Motivation’s What You Need

THOSE of a certain age will remember the late Roy Castle’s favourite phrase ‘dedication’s what you need’.

Well, in business, in terms of getting people to move in the direction you want them to go, for dedication, read motivation.

Providing opportunities for learning and development and reward systems in an organisation is key to allow individuals and team members to give of their best.

To do this companies must appreciate the process of motivation, the different types, concepts, theory and approaches that make the difference, while there is a role for non-financial as well as financial considerations.

Remember people will be motivated to do something if they think it is worth their while. A goal needs to be established to attain an unsatisfied need, so to achieve this management and managers need to motivate by offering incentives and reward for achievement and effort.

Of course, individuals and the goals associated with them vary, so it is difficult to precisely predict how a particular incentive will impact on individuals’ behaviour.

Intrinsic – self-generated motivation – and extrinsic – generated by others such as management are common types of motivation. While the latter has an immediate impact although may not last long, the former can serve long-term as people who can buoy themselves have characteristics which are inherent in them and not imposed on individuals from the outside.

So, create the right climate, allowing motivation to flourish, then set goals, ask for feedback and make sure the expectations of an individual to meet the standard, and therefore gain the reward, are managed well.

Design jobs which enable people to feel a sense of accomplishment, provide financial and non-financial incentives, communicate and give people guidance and training, showing staff what they need to do to develop their careers.

And actually, yes, that requires dedication too!