Motivational Management

Offsite workers have to feel as if you care as much for them as for those on site. Toward that, you need to interact in person whenever you can. Without personal contact, misunderstandings are more...

When staff members bring you a problem, don't solve it. Instead, ask what they think should be done. Don't accept "I don't know." If time allows, ask them to think about it and come back...

Since you know from past experience that you will get a negative reaction, present the assignment in as positive a manner as you can. Let the employee know that you have confidence in his or...

Openness and trust take time to develop. You can't make it happen by edict or one or two acts. Start by having an informal discussion with your employees. Ask them what you can do together...

Find out why the employee was passed over. Often the reason is easily explained and understood. For instance, a promotion in a warehouse might demand a knowledge of computers, which your excellent worker may lack....

It's hard to motivate contingency workers but it is possible. To begin with, you shouldn't overload them with grunt tasks. It's a temptation to assign all low-level work to part-time and temp employees. Don't. Find...

Some companies raise the maximum salaries in their ranges periodically to keep up with the cost of living. They can then give raises to people who have reached the previous ceiling. Other companies respond on...

If you can do so, get rid of overly negative employees. See if you can transfer them to another department that will provide a more positive environment for them. If this can't be done, and...

Plateauing is basically what happens when an employee reaches the highest level he or she can go in the company. There are no more opportunities for advancement—no chances to grow or to be challenged. Plateaued...

During tough economic times, employees will worry about their job security. If you know members of your team will be laid off, let them know as soon as possible. Employees should not leave the office...

Taken to the extreme, hands-off management is an abdication of your responsibility and accountability to get the work done. On the other hand, micromanagement, the process of controlling every detail and decision associated with getting...

Actually, workers list having fun as one of the requirements for a satisfying job. What do they mean by "fun"? Not goofing off. According to studies on what it takes to make jobs fun, the...

As the background for your empowerment effort, you want to create a culture of support. To that end consider the following: Listen to employees. Demonstrate your trust. Keep employees informed. Help employees balance work and...

You will get the most out of your employees if you, first, create a positive work environment and, second, give employees ownership of their work. Make your employees feel as if they are responsible fully...

Over the short term, competition among employees and teams may stimulate increased performance. Over the long term, however, it can lower productivity by destroying the desire to collaborate. And most work demands some level of...

Because certain job features are intrinsically satisfying, redesigning jobs can be a way to motivate employees. It is, after all, easier to change jobs in an organization than it is to change the jobholders. There...

Employees want to work in a well-lit environment that has modern furniture and the latest equipment. Some people still want traditional offices. They don't want to work in a cubicle, no matter its size. They...

Recognition and rewards can encourage performance improvement from these non-superstars. If you wait for a significant improvement in their performance, you may never get a chance to recognize them, yet without reinforcement of some small...

High achievers can be challenged with increased responsibility, access to new assignments, new training, and job rotation. Look at a high achiever's position and the associated tasks. How can they be changed to make the...

To begin with, the praise offered must be sincere. You can avoid appearing phony by using it only when it is deserved—when the employee is doing excellent work. Praise also works best when it is...