Motivation is why a person acts or behaves in a particular way. It drives our willingness and desire to do something. When there is motivation, there is enthusiasm. In the world of management, motivation has a more specific meaning. It's all about the factors that encourage individuals to be continually committed and interested in their jobs. Different individuals are motivated by different things. Most people are motivated to some degree by financial incentives, like raises and bonuses. But many people are motivated more by having satisfying work or the recognition they receive for doing a good job. Motivation is important, because motivated employees allow management to meet a company's goals. Without them, it's very difficult for a company to succeed. Motivated employees increase productivity and allow an organization to achieve higher output. On the other hand, employees who are not motivated will likely spend a good deal or their work day goofing off, surfing the Web, or maybe even looking for another job. Employee motivation has other important benefits too. Employee commitment increases because motivated employees put forth their best efforts. Employee satisfaction improves, which can lead to positive growth for the company. Ongoing employee development is enhanced, motivation can push a worker to reach their personal goals and facilitate their self-development. The organization then benefits from their improved skills. Employee efficiency improves, abilities alone do not produce the best results, an employee must be motivated to perform the task. Clearly it's in the best interest of an organization to have a motivated workforce. Managers are responsible for motivating employees by encouraging them to be productive and effective. An employee's immediate supervisor is vital in ensuring that they feel their job is valuable, and understand their contribution to organizational success. Failure to recognize and reward hard good work harms employee morale and productivity. Goal setting is crucial for motivating employees too. Goal setting is the process of creating clear objectives for employees through the cooperation between the supervisor and employees. Employee goal setting is a key responsibility for any manager. By setting measurable and attainable goals, the supervisor guides improvement in employee performance. It can actually help strengthen the business and enhance its reputation. Goals are useful when doing performance evaluations, because they allow you to compare actual employee performance to standards and expectations. Goals are also good for employees, because achieving them is a boost to their self esteem. Whereas unmet goals can be used to motivate workers to achieve them even more. For example, suppose a salesperson misses their quota for the month. If they're motivated by goals, that will make them more determined to exceed their quota next month. The most effective goals meet all of these criteria. They are SMART, remember that from the planning module? Goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, but challenging, relevant, and time-oriented will be the most motivating. It must also be clear, if employees are not completely sure of what their goals are, you can be assured those goals will not be met. They should be jointly established, goals are more effective when employees are involved in setting them. It gives them a sense of control and self determination. Finally, they must be accepted by employees, this goes along with the previous point. Goals that are fully accepted by employees will be the most effective. If goals are not accepted by employees, you can pretty much assume they won't get done or not done well. Goal setting can be a powerful tool if you do it the right way. So what does it take to make goal setting work? We have a few suggestions. First of all, you absolutely have to make sure employees have everything they need to accomplish the goals that are set, skills, authority, resources, etc. There isn't much point to trying to achieve goals without having everything you need. That would be like going for a drive in a car with no tires, you're not going to get far. Second, you also need to get employees to buy in and commit to the goals. Leading by example by making your own commitment clear is a good way to start. If you're not committed, why should they be? Third, make sure to provide employees with periodic feedback on their progress. Particularly when the path to goal achievement takes considerable time and effort, be encouraging. Lastly, do everything you possibly can to eliminate obstacles to their success, clear the path for them. If they get blocked by something you could have already taken care of, it will slow progress and frustrate.
