Motivation

Curt J. Howes
Organization Performance Strategies

Since the early 1900’s, organizations and behavioral scientists have studied how to improve the
productivity of employees. During the Industrial Era of the early 1900’s Frederick Taylor became
famous for his work on improving employee performance through time and motion studies. This
proved to increase worker efficiency, but it had the downside of lower motivation and morale.
Employees felt like machines required to leave their thinking and ideas outside the workplace.

Later on it was discovered, somewhat by accident, (Hawthorne studies) that increased management
attention to employees appeared to increase employee performance. This launched a revived era of
employee motivation through what was called human relations. Better communication and open
dialogue from managers accompanied by increased attention to the personal interests and needs of
employees were thought to improve motivation and performance. These social based approaches did
improve how employees felt about the workplace, but in the long run did little to sustain improved
performance.

Since that time, organizational research has confirmed several approaches that have a significant
positive impact on employee motivation and performance.

Goal Setting: Perhaps the most fundamental approach to improve employee motivation is by setting
goals and holding individuals accountable for those goals. Goals not only align employee behavior to
what is important for the organization, but also drive their energies to accomplish something that is
meaningful. Employees often feel their work is routine and not valued. Individual goals that are
aligned to the organization’s mission and strategies help reinforce the value of what an employee is
accomplishing.

Measurement and Feedback: This approach is very closely related to goal setting. With goals you can
track and measure performance. By measuring performance you can provide objective feedback.
Employees are motivated by performance feedback with the desire to do well. Most organizations do
not have effective performance measurement and feedback systems in place. There are e-human
performance tools now available that make it possible to manage an integrated approach to individual
goals and to provide timely and periodic performance assessment feedback.

Involvement: Involving employees in decisions that affect them not only increases their personal
commitment, but also motivates them to be advocates for their decisions. The positive effects of
involvement have been found to be particularly important when implementing change. Employees
involved in making decisions and planning the implementation of changes that affect them, implement
changes faster with higher performance than employees that are merely communicated to about the
change.

Culture: During the early 1990’s, the first research to correlate organization culture and performance
(Heskett and Kotter – Corporate Culture & Performance) found that organizations that developed
adaptive high performing cultures significantly outperformed other companies. The difference in
companies’ stock price performance over 15 years was a staggering 826% with a difference in net
income of 755% for those companies with adaptable high performing cultures. The key to developing
an adaptable high performing culture is for leaders to set the environment and to model the
appropriate behaviors. Further, personal experience from consulting projects with clients has proven
that by defining specific culture attributes and aligning leadership behaviors is a strong impetus for
change. The changes are sustainable when these behaviors are rewarded formally and informally.

Expectations: A simple, but often overlooked way to motivate employees is to communicate clear
expectations. Many employees are uncertain as to what is specifically expected of them.
Communicating expectations and then raising the standards for performance on a regular basis will
have a positive impact on employee performance.

Rewards and Recognition: Rewarding good performance motivates employees. Research on rewards
and recognition finds that positive reinforcement on a timely basis will motivate performance. Many
salary systems help retain employees, but do little to motivate performance on a daily basis.
Organizations that have incentive systems with a direct relationship between pay and performance can
use them to motivate their employees. Even low cost personal performance recognition tools have a
high impact on employee motivation. Frequent, but random reinforcements usually have the greatest
sustainable impact on motivation.

Job Design: “Employees desire to do a good job,” exclaimed the quality guru Dr. Edwards M.
Deming. When an employee delivers high quality work they feel internally motivated. Several factors
need to be designed into the work itself to motivate performance – challenge, autonomy, ownership,
accountability, flexibility and feedback. Another important factor is for employees to feel that they
make a difference. It is also important to have a strong fit between what an employee enjoys doing and
the work that they are doing.

Leadership: Leaders that develop and communicate a compelling vision of their organization can
make a profound impact on employee motivation. Most managers learn how to manage the logistical
aspects of work, but are weaker when it comes to building employee enthusiasm and excitement for
the organization’s mission and purpose. Managers, who take time to develop positive relationships
with their employees, communicate their vision and make the connection between what an employee
does and how it contributes to the greater whole will build higher employee motivation.

Much has been learned about what motivates human performance. In one sense, only employees can
motivate themselves. However, management can develop the environment to unleash employee
motivation by appealing to what employees’ value. Theoretically employees are motivated by the gap
between what they have and what they want. It is that tension or cognitive dissonance that motivates
behavior.

Frequently companies need to address the issues of de-motivation first. Poor supervision has been
found to be one of the biggest employee dissatisfiers. Many other factors can cause de-motivation
including unsupportive work environment, poor equipment, low pay or by being harassed.

For organizations to realize sustainable improvements in human motivation and performance a

systematic approach is required. This includes assessing organizational issues, understanding the
business, diagnosing employees’ needs and then developing an approach that provides a quantum leap
in employee motivation and performance. Basically people are motivated by what they value.
Key questions to creating a highly motivated workforce:
• Does the organization have a clear and compelling vision?
• Do employees know what their job responsibilities are, what they are accountable for and to
whom?
• Do leaders communicate and reinforce the right behaviors?
• Do teams cooperate, coordinate and have fun?
• Are organization and individual goals clear and aligned?
• Is performance measured and feedback provided?
• Is there opportunity for growth and development?

For additional information please contact Curt J. Howes at cjhowes@opstrategies.org or visit the
website for Organization Performance Strategies at www.opstrategies.org