Only 32% of employees in the U.S. are engaged, according to Gallup Daily tracking, and in the 15 years since Gallup started tracking the metric, it’s barely budged. So despite the general awareness that people are disengaged, companies don’t seem to be doing much to help the situation.
Unfortunately as a new supervisor, you can almost expect to take over a team of people who are unmotivated and disengaged from their work.
While that idea may be disconcerting enough, get a load of this: No quick fixes exist that will turn an unmotivated workforce into a motivated one. You can’t wave a magic wand and change the attitudes or the drive of the people who work for you. You can’t offer a temporary morale booster, such as a lavish party or trendy perk, and expect employees to stay motivated. Quite the contrary, take a look at these myths concerning employee motivation:
- MYTH #1: Money is the No. 1 motivator for everyone. In various polls and surveys, employees rate factors such as praise, recognition for hard work, respect from management, challenging work opportunities and a comfortable, stress-free environment higher on their lists of motivating factors than money. You can’t just throw money at employees and expect them to become fully engaged in their work.
- MYTH #2: You must hide bad news to keep people motivated. You can’t keep your employees in the dark if your organization is experiencing a rough patch. Chances are someone will catch wind of the troubles and activate the rumor mill, and false information or lack of details may cause panic and worry to set in. Be open and honest as often as you can, sharing as much information as you have the authority to share.
- MYTH #3: Employees are motivated when they know their jobs well. While being adept and knowledgeable in their positions builds their confidence and allows them to feel comfortable and secure, employees need to be challenged or they become bored and indifferent about their work. You must give them something to stay excited about.
- MYTH #4: Some people can’t be motivated. That is a cop-out many supervisors use to take accountability away from themselves. The truth is that everyone can be motivated, and it is the leader’s job—your job—to find out how to motivate employees and to follow through.
- MYTH #5: You don’t have to tell staffers when they’ve done a good job. Most employees—especially your top performers—do know when they’ve exceeded expectations. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t want, and need, to be recognized for their efforts. If you want the good work to continue, you must praise them when they deserve it.
While the whole thing can be … well … demotivating to you, don’t look at it that way. As the leader, you play a critical role in engaging your employees and getting them excited about their work. It starts with your leadership. Be an outstanding leader and you’ll give your people what they need to stay motivated and to excel on the job. The fact that you are here, reading this blog, shows how much you care about being the best leader you can be.
Don’t stop here, though. Download the “7 Things You Need to Be Doing NOW to Ensure Your Success” free special report.
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