The Individual – How can you modify your managerial/leadership approach to employee motivation?
Each of us is a complex bundle of wants and needs when it comes to motivation.
To give you every opportunity of meeting these wants and needs you have to modify your managerial approach in three particular areas:
- Challenge: Unless you offer your team members a challenge they will never attain their true potential. By setting targets that will stretch them but are achievable, individuals will feel stimulated and involved in the team performance. This can be the further enhanced by asking them to develop special skills.
- Praise: It is not uncommon for someone receiving praise to reject with “I’m only doing my job’. The end result of this is that, as managers, we only give praise when and where we feel it is deserved and do not take into account the feelings of the individual who feels he requires some recognition for his efforts. Giving acceptance and appreciation for effort, stops people wasting their enthusiasm. You may know the team’s abilities and they most probably know themselves. But do they know you know?
Concern: Showing concern to individuals is a way a leader gives confidence to individuals. Management by walking about (MBWA) is one way we can find time for individuals, and make them feel wanted. Their response will be a desire to show concern for the job and the organization.
