Question

How might leaders get employees motivated from the 'inside-out'

Answer 1

Motivation refers to the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action. Employee motivation affects productivity, and part of a manager’s job is to channel motivation toward the accomplishment of organizational goals. The study of motivation helps to understand what prompts people to initiate action, what influences their choice of action, and why they persist in that action over time.

People have basic needs such as for food, achievement, or money. Needs motivate specific behavior designed to fulfill those needs. Feedback tells people whether they were successful in fulfilling their needs. If so, they feel rewarded by their success.

Intrinsic rewards are the satisfaction a person receives in the process of performing a particular action. Extrinsic rewards are given by another person, typically a manager, and include promotions, pay increases, and other things employees value such as extra time off. The importance of motivation is that it can lead to behaviors that reflect high performance within organizations. Managers have to find the right combination of motivational techniques and rewards to keep workers satisfied and productive in a variety of organizational situations

A leader must understand that motivating another individual is a very hard task to achieve. All he or she can do as a leader is to create an environment that foster, inspires, and promotes employees to be self-motivated. “Motivation is a function of individual will.” (Lawson, n.d) People act on doing something because such things appeal to them and needs and will. Every individual’s desire is different and is determined by different things like circumstances, values, beliefs, family, education, work experience, and personality. For a leader to inspire their employees, he or she must appeal to the interest and desires of each employee in alignment to the goals and values of the company.

The following are the different categories that Karen Lawson (n.d) which motivation falls under •Understanding the Concept of Motivation

•Assessing Your Approach to Employee Motivation

•Identifying Manager's Role in Motivation Process

•Applying Motivational Techniques (Creating the Environment)

Ultimately, two important factors affect employee behavior, internal motivation based on what drives them and external influences from other sources. Encyclopedia Britannica defines motivation as ‘forces acting either on or within a person to initiate behavior.’ Understanding employees and what their motivator is, enables leaders to inspire them to reach the goals being set by the organization

This does not mean leaders have to act like a psychologist to determine those needs. Some leaders find it hard to reach out and speak to their employees and engage them in conversation to determine their needs. A good leader will determine employee needs by asking, observing, and listening. In essence, by using simple communication, to get to the heart and soul of employees, the leader will find out more about the employees. This process is a simple way to connect on a one on one level with your employees, and it lets them know that you see them as an individual and value them as part of the team. Employees will look at the leaders’ actions, not their intentions, and decide if they trust their leader

By understanding employee needs and building a company culture that fosters a great work environment, and inspiring employees to be self-motivated and produce results, leaders provide external influences that motivate and encourage employees. The more leaders learn about their employees the more confident they will be about working with them, and as a result they will gain their respect and inspire motivation