What Is Motivation in Management?

Workplace motivation can be a vital part of a company's success and retention rate.
Having a manager who helps employees work their hardest can create a positive and
more enjoyable work environment for everyone. Learning how to use motivation as a
manager can help you engage with your team and reach company goals successfully.
In this article, we discuss what motivation in management is, explore its benefits,
explain ways to use it and share helpful examples.

What is motivation in management?

Motivation in management refers to the steps managers can take to inspire their
teams to achieve more and to support their workplace experience. When a company
has managers who motivate their teams, they may find an overall increase in
productivity and achievement. It is useful for leaders to learn management motivation,
as this is a skill that will benefit you throughout your working career, no matter what
industry you work in.

Benefits of motivational management

There are many benefits to knowing how to inspire and support employees, both in
terms of outcomes and personal wellbeing. These benefits include:

Greater satisfaction

Motivated employees are more satisfied with the work they do and their job in general.
An inspiring manager can stimulate interest in tasks and encourage employees to stay
at the company longer. This can improve the retention rate and reduce the cost of
hiring new staff.

Increased consistency

A motivational leader can inspire employees to focus on their tasks and deliver work on
time and consistently, rather than procrastinating. This consistency can extend into the
quality of the work they produce as employees are motivated to fulfil clients'
expectations as best they can.

Improved performance

People who care about what they do are more likely to produce high quality work. If
you act as a motivational manager, your team may put in more time and effort. This
can help you reach goals faster or improve outcomes.

How to use motivation in management

Every employee is different, with their own needs, desires and difficulties. Despite this,
there are certain common motivators that you can employ as a manager to connect
with your team and improve their overall performance. The following are some
strategies you can use to motivate your team members:

1. Foster a positive atmosphere

If staff are comfortable being themselves at work, they are better able to focus on their
tasks rather than performing for the people around them. This welcoming
environment can inspire employees to try their hardest while the company provides
them with the tools for success. It can be important for new employees to feel
welcome in a team, so motivating people to interact positively with new staff can make
the atmosphere more positive.

2. Provide a comfortable environment

If the surroundings are comfortable and welcoming, your team will settle into their
jobs and focus on their work better. Here's how to do it:

 Let in lots of natural light with windows and low-glare blinds.

 Invest in comfortable chairs that are ergonomically designed.
 Offer adjustable desks that provide standing and sitting options.
 Install efficient ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems.
 Add plants around the office.
 Provide clean and well-stocked bathrooms.
 Have an organised and tidy kitchen area.

3. Have open communication and achievable goals

Employees who understand the tasks you set them and feel comfortable talking to you
about them are likely to be more productive and produce better results. You can
motivate your team by having open lines of communication: letting them know what
you expect of them and removing any ambiguity around goals and priorities. To
improve workplace communication with your team members, do the following:

 Hold regular office hours where employees know they can come and talk to you.
 Schedule regular meetings that involve the entire team.
 Ask the team for feedback, ideas and questions.
 Check that employees feel comfortable offering constructive feedback about
your leadership.

4. Get to know your team

Your team members are people just like you, and connecting with them on a human
level can be a great way to foster trust and motivation. By taking an interest in their
lives and asking relevant questions, you can let them know that you value them, which
will inspire them to work harder for you. It's preferable to focus on hobbies and topics
that they bring up, rather than on their personal history or life to avoid inappropriate
questions.
5. Uphold the company's values

Demonstrating the values that the company represents to employees is a good way to
inspire your team to follow your lead. By seeing that you're focused, enthusiastic and
hardworking, team members may be more likely to uphold these values as well. If you
want employees to always be on time and well-mannered, it's important that you do
the same.

6. Invest in your team

A company's success can depend on the skills of its employees. You can motivate your
team to upskill and work hard by investing in their skills and providing them with
opportunities for career development and training. Here are a few ways to do it:

 Give them a flexible schedule so that they can continue their education.
 Pay for their attendance at relevant conferences.
 Allocate paid mental health days to help avoid burnout.
 Hold team development days to foster team spirit.
 Offer opportunities for mentorship.
 Provide development tools like podcasts, books and videos.
 Hold regular performance reviews.

7. Create healthy competition

While you don't want your team to be in ruthless competition with each other,
fostering a healthy competitive environment can be a good motivational tool. You can
create competition by devising contests around objectives, providing incentives or
even setting up a competitive sports team. Basing these competitions around
teamwork can foster positivity and collaboration, which helps ensure that the
competition never becomes unhealthy.

8. Recognise achievements

If your team members complete a difficult or long task, rewarding them with praise or
incentives can be a great way to motivate them to achieve more. Knowing that their
manager cares about what they are doing and appreciates their hard work helps
inspire the team to work harder and perform better. Incentives can include lunches,
email recognition, tokens like gift certificates or a day off.

9. Give constructive but positive feedback

Your team members may not enjoy being criticised without praise for their work, so
creating a feedback process that is positive but constructive can be a great
motivational tool. Praise can reduce doubt and procrastination in your team and may
reward them to work harder. You can try to structure your feedback to start with
praise, offer a suggestion for improvement, and end with a positive remark so that
they don't feel discouraged.
10. Foster employees' autonomy

While it can be tempting to want to monitor every step of your team's work, giving
them some freedom fosters a sense of independence and pride in their work. Having
control over aspects of a project can make employees more invested and giving them
autonomy over some decisions may motivate them to work harder on tasks. It may be
useful to offer an open line of communication if you give your team autonomy, so that
they know you trust them but are available to help if needed.

Examples of motivation in management

There are many strategies that you can use to show motivation in your management.
This includes policies, actions and verbal communication with your team. Here are
some examples to motivate employees:

Organising team catch-ups

Communicate with your team about an ideal time to involve everyone in a team
meeting. At this meeting, set time aside to give everyone a chance to raise concerns or
make comments. Ensure you answer their questions and address any concerns. You
may also like to have some casual time during the meeting, when the team can talk
and get to know each other better. A morning tea break with hot drinks and biscuits is
a nice way to have an informal meeting that will be a positive experience for staff,
rather than a chore.

Discussing employee's career goals

Talking with your team members one-on-one can help foster a sense of trust between
you and show that you support their career goals. By talking about what they're
passionate about achieving, you can motivate them to work harder in your team.
Focusing on helping them, rather than keeping them under your control, also shows
that you are open to their workplace needs and desires.

Showing appreciation

Sending out a team email when an employee does a good job or finishes a laborious
task keeps everyone informed and fosters a sense of camaraderie. If everyone is aware
of other people's accomplishments, it can motivate the team to keep up and perform
well themselves. But it's important to spread your praise across the team evenly, so
everyone feels valued.
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