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Employee Motivation
Antoinette Smith
Kaplan University
Memorandum
To: Timothy Lyons, Operations Director 2
CC: Nail Seiden, Operation Director 1
Peter Sakovich, Project Manager
From: Antoinette Smith, Lead Program Analyst
Date: 7/30/2010
Re: Employee Motivation for PMS 450 Department
The foundation of your business has always been that you would not be in business if it were not
for your employees. That premise is what drives me to strive to be a better lead program analyst
for this company. That has not changed, but I feel that it is my duty to bring to your attention the
issue of employee morale in my department. In my role and in my personal and professional
opinion, morale is low and getting lower. I base that statement on the quality of work that is
currently being produced and on the interactions I’ve had with other program analysts that report
directly to me. We need employee motivation, and we need it badly. Before you dismiss this as
just another employee complaint or another ploy to spend money, please take a few minutes to
read my proposal below. I believe that you will find it stimulating and provocative. Stimulating
in that it will encourage action. Provocative in that you will have no choice but to act.
Four program analysts report directly to me. I am responsible for their administrative training
and employee evaluations. We have daily meetings where we discuss the priorities for the day,
who’s working on what, and if any one of us needs help. This forum gives the analysts the
opportunity to bring forward any issues they may be having. Over the last six months, I’ve
noticed that there is more griping and complaining about various tasks taking place during these
meetings. Although I’m in a supervisory position, I do not have the leverage to bring about the
change that could make these meetings more productive and less resentful.
Sharon Jones, one of the program analysts, is a married mother of four, often works six days a
week, 10 hours a day, and occasionally submits reports remotely. She realizes that economic
conditions have resulted in company-wide layoffs and cutbacks, and that everyone is doing more
with less. However, Sharon has not had a raise, promotion, or special recognition for her efforts
in two years. Again, I can only do so much working in a non-management position. Sharon is
the hardest worker here. I can clearly see the toll her workload is taking on her. She, like the
other analysts, needs her job to help support her family, but her hard work needs to be
particularly recognized and compensated.
CONFIDENTIAL
Employee Motivation 3
So my initial proposal is that the daily meetings that occur with the analysts become like a
‘Happy Hour’. During this time, refreshments are provided by the company’s catering
department. Also, this meeting could be used as a formal means to announce a special monthly
reward for the employee who has produced the most work. It could be in the form of a gift
certificate to a local eatery, bookstore, or market. Or it could be in the form of a company item
such as an ink pen, designated parking space for a month, or T-shirt. These are not extraordinary
expenses because they are already available through our marketing and promotions department.
We just need the ok from upper management to proceed.
My proposal should not come as a cost to you or the department, but should come as compliment
to the level of work that we do. This will encourage other program analysts to keep giving their
best efforts and make our department more productive. Please give this serious consideration.
We win. You win. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter.
Thank You,
Antoinette Smith
Employee Motivation 4
Employee Motivation
environment. Productivity does not disappear, but it is usually transferred to aspects not related
to the company's bottom line. Things like personal conversations, internet surfing, and taking
long lunches will eventually cost the company time and money.
perspective. “The goal of any leader should be to focus on behaviors that make their
employees feel accepted for who they are as people, not just as team members” (Motivation
and Team Building, 2008). The employee motivation process is one in which companies and
managers define what motivates each of their employees individually and incorporate that
with the goals of the company. This is a very critical element to any business venture to
support day-to-day operations, business growth, and to provide positive experiences for the
There are a few positive ways employee motivation can impact businesses. One of the
personal and organizational goals, and professional environments where dignity, respect, and
trust are upheld. In a diversified workforce, businesses have the opportunity to utilize many
outlets and ideas. In conjunction with goals of the business, employees have their own personal
motivation goals in the occupation they choose. Embracing a wide variety of individual goals
can produce a more complete product or service and possibly reach a larger customer base or
target market. “Business owners should identify what their employees want and need from their
jobs, and use this information to help motivate their team” (Motivation and Team Building,
2008).
Employees are looking for a “new currency” that can be found in the five (5) Rs:
Responsibility, Relationship, Respect, Recognition, Rewards. Managers have many options for
implementing the 5 Rs in the workplace, and using them for planning, managing and evaluation
performance. Effective managers can create these circumstances by building relationships and
supportive environments. Coaching, teaching, supporting and guiding all are strategies for
producing the right outcomes. Above all, managers need to be authentic, honest and ethical.
Building trust is essential to helping employees are motivated to take risks and perform to their
highest levels. In a respectful environment, employees are valued and respected for the
intellectual capital they contribute. Feelings, ideas and actions are valued and do not go
unnoticed. Managers should build on the concept of teamwork, respecting differences, solving
problems collaboratively, and supporting one another by avoiding negative energy, such as
defining a vision that expresses how everyone will work with one another, how customers are to
Employee Motivation 6
be served, and how communications are to flow. To provide optimum return on investment,
rewards must be an integral part of an overall recognition and reward strategy linking business
People in general want to be recognized individually for a job well done, especially in a
corporate setting where there may be dozens of other employees working on the same project.
