The Key Principles in Motivation

In this book, we will take you through the various aspects of motivating employees. There are ten key areas that if ignored will have a negative impact. If they are addressed, they will have a powerful and lasting impact on the team. A chapter has been dedicated to each of these areas as follows:

•   Chapter 1: The Importance of Motivation—As a manager, it is essential that you buy into and accept that motivation is not a soft skill and is necessary for the success of any business.

•   Chapter 2: Hiring and Keeping Motivated People—As a manager, the environment is only as good as the quality of the people you hire. Great leaders use care and selectivity in hiring employees, and then when they are hired, make sure the stage is set for their growth.

•   Chapter 3: Motivating Employees to Achieve the Organization’s Goals—When employees know the goals of the organization and how they fit into the big picture, they are typically motivated to help drive those goals forward. Unfortunately in many organizations, the employees don’t know the goals of the company or the department.

•   Chapter 4: The Importance of Enthusiasm for Motivation—The comic strip Dilbert has certainly had fun with the lack of enthusiasm in the work place and has put the blame justifiably on leadership. It is up to the manager to build an environment where enthusiasm is fostered.

•   Chapter 5: Performance Development as a Motivating Tool—One of the ways a manager can create a motivating environment for an employee is to set expectations and provide opportunities for growth. Many managers don’t think about or plan for an employee’s development, which is key to motivation.

•   Chapter 6: Coaching to Motivate—Employees are motivated by being directed and knowing where they are headed both in the short and long term. This is a skill that is essential for keeping employees fired up and retaining them as employees.

•   Chapter 7: What Really Motivates People?—This seems to be a mystery to many managers, but it really isn’t all that mysterious. Once the knowledge of what motivates people is gained and turned into tangible action, the manager will have a team that is unstoppable.

•   Chapter 8: Motivating with Rewards and Recognition— Most people long for their company and more importantly their managers to recognize and reward their efforts. Many managers say they are too busy to reward and recognize the employees.

•   Chapter 9: The Importance of Balance in a Well-Motivated Workforce—The importance of balance is being discussed endlessly in the business press yet seems to be a problem that is getting worse not better. The leader of a team needs to be aware of the issue and use techniques to help relieve pressure.

•   Chapter 10: Putting It All Together—If managers want to see a difference in the work place and employees who are more motivated, then all the concepts have to be put into action. This means a commitment to execution of action plans for each area. There are several tools and worksheets to assist with that throughout the book. Avoid the temptation to skip over them. They will help identify areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Make a decision today that no matter where you are as a manager, you are going to commit to making the work place better for you and your team. As Dale Carnegie once said, “There is only one way to get anybody to do anything, and that is by making the other person want to do it.”