Motivation is the set of forces that causes people to engage in one behaviour rather than some alternative behaviour. Managers strive to motivate people in the organisation to perform at high levels. This means getting them to work hard, come to work early and make positive contributions to the organisation’s mission.
Job performance depends on the ability and environment as well as motivation. The relationship can be stated as follows:
Performance = Motivation x Ability x Environment
Why Is Motivation Important In The Workplace?
1) Proper Utilisation of Human Resources
Motivation induces man to work and it results in increased production and productivity because employees try to put efforts to produce more and more for benefits of the organisation and thus their efficiency increases.
Moreover, the inherent qualities of employees are developed by implying different techniques in the interest of their organisation. So that they are able to use their methods, systems and technologies effectively.
2) Best Utilisation of Other Resources
All other resources except human resources can produce no results, unless the employees try to put them in action. Employees should be motivated to carry out plans, policies and programs let down by the organisation by utilising the other resources to the best of their efforts.
In other words, utilisation of resources is not possible to their fullest extent unless the employees have been induced to continue their efforts to attain the organisational goals.
3) Performance
Proper motivation satisfies the needs of employees, they in turn devote all their energies for optimum performance in their work. If the need of the employee is to get the recognition in the organisation and the manager is motivating him by giving him the needed recognition then organisation will get the desired results.
So we need to know what motivates the employees and provide him the needed motivation. This will improve the performance.
4) Builds Positive Attitude
Motivation helps to change negative or indifferent attitudes of employees to positive attitudes so as to achieve organisational goals. A lot of times the employees are not motivated and they start developing negative and indifferent attitudes.
In order to change this attitude you need to motivate the employees. Once you motivate them properly, this negative attitude gets changed into positive and the organisational goals can be achieved.
5) Reduces Employee Turnover
If managers identify motivational needs of employees and provide suitable incentives, employees may not think of leaving the organisation. Many employees leave the organisation because they are demotivated and they don’t feel like working and this is becoming very common.
Nowadays employees tend to leave their jobs easily if they are not getting satisfied. Any employee who is well skilled, will not be satisfied easily. When motivation is used as a factor, employee turnover can be reduced. Every employee who is recruited is done at a cost. This is because when recruitment happens, there are always certain costs involved.
After recruitment and employee training, it’s the time for the employee to deliver and provide profit to the organisation. But if the employee decides to leave because he is not motivated, the investment of the company will get lost and they will have to do all these processes again. So it’s necessary to reduce employee turnover by motivation.
6) Clarifies Goals & Set Priorities
Motivation is important in the workplace because it clarifies goals. When you are motivated, you have a desire to achieve something, whether for extrinsic or intrinsic reasons. Motivation can help you gain clarity on a goal and see the necessary steps you need to take inorder to achieve it.
Where There Is A Will There’s A Way
Motivation is necessary because it sets priorities in your life. Have you ever set a goal to reach a certain weight? Have you ever set a goal to write a book? By having motivation to accomplish these goals help you focus on committing to that goal. This often sacrifices whether it be social or time. If you are motivated to accomplish a goal truly
7) Reduces Absenteeism & Willingness To Work
If motivation is adequately provided, work becomes a source of pleasure and workers attend to the work regularly. If employees are getting motivated properly, it would help in satisfying him and coming to work will become a source of pleasure for him. This will lead the employees to attend the work regularly which reduces absenteeism.
The function of motivation influences the willingness of people to work and willingness comes from within. It may be possible that a man has the capacity to walk and he is physically, mentally and technically fit for work but he may not be willing to work.
Motivation concerns creating a need and desire on the part of the employees to present their best performance at the workplace.
8) Building Good Labour Relations
All the members of the staff concentrate their efforts to achieve the objective of the organisation and carry out the plans in accordance with the policies and programmes laid down by the organisation, if the management introduces motivational plans.
Both parties, employees and management, have benefited from such plans. On one hand, efficiency and wages of operating forces increases. On the other hand, productivity of the organisation increases due to consolidation of the motivated people.
Labour problems such as absenteeism, labour turnover, discipline and grievances are considerably reduced. This is the reason why motivation is important in the workplace.
9) Basis Of Cooperation
In a zeal to produce more, the members work as a team to pull down weight effectively, to get their loyalty to the group and the organisation, to carry out properly the activities allocated and generally to play an efficient part in achieving the goals which the organisation has undertaken.
So motivation is the basis of co-operation to get the best result out of the efforts of employees in their jobs.
10) Improvement On Skills & Human Relations
All the members will try to be as efficient as possible to improve their skills and knowledge. So they may be able to contribute to the progress of the organisation as much as possible.
