How to Motivate Employees?

Motivation and incentives are at the core of performance management. Without motivation, employees lack the drive to perform well, making all feedback and training efforts futile.

The Respect from Leaders is Correlated with Employee Motivation

Offensive behavior can directly undermine employee motivation and performance, so managers need to curb such behavior by:

1. Leading by example.
2. Upholding employees' dignity. Public praise, private criticism.
3. Hiring respectful employees and not tolerating bad behavior. Address feedback issues promptly.

Incentives Primarily Come from Two Aspects: Extrinsic and Intrinsic

1. Extrinsic rewards—money (promotions, raises, bonuses)

   1. These rewards do not necessarily enhance employee performance.
   2. Their effects are usually short-lived.
   3. It is often difficult to distinguish individual contributions within a team, and what constitutes an appropriate reward varies for everyone. In fact, most employees' primary concern is fairness; when providing monetary rewards, it is crucial to ensure fairness and consistency.

2. Intrinsic rewards—satisfaction (a sense of achievement, control, appreciation, intellectual growth, skill enhancement, autonomy, and overcoming challenges)

   1. It is essential to note that these rewards should be tailored to the individual.

How to Provide Intrinsic Rewards?

1. Recognize their work. "The key to recognition is making people feel unique." If everyone receives the same recognition, no one will feel special.

   1. Different individuals value recognition sources differently. From colleagues? Publicly praise them in front of peers. From clients? Share a thank-you note from a client. From the profession? Award professional accolades. From the boss? Describe their importance to the team vividly during one-on-ones.
   2. Tailor recognition to personality. Introverted or extroverted? Public or private? If unsure, ask them directly.
   3. Recognition frequency should be high, at least once every two weeks.
   4. Handwritten notes are low-cost but highly effective rewards.

2. Provide decision-making authority.

   1. People enjoy having a sense of ownership and control.

3. Offer challenges.

   1. The greater the challenge, the higher the sense of achievement upon completion.
   2. Provide opportunities to undertake tasks they haven't done before, helping them develop new skills. Note that they should have relevant talents and skills, rather than starting from scratch.