Motivational methods

Motivational Methods LS HCS/325 4/15/2013 Sharon Sauls Motivational Methods Many organizations throughout the nation have resorted to downsizing and it is becoming more common. As a manager, having the strength to motivate your staff even when your business has hit its darkest hour can be daunting. Some organizations have downsized departments, as others have to cease operations completely. Everything from fortune 500 to ambulances companies are making adjustments to adapt to fiscal changes. Downsizing is a big part of a broader workforce strategy, designed to closely align with the overall strategy of the business. Layoffs become a tool in a business portfolio as an alternative to improve the firm’s performance. Management may view this as an opportunity to enhance the organization’s medium- and long-term agility through well-planned and targeted coaching, change and career-management interventions (Employee Policy Research Network, 2013). In downsizing a company, one needs to motivate your staff. Motivation is used in management to describe forces within individuals that account for the level, direction, and persistence of effort they expend at work. Simply put, a highly motivated person works hard at a job; an unmotivated person does not (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, & Kraver, 2007). Motivational methods are what can make a difference with your employees. In downsizing, companies often fail to see the big picture, which is when you downsize even for the right reasons it comes at a cost. Missed opportunities such as: * Loss business due to fewer staff * Reduced productivity when high performers of the organization leave as morale decreases Layoffs at high-involvement workplaces such as fortune 500 companies, the management strategies that give employees the skills, information, and motivation to be competitive, can be markedly more detrimental than layoffs at an average company. Overall, the significant and direct costs associated with employment downsizing may wipe out the direct savings in labor costs. In light of the serious short- and long-term consequences that typically accompany employment downsizing, it would benefit senior executives to consider carefully the strategic impact of such a strategy (Employee Policy Research Network, 2013). Some downsizing strategies that will not affect moral are: * Attrition * Voluntary termination * Early-retirement incentives By using some of these downsizing strategies, you can eliminate employees that want to go as oppose to ones that do not. As a manager, it is important to not use the same motivational techniques repeatedly on the same person. Always using different methods, every time is more of a motivational challenge than using the same ones. A manager should get to know its employees, and figure out which employees like what, and what is the position the employee is in first off before a manager starts using methods on employees (Dobelstien, 2012). The three motivational methods that would work well is setting a good example and recognizing the hard work the staff does by giving them praise. The second is to be a respectful manager, and the last is to invest in your employees. The first motivational method is to always lead by example. A great leader is one who knows that they have to show their employees how to act at all times. In addition, an inspirational leader is one who recognizes that they do not succeed without hard working employees and to tell them at all times. Everyone wants praise, and it is one of the easiest things to give. Praise from a manager goes a lot farther than one might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. As a manager, it takes time to become comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee. Once you do try praising them in front of others (INC, 2013). The second motivational method is to be a respectful manager. Managers, who yell, swear, and treat employees badly will breed bad morale in a company and will never have the respect of their staff. Managers need to be aware of their own actions, and make sure they exemplify professionalism and respect (Chron, 2010). When you act in a positive manner, it is much easier for your employees to follow your lead. Help them feel that you respect them, and motivate them to respect you, themselves, and their fellow employees. The last method is to invest in your employees. Special training sessions off and on site, taking the group out to lunch occasionally, and providing the tools and equipment needed to do the job, shows employees how important they are to the company. When you show employees you value them, it can create a positive attitude–, and a positive attitude is one that can easily spread (Chron, 2010). The motivational methods that have been applied to this situation are backed by theories and methods they are reinforcement theory, and core characteristics model. The reinforcement theory explains human behavior because of one’s environment. Instead of looking within the individual to explain motivation and behavior, reinforcement theory focuses on the external environment and the consequences it holds for individuals (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, & Kraver, 2007). There are different types of reinforcements that managers use. There is positive, negative, punishment, and extinction. Among the reinforcement strategies, positive reinforcement deserves special attention. Positive reinforcement can be a valuable motivational tool. Managers can mobilize the power of positive reinforcement through the process of shaping, which is the creation of a new behavior by the positive reinforcement of successive approximations to it. One way to succeed with a shaping strategy is to give reinforcement on a continuous basis until the desired behavior is achieved. Then use an intermittent schedule to maintain the behavior at the new level. As a reinforcement strategy, punishment attempts to eliminate undesirable behavior by making an unpleasant consequence contingent with its occurrence a manager may administer an unpleasant outcome, such as a verbal reprimand or pay reduction (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, & Kraver, 2007). Like positive reinforcement, punishment can be done poorly or it can be done well. In today’s workforce, the way managers tend to punish is often done poorly. Job rotation, enlargement, and enrichment may not be adequate tools for designing truly satisfying jobs in today’s demanding health care workplace. The Core characteristics model offers a way for health care managers to create jobs, enriched or otherwise, that best fit the needs of people and organization through skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback from the job itself. A job that is high in the core characteristics is considered enriched; the lower a job scores on the core characteristics, the less enriched it is. People who respond most favorably to enriched jobs have strong higher-order needs and appropriate job knowledge and skills (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, & Kraver, 2007). By understanding what motivates people, health care managers can appreciate where team members are coming from; they can also better direct the energies of team members to achieve truly great things for their organizations (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, & Kraver, 2007). The leadership that it takes to set a good example is one that only a true leader can do. How can you earn the respect of your employees when you have a “ do what I say, not what I do “ attitude. In regards to praising and investing in your employees, it is the controlling side. Managers have the complete control when it comes to that. It is solely up to that individual on how they praise and invest in their staff (INC, 2013). The better you treat your employees, the harder they will work for you. A manager is only as good as the employees who stand behind him or her. Health care managers who lead teams and staff through motivation create conditions under which other people feel continually inspired to work hard and perform to the best of their abilities (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, & Kraver, 2007). When it comes to downsizing an organization, there is a right and wrong way to do it. The motivation it takes to lead your employees through a rough patch is what makes a great leader. There are several motivational methods that manager’s use in today’s society to motivate their staff. It is always best to utilize the tools that best fit your leadership style and your organization. References Chron. (2010, August 22). Methods in Increase Morale in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www. smallbussiness. chron. com Dobelstien, J. (2012). Motivational Methods. Retrieved from http://www. termpaperwarehouse. com Employee Policy Research Network. (2013, April 3). If, You Must Downsize Do It Right. Retrieved from http://www. employmentploicy. org INC. (2013). 9 Things That Motivate Employees More Than Money. Retrieved from http://www. inc. com Lombardi, D., Schermerhorn, J., & Kraver, B. (2007). Health care management: Tools and techniques for managing in a health care environment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.