Recognition is a morale booster and can drive your employees to their full potential. It is okay to
stroke your employees' egos with a 'job well done' when it is deserved. When employees are kept
happy and satisfied, they are more likely going to work harder for the success of the company
they are employed by. “Studies show when employees feel they are just stuck in one place and
that they are going unnoticed, that when companies have a high true over in their business”. (US
useful information about their employees. They would discover how employees really feel about
their jobs and what improvements could be made. One company, Infosur Innovation, designs and
implements employee motivation surveys to measure employee satisfaction levels, track changes
in employees’ satisfaction over time, get actionable feedback from employees, and improve
overall satisfaction and retention. An employee motivation survey could be the first step towards
employee retention. The survey might include nearly every facet of employee motivation,
including overall satisfaction, corporate culture, supervisor relations, training, work environment,
comprehensively designed to identify and isolate key independent and dependent variables”.
Once some key components have been identified, employees need to be encouraged to do
their best work, trained to expand their knowledge base, and shown appreciation for the hard
Employee Motivation 7
work they put into their jobs. That encouragement, training, and appreciation has to be inspired
from the management ranks of the business, including the owner and operator. When people feel
they are just stuck in one place and that they are going unnoticed, they start to look for ways to
get out. If your employees are busy focusing on finding employment elsewhere, then they cannot
be focusing on getting the best job done for your company (Infosurv 2010).
Motivation is a behavior that you can influence but not create. Even highly motivated
individuals can get frustrated, discouraged or tired on a project or job. Employees need to know
they are valued, their efforts are noticed, and their good work is appreciated. Managers need to
keep in mind that each employee is different and motivated or rewarded by different things. The
key is to be timely, authentic and that the motivation or reward matches the interests and goals of
the employees, whenever possible to get the job done. According to Beckingham and Coffman
the front line manager is the key to attracting and retaining talented employers (Beckingham and
Coffman 1999). The managers need to lead by example for the employees.
Effective employee motivation at the workplace definitely plays a crucial role in reaching
the goals of the business. In order to keep your business competitive and to attain the maximum
profitability, one thing that becomes imperative is to motivate employees and strengthen the
working desire of your staff so that you can harness their talent and hard work to the maximum.
“The will to perform is the biggest motivational factor and brings out the utmost potential of an
employee” (Motivation and Team Building, 2008). Proper balance of appreciation and allotment
of responsibilities boosts the confidence of the employees and makes them strive enthusiastically
to bring out their best and meet the expectations. It forms another imperative motivational factor
in the workplace. “Your business should have a well targeted technology strategy.” If it is
current and operational, it should also play a part towards employees’ motivation and efficiency
Employee Motivation 8
enhancement. Work should be more efficient when employees are provided ample training
opportunities to keep up with production and work related developments (Employee Motivation
If managers can find the right employee motivation techniques, they can then start to
unlock the potential in their employees. Why is it so important to offer meaningful rewards?
Once employees create a picture in their mind associated with a specific reward, that picture
works to inspire them to continued achievement. The idea of receiving a reward, gift, or a thank
you is enough to move employees to the next level. Employee motivation techniques like
incentive programs may offer short-term rewards, but they can impact long-term elements, like
business today. Managers need to keep in mind that engaged employees work harder, stay longer,
goals. The question is what makes an effective employee motivation program? It would help if
managers understand how human nature works. All humans are motivated by two parts –
pleasure or pain. The difference between pleasures is when we find something pleasurable we
will continue to talk about it, and if painful we avoid the subject. That is a good example of an
employee who is happy at the job, and the one that is not.
Employee Motivation 10
“In order to get motivated employees your program must focus on two areas; ability and
motivation” (Zahorsky 2010). Ability is a person’s aptitude to perform a task. Either they have
the skills to perform a given task or they do not. Ability can be improved with training and
education. This can be a time consuming process, but it needs to be included in the total
something motivates us to do. For example: we have to go to the bathroom while watching our
favorite show. We will sit there until a commercial come on before (what we want to do) we go
to the bathroom (what we are motivated to do). So to motivate employees we should give them a
positive reason to want to perform a task. To have an excellent employee motivation program for
your business you need to be sure it includes all of the following: positive reinforcement along
with high expectation, provide training when necessary, restructure or reorganize jobs and job
descriptions when necessary, have a rewards system based on job performance, understanding
and addressing employee needs, teach employees how to set work related goals, treat people
fairly, with respect and honestly. Managers will see an amazing difference in how your employee
References
From First, “Break All the Rules”, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, New York: Simon
and Schuster, 1999.
Darrell Zahorsky 2010 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company
From “Motivating Employees for Dummies”, Max Messmer, New York: Wiley Publishing Inc.
2001