So What Motivates An Employee?
In most cases this question is best if posed to the employee himself or herself. However there are a few tried and true standards that form a foundation to employee motivation.

According to Bob Nelson in his article, The Ten Ironies of Motivation, “People want to feel they are making a contribution at work, and for most individuals this is a function of having the respect of peers and colleagues, having managers who tell them when they do a good job, and being involved and informed about what’s going on in their department or organization.” Despite this fact, managers don’t jump at the opportunity to recognize their employees. Managers believe that recognition is a number one motivator, but many don’t consider it to be part of their job. 

Create the Environment for Motivation: The key to motivating others is to create an environment that is conducive to motivation. Find out what motivates each employee – keeping in mind that every employee will have different trigger points.

Alignment and Training: Employees want to be recognized for their performance, and they do their best when they know what is expected.  Consistent alignment must exist between the company values, goals, strategies and the performance standard set for each employee.

Copyright Crystal D 2006. All Rights Reserved