http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982075.htm
This is an article from BusinessWeek Magazine that I thought was interesting. It talks about the motivation techniques used by the steel company Nucor. Nucor uses strategies that most in the industry consider to be risky. They have made headlines before when they changed how their pay scale works. Nucor adheres to the philosphy that you should treat your employees like owners of the company and through this model they have achieved a great deal of success. The article talks more in detail about the different strategies that Nucor has used in the decades that it has been in business. Read the article, it's one of the best that I have found on motivation.
Michael Ziegler
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Communication
In my work experiences there have been plenty of factors that motivated me. Obviously money is a big motivator, especially for a college kid. Another big one for me was always communication. For me this means communicating with managers, other employees, and customers. When working it is imperative for my manager to communicate with me and give me clear direction. When the manager or person in charge takes the time to tell me how to do something it motivates me to want to perform the task as close to his/her instructions as I can. Also the manager needs to tell me when I am doing well or when I am doing bad. If the manager takes the time to tell me that I am doing a good job, it will motivate me to continue to perform at a high level. Then there is the other end of the spectrum, where I am performing poorly and the manager takes the time to tell me I am performing below standards. This will motivate me to perform better so I do not get fired and because frankly it is embarrassing to be told your doing bad. Communicating with other employees is very important as well. The other employees can tell you when your not doing something right or wrong which has obvious motivation factors. The same goes for the customers, in my case I work at a bar so customer feedback is a huge motivator. If I do well my tip will be higher which motivates me to continue working hard. If the tip is low I know that I did not perform well so I need to step up my game. So overall communication is a very important part of my job. Managers need to communicate with all employees in a way to get them motivated and keep them motivated.
Posted By: Jacob Cyscon
Posted By: Jacob Cyscon
Microsoft Motivates
Microsoft is one of the largest and most profitable companies and it is this way for a reason. Microsoft adheres to 4 basic principles to keep their thousands of employees motivated from the bottom all the way to the top. The first of these principles is they establish an "Action Plan". The Action Plan consists of setting goals for employees that they need to strive to achieve and also reward these employees once they reach their goals. By doing this they demonstrate both internal and external motivation for the employees which we learned about in class. The second principle that Microsoft follows is to have their rewards be creative. Monetary rewards are nice but they don't motivate everyone. This is why it is important to find what motivates your employees. Also it is important that you decide what the reward is beforehand so that you never miss an opportunity to encourage good work. Third on the list, is to give rewards that show that you (the manager) had a direct hand in it. For this Microsoft tries to make sure that managers give their own "personal touches" to the rewards. By doing this Microsoft both allows more creativity from the managers as well as making the employees believe that they are being cared for on an individual level. The last principle states, that group rewards can be beneficial as well. Awarding a group for a good performance can be one way that the company shows that group work is just as beneficial to the company as individual work can be.
Michael Ziegler
Michael Ziegler
Engaging Employees
Obviously there are many studies on motivation, and one obvious way is money. The way this article looks at it is a bit different. Yes money is important, but its not that people are motivated by constantly increasing their pay. This article says that people just want to get paid for how worthy they view themselves. The article also says at first having an excess amount of money is a great thing, but eventually it becomes a norm and is not going to continually motivate people.
The article points out a 5-point plan for motivation: consult your staff, pay people enough, praise them, create a champions network, and think sustainability. The one that seems the most relevant in my eyes is consulting your staff. This is important because as a manger everyone looks up to you as the leader. Consulting people and keeping them involved will give the employees a greater self worth. If people feel worthy they will most likely stay motivated and perform at a high level. Paying people enough is also important because you want people to know they are being rewarded for their work. At the same time you do not want to over reward people to the point where money becomes and obsolete motivator. Obviously praising your staff is important so they continually feel good about working for you. Having a network within work can be important as well. If people talk about how good one person is doing, this may motivate other people to work harder.
Posted By: Jacob Cyscon
The article points out a 5-point plan for motivation: consult your staff, pay people enough, praise them, create a champions network, and think sustainability. The one that seems the most relevant in my eyes is consulting your staff. This is important because as a manger everyone looks up to you as the leader. Consulting people and keeping them involved will give the employees a greater self worth. If people feel worthy they will most likely stay motivated and perform at a high level. Paying people enough is also important because you want people to know they are being rewarded for their work. At the same time you do not want to over reward people to the point where money becomes and obsolete motivator. Obviously praising your staff is important so they continually feel good about working for you. Having a network within work can be important as well. If people talk about how good one person is doing, this may motivate other people to work harder.
