like the CEO can. Despite the consensus recognition that employee engagement matters, the enormity of its impact on the company's bottom line and its capacity for innovation, still appears to be misunderstood by most CEOs.

CEOs continue to allocate considerable effort and resources toward engineering the corporate strategy, yet they seem to be unaware of what forces can prevent said strategy from being delivered successfully. Not surprisingly, employee engagement is often the critical missing factor.

It is your passionate employees that are the franchise talent (regardless of position) that you should be building around. If you can't get employees to see the light and become passionate about the company and their contribution, then seek to replace them as quickly as possible. Just as passion is a positive, contagious trait so are apathy and dissatisfaction. Passionate employees are productive, energized, committed and loyal assets. Apathetic employees quickly become disenfranchised liabilities that will hurt both productivity and morale. In today's economy, the old saying that "the only thing worse than an employee who quits and leaves is the employee who quits and stays" has never been more accurate.

To build an extraordinary company, you must light the fire in the bellies of your workforce. You must get them to feel passion about your organization and to connect with your vision. You must get your employees to engage. As a leader you need to understand that your employees not only want to be led, but they want to be led by a passionate leader.

Walk in an Employee’s Shoes!

2010-01-18T01:52:00.000-08:00

If no one knew you at your place of business and you walked the halls pretending to be a client, how would the employees you meet respond to the question, “Do you think your employer could win an “Employer of Choice” award for the whole of the country?” How would they respond to questions about your organization, management style, corporate culture, your compensation and reward structure and your systems in general?

There is no rocket science in becoming an employer of choice, while I agree that people are complex and it can be difficult to understand what it is that people look for when they are identifying an employer of choice. There are a number of questions that you must ask yourself in order to figure out whether your organization fits into the category of “employers of choice”. Do you know if your employees enjoy working for you? Please note that the fact that your workers turn up for work every day on time does not mean that they like or enjoy working for you.

10 Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. Are employees’ full potential being realized?

2. Are there long term employee developmental plans in place?

3. Does the employee feel wanted by the organization and do they plan to stay?

4. Do you have an open line of communications with employees?

5. Do managers build team spirit and encourage teamwork?

6. Are you considerate of work / home life balance?

7. Are employees praised for accomplishments and above and beyond activity?

8. Do you lead employees with integrity and are they treated with dignity?

9. Do employees know their contributions are valued?

10. Would an employee recommend your company to a friend as a good place to work?

Finally, be compassionate. When you are giving of yourself you stop seeing yourself and your company as the center of the universe. While focusing on profits and business growth, let’s not forget the people, your employees, who make the company move and grow and ultimately profitable.

Winning the Engagement Battle

2010-01-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

To effectively measure and improve employee engagement levels, organizations must keep in mind a few imperatives and channel their efforts in the right direction. First, employee engagement initiatives must have senior management buy-in and must be driven from the top. Also, employees must be willing to accept their roles and responsibilities throughout the process. Another activity that cannot be overlooked is a comprehensive communication plan. This includes clarity on the information to be communicated, by whom, through which channel and when. Employees should know and understand the purpose of the engagement initiative and how the engagement results will be used. Employees should be ensured their responses will be kept anonymous. Third parties or consultants can bring a level of trust among all stakeholders and communication can be delivered more effectively.

Engagement measurement via survey questionnaire should be precise, reliable, actionable and customized as per the needs of the organization.
Measuring engagement is crucial but is only a part of winning the battle. Many organizations invest only in measuring engagement, leaving little energy or budget for actually improving engagement levels. Instead, organizations should spend their resources and energy in moving the needle in the right direction. Identify areas of employee concern and define concrete actions plans to address the same. And more importantly, ensure that the action plans are actually implemented. Changing an organization’s culture, addressing a major HR process deficiency or raising the bar on leadership behavior does not happen overnight and requires concerted effort. In the end, rewards are real and sustainable. Organizations that increase employee engagement levels will emerge from the economic downturn with a clear competitive advantage, ready to soar high.

True Strength Comes From Within

2010-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first of my 2010 commentaries. I wish you a prosperous year!

Apart from strategic acquisitions and maintaining a sustained focus on operational effectiveness, one thing companies realize is that they need to leverage their greatest asset – their people. They realize that they must win over their employees. This is all the more essential if an organization has been forced to retrench, reduce staff levels, and constrain compensation budgets. During the economic rebound, increased workloads will be the order of the day and companies cannot risk low employee morale and disengagement.

Organizations must strive to capture the hearts and minds of their people. Employees who understand the strategic goals of the organization and demonstrate commitment to attaining them also feel an emotional bond with their employer. They are willing to go the extra mile and are a true source of sustained success. We term these employees ‘engaged employees.’

