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administration

Motivating staff

Juliet Rostowski

Without motivation there is no change, no learning and no action. And without motivation, there are no results. Motivation is based on meeting people’s needs.

The following factors directly affect the motivation of workers.

• Achievement: the worker needs to feel that he has accomplished something;

• Recognition: the worker needs to feel that his achievement has been noticed;

• lnteresting duties: the worker needs to feel he is interested in the work itself;

• Responsibility: the worker needs to feel he is responsible for himself and his own work. Responsibility for new tasks and duties is also important;

• Opportunity for growth: the worker needs to feel that he has the opportunity to grow within the organisation;

• Communication: the worker feels that management has good communication with the workers.

Tips for motivators
When people feel good about themselves, it’s easier for them to be motivated “because when they have high self-esteem, they’re not worried about what others are thinking of them. Here are some ways to help each of your team feel better about themselves:

• When you talk to staff members, give them your undivided attention. That will help them see their importance to you;

• When you delegate a responsibility, let the person do it his or her own way. Don’t take the task back if you see things are not going well;

• When there is a conflict between two workers, involve them in resolving it;

• Learn to express your feelings honestly “and let your workers do the same;

• Admit it when you have made a mistake;

• Let each worker express herself creatively within the parameters allowed by her job;

• Look for the good a person is doing in the job, not only the bad: “Catch them doing something good." Give positive reinforcement for work well done;

• Avoid “put-downs” “even when you think they are humorous;

• Show your worker that you trust her;

• Avoid comparisons between one worker and another;

• Be fair;

• Encourage orderliness;

• Separate the worker from her acts. When there is a problem, let the worker know that you are displeased with what she did, not with her as a person;

• Share the power of decision-making. People are always more interested in decisions that they have been part of, and feel more committed to carrying out those decisions;

• Don’t expect more of workers than they are able to do. If they can’t come up to the required standard for this work, it will be doing everyone a favour to help them find work elsewhere;

• Set clear basic rules “and be consistent in enforcing them.

• Finally, when working with people, and in motivating people, remember that simple is better. That applies to goals, to instructions, to assignments.

... and stop motivating
The motivator is much more effective if he or she is able to get a staff member to the point where motivation is no longer needed. That involves a shift in control.

In most motivation, the person is under the control or influence of outside forces. He has to be managed, manipulated, encouraged and prodded by others. But after the control shift has occurred, he’s operating under a different set of circumstances. Now his control comes from himself. He’s self-controlled. He’s self-motivated, and what management he needs comes from within.

Every leader’s goal, then, should be to aim towards the point where his or her team members no longer need to be motivated.