2010 has begun and everyone is back at work. They’re talking about how tough 2009 was and how much better 2010 will be. They’re refreshed and motivated, upbeat and optimistic. The challenge now for managers is to maintain this motivation.
That’s why I found an article in the latest Harvard Business Review (“What Really Motivates Workers” HBR Jan-Feb 2010, p.44) highly relevant.
In a research survey 600 managers were asked to rank the impact on employee motivation of five workplace factors: recognition for good work; incentives; interpersonal support; support for making progress and clear goals. These managers rated “recognition for good work” (either given publicly or privately) as number one.
However the managers were wrong.
The authors (Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer) had conducted extensive additional research tracking the day-to-day activities, emotions and motivation levels of hundreds of knowledge workers and found out that the top motivator of performance was ‘progress’. Interestingly this was the factor that survey participants ranked last.
On days when workers feel they’re making progress in their jobs, or when they receive the support to help them overcome obstacles, their emotions are positive and they are motivated to succeed. On days when they’re encountering roadblocks to meaningful accomplishment their moods and motivation are lowest. It was noted that even making incremental progress in one’s work is more frequently associated with positive emotions and high motivation than any other workday event. Therefore the key to motivation is largely within the control of managers.
So, what can you do?
Managers can provide resources; facilitate introductions; offer tips, techniques and training on work flow planning; provide hands-on coaching; and prevent irrelevant or unreasonable demands – all to ensure that employees are progressing forward in their daily tasks and not encountering obstacles or setbacks. As a manager, make sure that your people’s efforts are properly supported and you will be rewarded with a highly motivated workforce.
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