Motivating Today’s Employees

When you are watching the bottom line, it is easy to forget how your employees are feeling about their jobs. But unproductive staff can be one of the biggest threats to that bottom line, as many business owners have discovered.A favourable working environment combined with good worker benefits has eclipsed salaries as the prime concern of the work force. Here is a book that tackles the job-satisfaction issue head-on. It offers creative options that will help companies increase worker effectiveness.The book answers the following questions:How do I identify effective motivators?Why should my company establish job standards?Is it important to involve employees in goal-setting and decision making?How do I know whether I am hearing what my employees are really saying?And more!

When you are watching the bottom line, it is easy to forget how your employees are feeling about their jobs. But unproductive staff can be one of the biggest threats to that bottom line, as many business owners have discovered. A favourable working environment combined with good worker benefits has eclipsed salaries as the prime concern of the work force. Here is a book that tackles the job-satisfaction issue head-on. It offers creative options that will help companies increase worker effectiveness. The book answers the following questions: How do I identify effective motivators? Why should my company establish job standards? Is it important to involve employees in goal-setting and decision making? How do I know whether I am hearing what my employees are really saying? --And more!

When you are watching the bottom line, it is easy to forget how your employees are feeling about their jobs. But unproductive staff can be one of the biggest threats to that bottom line, as many business owners have discovered to their cost. Motivated employees are effective employees. Learn how to create a favourable working environment and increase worker effectiveness!

INTRODUCTION: Motivating Today’s Employees xiPART I: THE BASICS OF MOTIVATION 11 MOTIVATIONAL THEORY 5What Is Motivation? 6What the Theorists Tell Us about Motivation 7Frederick Herzberg 7Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 9Theories X and Y 10Theory Z 11Applying the Theories 122 FACTS AND FALLACIES ABOUT MOTIVATION 13Fallacy #1: Motivation Is the Goal 15Fallacy #2: Money Motivates 15Fallacy #3: The Golden Rule Applies 17Fallacy #4: Motivators Are Universal 18vCONTENTSFallacy #5: The Burning Platform Can Be a Strong Motivator 19Fallacy #6: Motivation Doesn’t Matter As Long As theJob Gets Done 19Fallacy #7: In a Poor Economy, MotivationDoesn’t Matter 20Fallacy #8: Nobody’s Irreplaceable 20Fallacy #9: I Can Motivate My Employees 21Fallacy #10: Once a Motivated Employee, Always a MotivatedEmployee 223 WHAT MOTIVATES EMPLOYEES? 23Motivators for the 21st Century 24What Employees Want 26Employee Commitment 26Employee Retention 28Finding Out What Your Employees Want 29Putting It All Together 31PART II: THE FIRST LINE OF INFLUENCE 354 FINDING THE RIGHT FIT 41Hire Right 43Start Employees off on the Right Foot 48Welcome 49Organization Chart 49Company and Department Objectives 50Working Conditions 50Job Responsibilities and Job Standards 51Company Standards 51Introductions 51Problems to Avoid during Orientation 52Goals, Roles, and Reporting Lines 53Goals 54Roles 55Reporting Lines 56vi Motivating today’s employeesMaintaining Ongoing Contact 565 COACHING AND COUNSELING 59“What Do You Expect from Me?” 60Establishing Job Standards 60Establishing Clear Goals 63Additional Considerations 65Evaluating Performance: “How Am I Doing?” 66Providing Constructive Feedback 68Giving Credit and Praise for Accomplishments 72The Importance of Constructive Feedback 73Handling Problem Employees 76Exercising Positive Discipline 78Exit Interviews 81Exit Interviews Should Be a Standard Operating Practice 81Use an Objective Third Party to Conduct the Interview 82Conduct an In-Person Interview 82Look for Trends, Not Incidents 826 COMMUNICATION 85Communication: An Organizational Priority 86It Starts at the Top 86Preparing Employees to Hear the Messages 87Manager As Role Model 88Communicating in an Environment of Change 89Creating an Environment for Change 91What You Should Tell Employees 93Common Communication Problems 95Hearing Only What You Expect to hear 95Letting biases interfere 96Semantics 97Noise 97Emotions 97Contents viiNon-verbal Communication 98Organizational Barriers to Effective Communication 99A Three-Step Approach to Avoiding Miscommunication 100Step 1: Verification 100Step 2: Clarification 101Step 3: Follow-up 101Encouraging Two-Way Communication 102Removing the Risk 103Responding to Constructive Feedback 104Communication Vehicles 107Rap Sessions 107Regular Meetings 107Grievance or Suggestion System 108Intranet Forums 108Open-Door Policies 109Opinion Surveys 110Social Gatherings 110Creative Communication: Lessons from the Front Lines 111PART III: PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES 1157 BENEFITS 121Meeting the Needs of a Diverse Workforce throughFlexible Benefits 123Addressing Employee Work/Life Needs 125Family First: A No-Cost/Low-Cost Benefit 127Time Off When They Want It — PTO Programs 128Meeting the Needs of Working Parents 130The 3:00 Syndrome and What You Can (and Should)Do about It 131The Child-Care Dilemma 132Workers without Children 133Telecommuting 134viii Motivating today’s employeesLittle Things Mean a Lot 137A Variety of Benefits to Meet Employee andOrganizational Needs 139Communicating the Value of Employee Benefits 1428 RECOGNITION AND REWARD 143The Simple Things 146Problems with Awards 148Rewarding Employee Longevity 150Additional Resources 1529 INVOLVEMENT AND ADVANCEMENT 153Decision Making: More Than a Managerial Prerogative 156Encouraging Employee Involvement 158“What Do You Think?” 159Encouraging Employee Suggestions 160Job Growth and Opportunity 162What Makes a Job a Good Job? 162Providing Job Growth 163Job Redesign 164Job Enlargement 164Job Restructuring 165Job Enrichment 165Cross-training 168Teambuilding 168Succession Planning: Identifying Future Leaders 169Identify What Skills and Competencies Are Needed 170Make Sure the Direction Comes from the Top 170Develop an Acceleration Pool 171Additional Resources 17210 EDUCATION AND TRAINING 173Training Topics 176Customer Service 176Technology 176Contents ixInterpersonal Skills 176Quality Improvement 176Technical Skills 177The Benefits of Employee Education 177Types of Training 178In-House Training 178Choosing Outside Training 179Computer-Based Training 181Getting a Degree Online 184Other Training Opportunities 185Brown Bag Lunches 185Reading Groups 185Discussion Groups 185Special Assignments 185Mentoring 185Community Events 186Training Pays 18611 HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS 189Job Pressures Impact Health and Wellness 190How Jobs Contribute to Stress 192Creating a Low-Stress Environment 193The Benefits of Health and Wellness Programs 194Steps to an Effective Program 197Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) 199Managers and EAPs 200CONCLUSION 207SAMPLES1 What Do Employees Really Want? 302 Retention Risk Assessment 33x Motivating today’s employees