Posted By: Jacob Cyscon
Keep Employees Incentivized, Align Pay With Performance From The Bottom Up
Keep Employees Incentivized, Align Pay With Performance From Bottum Up
In this article that I read, providing incentives to employees such as pay or stock programs can boost motivation, retention of employees, and having competitors a lower chance of recruiting a company’s employees. Due to the fact that employees pay is very less than executives and CEO’s, companies have offered employees equity based compensation arrangements, which can boost employee motivation so that they work harder to earn more and if they work less they earn less. I feel that this concept is true due to the fact if working a commission job, I would work harder and put in longer hours knowing the benefits of that would increase my paycheck, or at least hope. The article also talks about linking employee compensation to the overall performance of the company kind of a like a bonus for all the team members. I feel that this would be a strong motivator for employees because that potential bonus will constantly be in the back of their minds for them to perform better. Also, employee stock purchase programs are great because the employees can purchase the stock usually at a lower price and the harder they work, chances are the price of the stock would go up. This means the employee gets more money in the long run by having that stock. In general, I do feel incentive programs to boost motivation for employees as long as the employee himself sees that the incentive is attainable and not just there to fool them.
-David Harbeck
-David Harbeck
Employee Motivation You Can't Buy
Employee Motivation You Can't Buy
-David Harbeck
In the article I read, the author takes looking at how to motivate employees in the working environment from an American general, Dwight Eisenhower. He was a great leader and had to motivate his soldiers without increase in salary and he did this with two key qualities, concern and honesty. Concern for employees is a key quality for every manager that is in charge of any size team of employees. I feel that this is true because I would want my managers to have concern for my safety in the working environment, making sure everyone is on task by being productive, and also that everyone is treated fairly. After all, it does feel good knowing your manager or boss does actually care about your well being. When I was a supervisor and the manager on duty, I took into consideration how all the employees were feeling. If I noticed one of them to be very sick, I would go up to them, speak to them about their health, and send them home because I rather have them come back the rest of the week in full health to perform at their absolute best. As for honesty, it’s a pretty straight forward concept to understand. Never lie to your employees about benefits, raises, promotions, or other opportunities that could excite them and then not follow through with them. If someone does lie, this can demotivate an employee and have them perform at a lower level or even start looking for a new job. Employees want their bosses to “have their back” as the article states. This means even taking blame for the outcome of a team’s job if it has a negative effect. Overall, I do feel that these two qualities can keep your employees happy without a pay raise or other incentives that cost money for a company. After all when I felt these qualities from my previous managers, it really made me appreciate my job better and to work harder.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A simple gesture can go a long way
A Simple Thank You
This is more of a story, but has a lot to do with motivating employees and noticing the little things. The story talsk about a bus driver who drives the elderly around town to various places. One day it was pouring and the employee didn't get out of his truck to help the elder man. Instead, five strangers helped the man on to the bus. This first hit me as the driver being an inconsiderate person, but reading more into the article a clear concept emerged. It said "When you interact with someone, you're playing a role in her story. And whatever you do, or whatever she does, or whatever you want her to do, needs to fit into that story in some satisfying way" (1). This became a key concept to me because people want to feel a sense of accomplishment and it is our jobs to make sure we give that person the accomplishment that they want. Simply acknowledging it can go a long way and make the employee that much more motivated. By not noticing people's work can cause a negative behavior and also more stress. A good way of putting this would be the GAS model. First the alarm phase states that something needs to get done. Then the resistance phase where fats and sugars find a way to adjust to the demands of the work. Then the exhaustion phase talks about fats and sugars are depleted causing the individual to weaken. This is the type of resistance that can occur if employees feel they are not getting the recognition they deserve. Without any recognition employees may simply go about their day and not really care about their role in the company. These stressors that can cause a person to not want to work is something that should be addressed in a company quickly because otherwise an employee may bring negative publicity towards a company. Do you think that by simply acknowledging someone will motivate employees?