Motivation builds human relations because the human concept of labour has changed and now employees are treated as human beings. Employees are behaved as people and not as a commodity. This attitude contributed toward motivating the person at work.
How To Stay Motivated In The Workplace
Focus On What Matters
Feeling lost and spread thin is not the recipe for being motivated and inspired to do your best work. Rather than trying to tackle a dozen projects at once. Focus your full effort and attention on one task at a time starting with the most important task that you need to complete that day and working your way down the list.
Practice Positive Affirmations
With affirmation, your potential is unlimited. Positive affirmations are a powerful tool that can be used to help you accomplish a wide range of life goals including being more motivated and productive at work.
For example- Simply repeating a positive affirmation such as ‘I am ready to tackle the day and do my best work’ or ‘I like myself and I love my work’, each morning after coming to your workplace. This can go a long way toward boosting your motivation.
Celebrate Wins
When you check a task off of your to-do list, no matter how small that task might be, it is a victory. This motivates you one step closer to your goals. It can be easy to have a negative attitude about work and a negative attitude is like cancer to motivation.
Rather than being down about the work that you have yet to complete, take the time to celebrate your accomplishments as you work. This doesn’t mean that you have to throw a party each time you complete a task. Instead, take time to stretch, smile and reflect on your good work.
Set Your Own Goals
Goal setting and motivation go hand in hand. Research has shown that when you have control over your own goal, you are more likely to reach them. Most employees have their goals set for them and are not in a position to create goals for themselves.
Speak to your manager and request to be a part of the goal-setting process. Tell them that you would like to set goals for yourself as a means of motivation. Start with small goals and then work up to larger goals.
Consider The ‘Why’
There are probably plenty of times where you find yourself struggling to complete what may seem simple or mundane tasks. In these times, it’s important to consider the why and focus for a moment on the big picture.
Chances are that what seems like a mundane task, is really an important part of the big picture. Before you complete this task, nobody can do their work but after you complete the task many people can do many jobs.
By taking the time to consider how your work is helping to make it all possible. You can refocus yourself and muster the motivation to get the job done.
Develop A Vision
Identify the challenging, inspiring goals you want your team to achieve. Define how you want people outside of your team (your customers, your peers outside of your team, the corporation as a whole), to perceive your team.
Get all team members involved in helping write this team vision. Formulate this team vision into a team mission statement. Then have your team’s mission statement professionally printed, and post it in the workplace for all to see.
Over Communicate
As a manager, make certain that your people know what is going on corporate wide, as well as all members know about the team, both success and failures. Let your fellow teammates know about new products, new customers, new business, partnership, etc.
Inform them of everything from changes in employee benefits to change in corporate mission or goals. The more knowledge employees have, the better they can identify with an organisation.
If you are going to make an error, tell them too much, rather than too little. Individuals can’t feel as though you are an important part of a team, if the team leader keeps them in the dark most of the time.
Be Approachable
As a manager, make certain that your people feel comfortable coming to you with problems. A breakdown in communication can be a death sentence to a team. Even the best leader can not correct a problem, he or she doesn’t know it exists.
Present yourself as a resource. You are there to help, to coordinate, to run interference for team members when necessary. You are a sounding board if someone needs to discuss an idea or a problem.
In addition, walk around, ask questions, and show interest and concern. Don’t sit in your office and wait for team members to come to you.
5 Workplace Hacks For Employee Motivation
1) Comfortable Atmosphere
First tip when you are starting a business is to have a really good environment that’s open, friendly and has good lighting for your employees. Natural lighting is the best for such environment. To have that open window creates a very warm feeling.
2) Flexible Schedules
Sometimes by having a more flexible work schedule, you are going to get more out of your employees because of them willing to put in extra hours at home or put in the extra hours at work. If managers will work with the employee, the employees would want to work with you.
3) Perks
I think perks are important for a workplace because you are providing employees rewards. You are rewarding their good behaviour and it’s motivating for them. If they get swags and they wear it around, it is free advertising for you and on top of that they just love it.
4) Company-Wide Events
Have a company event once a month where everyone goes out. You get outside of the office and get to know each other on a different level. It is extra special to spend company holidays with the people you spend all this time with. So it’s necessary to make them feel important.
5) Install A Micro Market
Many people love having a micro market at work. If any employee wants to stay late, he can just go and get dinner at the micro market or just to get a break for 5 minutes. Having a designated place for a micro market at your workplace is really beneficial for your employees because then they are not sitting at their desk the whole day.
It gives them a little break and at the same time they don’t have to drive somewhere and wait for their order, drive back, park their car and then come in. So having a micro market is quick, convenient and inviting.
