MOTIVATION

Author: Rucha Datrange

Getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.

                                                                                                                 Dwight D Eisenhower

“What do employees want from work?”

The answer is not so simple. Motivation comes from within, from a person's own psyche, the innermost recesses of the soul, secret desires and deep-rooted needs which motivate, "push" us towards their satisfaction.  What a manager can do is create an environment in which employees can feel motivated.

"Why is employee motivation important?"

 In todays down economy, it's more important than ever to have a motivated workforce.                                                                                                      That's because a motivated employee is a productive employee. And a productive employee is a more profitable employee. When people aren't motivated, they become less productive, less creative, less of an asset to your company. Now more than ever, we need motivated employees!
Then, obviously, the answer to why is employee motivation important is simple:                                                                                            “So you can stay in business”.                                                                         With that in mind, here are some ways I think can get employees motivated, enthused, and ready to go conquer the world:

“Can employees really be motivated?”

ü  First, motivate yourself

ü  Understand what motivates your employees.

ü  Make your employees feel rewarded, recognized, and appreciated

ü  Vigorously manage your weak performers

ü  Allow your employees to express themselves

ü  Challenge your employees to greatness.

ü  Create a positive environment.

ü  Don't be afraid to have fun.

One of the most widely discussed theories of motivation is the “hierarchy of needs” by the American motivation psychologist Abraham H. Maslow.
This theory is a classical depiction of human motivation. It is based on the assumption that there is a hierarchy of five needs within each individual. The urgency of these needs varies.

Maslow’s hierarchy of need as shown above illustrates the five levels of human needs. The most basic are physiological and safety/security, shown at the base of the pyramid. As one moves to the higher level, the needs becomes more complex.  
In an organization managers must identify the need level at which the employee is existing and then those needs can be utilized as push for motivation.

The factors that motivate an individual keep changing as one climbs the ladder of age and maturity. And also, achievement of one goal sets the ball rolling for another one to be achieved. Thus, to be motivated is a constant need. There are times when one faces a period of de-motivation and everything seems bleak. It is then that the managers need to find what would motivate them back into action.
Today, the large multinational companies are taking stock of the problem and are doing all that they can to ensure that employees are happy and ever enthusiastic about their work. This is vital in order to get the maximum out of them and to keep employee burn out at bay. And ensuring this lies in the hands of the managers.

“So well the key to successfully operating any company is motivated and happy employees”