-Brian Cullum
This is more of a story, but has a lot to do with motivating employees and noticing the little things. The story talsk about a bus driver who drives the elderly around town to various places. One day it was pouring and the employee didn't get out of his truck to help the elder man. Instead, five strangers helped the man on to the bus. This first hit me as the driver being an inconsiderate person, but reading more into the article a clear concept emerged. It said "When you interact with someone, you're playing a role in her story. And whatever you do, or whatever she does, or whatever you want her to do, needs to fit into that story in some satisfying way" (1). This became a key concept to me because people want to feel a sense of accomplishment and it is our jobs to make sure we give that person the accomplishment that they want. Simply acknowledging it can go a long way and make the employee that much more motivated. By not noticing people's work can cause a negative behavior and also more stress. A good way of putting this would be the GAS model. First the alarm phase states that something needs to get done. Then the resistance phase where fats and sugars find a way to adjust to the demands of the work. Then the exhaustion phase talks about fats and sugars are depleted causing the individual to weaken. This is the type of resistance that can occur if employees feel they are not getting the recognition they deserve. Without any recognition employees may simply go about their day and not really care about their role in the company. These stressors that can cause a person to not want to work is something that should be addressed in a company quickly because otherwise an employee may bring negative publicity towards a company. Do you think that by simply acknowledging someone will motivate employees?
-Brian Cullum
Best Ways to Motivate Employees
The Best Ways to Motivate People
Since the economy has not been at its best within the past five years managers have had to find ways, aside from money, to motivate their employees. Although it is proven that employee motivation and morale has declined in a majority of companies, employers will be able to get all of that, and more, back by simply using a few motivation tactics on their employees. If a company is unable to motivate their employees with money, managers need to start taking the time to directly praise employees, make an effort to have one-on-one conversations while also doling out more responsibility. If employees are given positive reinforcements, whether it involves money or not, they will be motivated to continue doing a good job at work.
Although the economy is showing signs of improvement employers need to continue using other ways to motivate employees outside of money. When an employee is happy at work and with their accomplishments in the workplace, they will continue to perform to the highest of their ability. Employees need to know from their managers that they are doing a good job and that their efforts are appreciated. If managers take the extra time to recognize the successes of their subordinates, performance will improve without an increase in expense.
Would you be more motivated by praise and responsibility or money?
Posted By:
Lesley Pfeifer
Since the economy has not been at its best within the past five years managers have had to find ways, aside from money, to motivate their employees. Although it is proven that employee motivation and morale has declined in a majority of companies, employers will be able to get all of that, and more, back by simply using a few motivation tactics on their employees. If a company is unable to motivate their employees with money, managers need to start taking the time to directly praise employees, make an effort to have one-on-one conversations while also doling out more responsibility. If employees are given positive reinforcements, whether it involves money or not, they will be motivated to continue doing a good job at work.
Although the economy is showing signs of improvement employers need to continue using other ways to motivate employees outside of money. When an employee is happy at work and with their accomplishments in the workplace, they will continue to perform to the highest of their ability. Employees need to know from their managers that they are doing a good job and that their efforts are appreciated. If managers take the extra time to recognize the successes of their subordinates, performance will improve without an increase in expense.
Would you be more motivated by praise and responsibility or money?
Posted By:
Lesley Pfeifer
Is Praise motivating or counterproductive?
Is Praising Employees Counterproductive
According to "Is Praising Employees Counterproductive" by Liz Ryan, it is important for managers to celebrate their employee’s successes but it is possible for that same praise to go too far. The point of this article is not to say that managers and leaders should not let their employees know when they're doing a good job, but it does reveal that managers should tread softly in this area. In order for employees to stay motivated and understand that what they are doing is successful, managers should congratulate their successes; positive reinforcement has proved to be a motivator. But while an employer needs to keep that in mind, he/she should also combine it with constructive criticism in order for employees to keep improving and reach their true potential.
When managers are handing out praise, it is important for them to be clear that a compliment does not necessarily mean a raise, that the employee can now slack off, or that improvements and further developments are no longer necessary. If praise and compliments are given in the right way, employees will not only feel good about their accomplishments up to that point but will be motivated to keep improving and reach their true potential.
Posted By:
Lesley Pfeifer
According to "Is Praising Employees Counterproductive" by Liz Ryan, it is important for managers to celebrate their employee’s successes but it is possible for that same praise to go too far. The point of this article is not to say that managers and leaders should not let their employees know when they're doing a good job, but it does reveal that managers should tread softly in this area. In order for employees to stay motivated and understand that what they are doing is successful, managers should congratulate their successes; positive reinforcement has proved to be a motivator. But while an employer needs to keep that in mind, he/she should also combine it with constructive criticism in order for employees to keep improving and reach their true potential.
When managers are handing out praise, it is important for them to be clear that a compliment does not necessarily mean a raise, that the employee can now slack off, or that improvements and further developments are no longer necessary. If praise and compliments are given in the right way, employees will not only feel good about their accomplishments up to that point but will be motivated to keep improving and reach their true potential.
