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If you are energetic, enthusiastic, positive, and assertive, your employees will pick up your style. If you practice self-motivation, it will be that much easier to motivate your employees.

This is not all it takes, however. A motivational manager also learns how to read his or her employees. The manager watches body language, evaluates behavior, and assesses performance. The manager gets to know what individual employees want and need. The manager understands each employee’s motivators.

The motivational manager tends to be one step ahead of employees, anticipating what they might be feeling at any given time. The manager is sensitive, compassionate, and understanding. He or she can be demanding but does this without being harsh, abrupt, or authoritarian.

The motivational manager knows how to have fun with the staff. He or she may throw an occasional party, take everyone out to lunch, or hold some other surprise event. The manager recognizes employees who accomplish something by praising them publicly. If criticism of a certain behavior or performance is required, the motivational manager takes the employee aside and handles it in private.

The motivational manager rewards employees individually when appropriate, and as a group when warranted. Rewards may conform to company policy but are distributed equitably. An employee’s loyalty, dedication, and hard work do not go unnoticed.

The motivational manager is also a motivational leader, one who instills confidence in employees and inspires them to succeed. Many employees will want to emulate a manager who has spirit and determination.

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The BIG Picture

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PUSHING THE RIGHT BUTTONS

Managers who know how to motivate their employees may not be trained psychologists, but they know a lot about human behavior.

Motivational managers recognize that each employee has a different motivational need. One employee might crave public recognition, while another responds to one-on-one encouragement. Motivational managers find out which buttons to push by observing their employees’ personalities and learning what their goals are.

Most employees’ buttons fall into a few basic categories, such as the desire for recognition, rewards, and the opportunity for advancement. By matching an employee to a category, and applying rewards already in place within an organization, a manager can create a powerful motivational experience for an employee.

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Being a motivational manager is not necessarily easy, but it creates the most dedicated, loyal workforce an organization can have.

BELIEVING IN OTHERS

Because employees’ enthusiasm for their job typically wanes over time, managers must start the working relationship off with a bang, providing positive motivation from the get-go.

With new employees, a manager can immediately establish a motivational workplace by exhibiting personal enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Just as important, the manager must show that he or she trusts each employee.

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“The task of management is to make people capable of joint performance, to make their strengths effective and their weaknesses irrelevant.”

—Peter Drucker

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Trust cannot occur without respect. The manager who respects every employee has an expectation that the employee will do the job well. The manager delegates work with confidence and does not micro-manage or meddle. The manager offers assistance when necessary but generally allows the employee the leeway and responsibility to get the work done.

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Dos & Don’ts

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HOW TO STAY MOTIVATIONAL

Being the kind of manager who constantly motivates employees to work diligently and effectively is a matter of using certain good management techniques.

Do exude energy and enthusiasm.

Do practice self-motivation—it will be that much easier to motivate employees.

Do anticipate what employees want and need.

Don’t be afraid to be demanding.

Do respect your employees.

Do recognize and reward employee loyalty, dedication, and hard work.

Do create motivational events to keep