Highly engaged employees put in the extra effort because they care. And they care, because they feel looked after and valued. The right feelings lead to right behaviors which fuel higher levels of organizational success. People have become the primary source of a competitive advantage. It’s their decisions, their actions and their attitudes that are passed on through the interactions with customers and suppliers.

HR managers should insist that front line managers and supervisors get to really know the individuals on their terms as people, not merely employees. They should want to know about their career aspirations, interests, development needs and work-life balance. Recognition of the whole personality sends the powerful message that the organization understands and appreciates its employees.

In addition, there are other drivers of engagement such as employee empowerment; results based employee recognition, open communications, leadership support, teamwork & collaboration, etc.

By working towards ‘employee engagement,’ organizations are able to increase productivity and retention leading to better customer service, satisfaction and loyalty. Consequently, they are better positioned to weather the economic storm and emerge with stronger business performance compared to their peers. Move the needle on employee engagement and you move the needle on organizational success and lay the foundation for future growth.

Performance vs. Motivation

2009-12-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

Performance appraisals may send messages of mistrust and suppress the human spirit. Instead of depending on the motivation of inspired people, they can reduce employees to quantitative numbers, de-motivating them. Their best efforts cannot be turned on and off like a machine!

While performance appraisals may be used to weed out the bad, they can actually hurt the organization. More than a dozen leading business authors, academics and consultants have condemned and discouraged the use of performance appraisals, including Peter Block, Philip Crosby, Steven Covey, and the late W. Edwards Deming. Covey calls performance reviews by management today as bloodletting. Instead, he urges managers to develop win-win agreements with their employees about performance issues. An unintended result of that suggestion is that some employers do use his proposal of the performance model, but not fully, preparing documentation on an employee’s personal traits, rather than encouraging performance on a personal level with the development of win-win agreements based on trust and communication with management.

Deming encourages all leaders to use spontaneous and unplanned and unhurried three-to four-hour conversations with all employees at least once a year, with the primary goal of listening. These talks would not take the form of criticism, or performance feedback, but emphasis would be on a broader view of the work and to help clarify understanding of what employees need to perform their duties at a high level and to communicate how an employee’s efforts impact the company’s goals.

Alternatives to performance appraisals include these ideas:

1. Give an employee choice in accepting obligation and responsibility so work remains meaningful and effective.

2. Less structure and control over the individual employees often leads to increased motivation and productivity. Employees cannot be motivated to achieve their best results, but the conditions of openness and trust is the intrinsic motivation that unleashes the mind and heart-felt commitment to the objectives of the organization.

3. Concentrating resources in those areas most impacting workforce engagement, organizations will continue to see the return on investment through decreased employee turnover, improved productivity, and increased customer loyalty & retention.

4. Companies can survive and grow only if they are free to develop systems where variation, differentiation and diversity are valued as ways to innovate and improve.

Still Unconvinced About the Power of Employee Engagement? Look at the Data

2009-12-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

A recent study of more than 300 organizations by the Aberdeen Group, titled, Beyond Satisfaction: Engaging Employees to Retain Customers, speaks volumes about the power of employee engagement.

Organizations who practice employee engagement report the following results:

22% year-over-year improvement in customer satisfaction/loyalty
21% year-over-year improvement in turnover/retention

In addition, the study reveals that eight in ten of these top companies attribute changes in profitability and/or revenue DIRECTLY to employee engagement initiatives. According to the Aberdeen Group, it’s never been more obvious that employee engagement is a necessary element in any organization.

“Top companies are moving beyond employee satisfaction — a one-way street which only measures if the employees needs are being met by the organization — to employee engagement, which is all about aligning individual, organizational and customer needs,” comments Mollie Lombardi, research analyst, Aberdeen. “It is no wonder that companies who provide their leaders with tools and training to engage their employees are achieving impressive business impact.”

If you haven’t been taking employee engagement seriously in your strategic implementation, why not? Instead of trying to keep employees happy or just keep them around- organizations must actively engage employees in creating their future and their usefulness within the organization- especially in a time when no one can afford the costly loss of employees.

Drivers of Motivation

2009-12-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

These drivers influence the discretionary effort given by employees. The choice to give this extra effort comes from within. When these factors are present, employees choose to give more than just that which is required to get by:

Job fit with personal strengths
Accountability
Knowing contributions are valued
Alignment with personal goals and mission
Strong leadership
Stimulating work environment/team

The current economic situation can have both a positive and negative impact on motivation. The pessimist will see these difficulties as de-motivators. However, the optimist knows that difficult times can serve to unite the troops in a common effort and goal. There will be opportunities to challenge employees to stretch and grow in their positions. Here it is important to ensure employees are in the right positions and have strong leadership.