Posted By:
Lesley Pfeifer
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Money isn't always the answer
Money isn't everything
I recently came across an article that stated that money doesn't have to be the only incentive for employees. At first, I thought that was kind of crazy because money is usually the biggest incentives that will motivate employees more then any other option. Although, after reading the article I realized that there are more then just money incentives that can motive employees to do work. One that stuck out to me talked about how employees should develop goals and challenges that they should try to accomplish. This would be comparable to the SMART goals that we have talked about in class. you don't want to just make any goal, you want to be able and make one that is realistic and very specific. Anybody can just make up a goal they hope to accomplish, but there needs to be some thought put into it. For example, saying something like "I want to generate 10,000 dollars in sales within the next three months" could be something doable for a sales person. I think that is something that is worth doing because it narrows down your personal goals to something very specific and most importantly something that is attainable. I also believe that autonomy plays a major role in non-money based incentives. They are able to freely decide how they want to do their tasks regarding their job. I think that by giving employees more chances to have a say in their jobs will motivate them to work harder because it gives them the chance to do their job the way they want. Do you think that non money based incentives are just as good as money based incentives? What has worked better for you?
-Brian Cullum
I recently came across an article that stated that money doesn't have to be the only incentive for employees. At first, I thought that was kind of crazy because money is usually the biggest incentives that will motivate employees more then any other option. Although, after reading the article I realized that there are more then just money incentives that can motive employees to do work. One that stuck out to me talked about how employees should develop goals and challenges that they should try to accomplish. This would be comparable to the SMART goals that we have talked about in class. you don't want to just make any goal, you want to be able and make one that is realistic and very specific. Anybody can just make up a goal they hope to accomplish, but there needs to be some thought put into it. For example, saying something like "I want to generate 10,000 dollars in sales within the next three months" could be something doable for a sales person. I think that is something that is worth doing because it narrows down your personal goals to something very specific and most importantly something that is attainable. I also believe that autonomy plays a major role in non-money based incentives. They are able to freely decide how they want to do their tasks regarding their job. I think that by giving employees more chances to have a say in their jobs will motivate them to work harder because it gives them the chance to do their job the way they want. Do you think that non money based incentives are just as good as money based incentives? What has worked better for you?
-Brian Cullum
5 simple ways to improve motivation
5 simple tips to succeed in the workplace
I came across this article that gave a few simple tips to keep motivation in the workplace. While it doesn't contain nearly as much information as previous articles; it does get to the point and discuss exactly what is needed to motivate the workplace. Two of the steps that are discussed in the article are also discussed in great detail in chapter 6. Incentives are one of the biggest motivation techniques for employees. Piece rate incentives are one kind, where payment to employees is made on the basis of their individual output. Which mean the more work that you put into your job the better incentive that you will receive. Bonuses are a one time reward that follows specific accomplishments of employees. And merit pay is where a pay raise is based on past performance. I believe that these are the best incentives to give to employees because money is a big factor in how much work people are willing to get done. I think that pay says a lot about how much an employee is willing to work. Also communication is a big factor in the workplace because a good line of communication can increase the value of the job in the eyes of the employee. Communication can greatly reduce the stress of an employee because communication gives direct detail about how to do the job. I believe that communication and paid based incentives are the two biggest factors that will motivate workers to get their work done. What do you think? Are there any other incentives that would motivate you to work harder?
-Brian Cullum
I came across this article that gave a few simple tips to keep motivation in the workplace. While it doesn't contain nearly as much information as previous articles; it does get to the point and discuss exactly what is needed to motivate the workplace. Two of the steps that are discussed in the article are also discussed in great detail in chapter 6. Incentives are one of the biggest motivation techniques for employees. Piece rate incentives are one kind, where payment to employees is made on the basis of their individual output. Which mean the more work that you put into your job the better incentive that you will receive. Bonuses are a one time reward that follows specific accomplishments of employees. And merit pay is where a pay raise is based on past performance. I believe that these are the best incentives to give to employees because money is a big factor in how much work people are willing to get done. I think that pay says a lot about how much an employee is willing to work. Also communication is a big factor in the workplace because a good line of communication can increase the value of the job in the eyes of the employee. Communication can greatly reduce the stress of an employee because communication gives direct detail about how to do the job. I believe that communication and paid based incentives are the two biggest factors that will motivate workers to get their work done. What do you think? Are there any other incentives that would motivate you to work harder?
-Brian Cullum
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