Kalyani managed a four-member team at work. She believed that employees should be self-starters and pushed her staff to be proactive. Her team looked up to her because of her positive attitude, constant acknowledgment of their work and constructive feedback.
This is an example of motivation in management. As a manager, it’s important to show your employees that their efforts are being recognized. There may be bumps in the road, but acknowledging your teammates’ hard work and intentions is the first step to creating an uplifting work environment.
The process of motivation in management stems from having faith in your employees’ abilities. If you believe they can do well, you’re more likely to guide them to success.
Read on to discover what is motivation and understand the process of motivation to become an effective manager.
What Is Motivation?
Motivation is what drives you to perform. To achieve your goals, you need to have the willingness to put your best foot forward. You may be motivated by internal factors such as interests, pleasure and happiness, or external factors such as success, money and rewards.
The management of an organization must recognize what motivates employees to achieve results. For instance, if an employee wants to excel in public speaking, they can be provided suitable opportunities that encourage them to learn and practice the skill.
A workplace doesn’t have to be all about work—creating synergy and building a learning environment are equally important. Understanding the process of motivation in management leads to lasting relationships that are built on trust, and not just a desire to earn more or be successful.
What Is The Process Of Motivation?
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”
Building people up isn’t the same as pushing them to work harder or smarter. It’s about being empathetic towards others’ feelings, interests and motivations. The process of motivation is successful when you prioritize empathy, trust and mutual respect.
Here are the steps of motivation in a professional setting:
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Understand Employee Motivation
Motivation isn’t one-sided. Just as employees are encouraged to work toward the goals of the organization, the management should also be encouraged to understand employee motivation. This mutually beneficial environment leads to effective results. Steps of motivation include getting a deeper understanding of what motivates us to perform. You can schedule meetings with your staff and ask them what they want to achieve to create an effective action plan.
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Create A Learning Environment
Say one of your team members wants to work on a project that requires the use of technical skill. The organization can support their aspirations by helping them build these skills. Providing a learning environment creates a sense of loyalty among employees and motivates them to exceed expectations. You can motivate employees to work as a team and use a combination of their skills to solve problems—after all, three heads are better than one.
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Discuss Personal And Organizational Goals
Goal-setting is another important aspect of motivation in management. You can discuss personal employee goals and work together to align them with organizational goals. This way, everyone will be on the same page. Goal-setting brings clarity about roles and responsibilities.
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Lead By Example
Practicing what you preach is by far the most visible form of motivation. For instance, if you want to motivate employees to be punctual, you can’t walk into work post-lunch. Leading by example means incorporating and practicing what you’re trying to teach. If others see you working hard to achieve results, they’ll be more inclined to follow. You’ll also find it easier to persuade your employees if you exhibit some of the qualities you’re trying to instill in them.
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Appreciate Your Team’s Effort
Teamwork is built on mutual appreciation and acknowledgment of each other’s work. Whether it’s for you or someone else in your team, remember that rewards and recognition go a long way. If you expect someone to keep working without credit, it may not turn out well. Motivating someone is about telling them that they’re capable of more than they believe. So, acknowledging their effort is a simple way to go about it.
These are a few of the many aspects of the process of motivation. You must remember that motivation requires teamwork, open communication and collaboration. Organizational goals require a collective effort.
Learn how to motivate your team and be an effective manager with Harappa’s Making Decisions course. Our decision-making course is designed with a focus on understanding different perspectives. As a manager, it’s important to consider multiple voices before making decisions, which you can do effectively by using the Good Decision Process. Aspire to boost morale with kind words and empathy and lead your team to success.
Explore topics such as How to Track Progress, What is an Action Plan & How to Make a Project Work Plan from Harappa Diaries and achieve your goals to lead on a path of success.