A Reward System Motivates Employees

2009-11-23T12:20:00.000-08:00

Employee incentive programs are designed to reward employees that have excelled in their work. A reward system motivates employees to meet and exceed standards and improves overall performance of the company. The types of programs and rewards vary but the concept is the same for all incentive programs. The program is about recognizing the achievements and input of outstanding employees.

Human resources are integral to the success of any business or company. It is therefore essential in a highly competitive market to create a working environment that recognizes and rewards the contribution of employees. Third party employee recognition/reward programs help increase employee performance and in doing so increase the overall productivity of the company.

Apart from monetary remuneration it is important for employees to feel their work towards company goals is appreciated. Employee incentive programs are an opportunity for employers to boost company morale and to highlight the important contributions made by their employees. Employee recognition and reward programs motivate employees because they show a kind of specific appreciation that cannot be achieved with a paycheck. Employees who feel their work is really appreciated and their contributions are recognized are more motivated to achieve results.

Two way street: Recognition and Employee Engagement

2009-11-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

I believe that authentic recognition is a vital behavior to promote employee engagement. For employee engagement to work I believe employers and employees must recognize things in each other.

1. What do employers need to recognize in their employees?
* Employers need to appreciate people for who they are
* Employers need to recognize people for what they do
* Employers need to build relationships

2. What do employees need to recognize in their employers?
* Show appreciation for their work
* Tell their managers what they appreciate and what they don't
* Recognize the value in the relationship and express it

Recognition Reigns Supreme

2009-11-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

Personal recognition for doing a first-class job is important for employees, at times more important than dollars. Companies who don't appreciate the significance of employee recognition for their work contributions will continue to have turnover among their staffs. Those businesses who give some variety of award for superior jobs are able to maintain their employees and have better morale, according to studies done on this subject.

Employees are what makes a corporation, and by means of motivational awards to reward good performance is one technique to help your company be successful. Veteran workers are key to a thriving business as they know the consumers and strategy. They are helpful for many aspects of the business, they can train others and are recognized by your clients and other associates.

Your employees are the key to providing your customers with solidity and familiarity, and these relationships are vital to sustaining their business. Giving out motivational awards to your star employees helps maintain their loyalty consequently their longevity in the business which in turn helps sustain your client base.

How do you engage with, retain and motivate employees?

2009-11-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

To give their best every day, employees need to feel they have a stake in the company’s success. Employee engagement results in part from understanding the company’s direction and the significance of an employee’s role in helping the company reach its goals.

Employee engagement is a key driver of organizational effectiveness and workforce performance. To fully engage and motivate you must identify the levels of engagement present within a given workforce population and set benchmarks by which you evaluate the level of engagement. Then you must analyze results to enable managers to understand and leverage the drivers of employee engagement unique to their organizations.

Finally, establish a systematic means by which accomplishments and achievements are noted, celebrated and recognized. In this way, you are reinforcing positive behaviors you wish to see duplicated. Success breeds success.

First, You Need a Foundation

2009-10-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

An employee engagement program will not go far without first establishing the management infrastructure required to support its objectives. This means integrating your objectives into the overall business strategy, with clear vision, goals and metrics. It means having strong executive sponsorship and a collaborative structure for decision making and resource allocation. It requires a rewards and recognition program to support and reinforce objective behaviors. You will also need to put in place a project management structure to execute your strategy, and allow your initiatives to scale throughout the business. With such an infrastructure in place, you will be able to develop a strategy that fully engages employees, while fully realizing the benefits of their contributions.

Motivating

Inspire/energize employees to commit to the strategy; show its benefits and the importance of their contributions.
Solicit and address questions and concerns.
Reward behaviors needed to support your objectives.
Celebrate accomplishments.

The Bottom Line

Without fully engaging employees in your initiatives, you lose one of your most dynamic and powerful tools to build a culture of commitment, and potentially a competitive edge.

Motivation on a Budget

2009-10-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Many businesses find they aren’t just struggling with lagging revenue during the persistent recession. They also are forced to combat sagging employee morale. Here are some tips on how to keep spirits, and productivity, high.

Communicate clearly. Be accessible, address concerns with openness and transparency, recognize effort frequently and offer appropriate, small rewards.
Show employees respect and their value to the company. Find simple, cost-effective ways to acknowledge that they’re doing more with less, such as with an in-person thank-you.
Build career paths. Employees understand that raises, bonuses and training might not be in the picture this year, but nurture growth in other ways, such as with new assignments or projects to let them shine.
Remember recognition goes a long way. In the wake of Wall Street bonus scandals, incentive-based compensation is drawing more scrutiny, and moreover, hefty bonuses are not considered politically correct.
Recognize everyone — not just top performers. Recognizing employees equally shows that “Everyone is in it together.”