Question

Wanda of Salty Pawz just doesn’t understand her friend Jamie sometimes. They have been working together since the first dog biscuit came out of the oven, but now that the business is expanding, she can’t seem to get Jamie motivated to compete the tasks she delegates to her. She pays Jamie a salary now, so it’s not like the old days when she was working in exchange for dog treats. She has even given Jamie more responsibility; Jamie now supervises two other employees, a challenge Wanda assumed that Jamie wanted.

One afternoon she stops Jamie in the hallway and asks her if everything is going OK. Jamie responds that things are fine. Later that same week Wanda and Jamie are meeting about an upcoming promotion they are holding at the local animal shelter. Jamie takes a few notes but doesn’t share Wanda’s enthusiasm for the event. Wanda comes right out and asks Jamie if she has lost interest in the business. Jamie shrugs and says no, she is good with everything.

Why do you think Jamie might have lost her motivation and enthusiasm for the business at this point? How could Wanda motivate Jamie more effectively? Make sure the reasons you present are supported by sound motivational theory as established by leaders in the field.

This assignment should be a minimum of one short paragraph and a maximum of two paragraphs. Word totals for this work should be in the range of 200–300 words.

Answer 1

One of the reasons for Jamie's lack of motivation might be that his personal goals are not aligned with the organizational goals. May be Jamie is seeking more free time to pursue his other interests or needs a vacation to de-stress. An organization has to understand its employees' needs and how they can vary from time to time. For example, while Jamie wanted to supervise in the past, he may have acquired interests for which he wants more free time.

In such a case, Wanda can ensure that Jamie is motivated to work in the organization by understanding what his needs are and to align them with his job. If Jamie wants to have more free time, Wanda can include flexible working hours in his employment terms. If he needs more money, his salary should be increased and so on.

Understanding the needs of the employees goes a long way in understanding what would motivate the employee to work better and more efficiently.