COLUMN BY SCOTT BLANCHARD AND DAVID WITT

E MPLOYEES

Best Practices
of Employee Motivation
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A basic formula for success, in good times and in bad, is Organizational Vitality = Strong Leadership + Passionate Employees + Devoted Customers. If any one of these parts of the equation is out-of-balance, the entire organization suffers. For example, if employees are not happy at work, their performance declines, and the result of employee dissatisfaction is frustrated leaders and unhappy customers.
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One of the biggest challenges that employers face during an economic slowdown is how to maintain the passionate employee part of the equation. The strain created by reduced sales, decreased resources and anxiety about the future can cause even the strongest of leaders to lose focus on this important area. Employers need to keep their focus on all areas of the equation, especially when times are challenging. To identify potential dissatisfiers (sources of employee dissatisfaction) in an organization, use the model created by psychologist

Frederick Herzberg in 1959. The conclusions presented by Herzberg were highly influential and still guide motivational practices 40 years later. He believed employees are influenced by satisfaction and psychological growth, and dissatisfied by what he described as hygiene factors. Satisfaction factors include achievement, recognition, responsibility, growth and the work itself. Organizations seeking to remain on the long-term path to success need to take the time to identify the sources of dissatisfiers in their midst and then craft strategies based on leadership, behaviors and policies to eliminate them.

#1: Policy and Administration

The first employee dissatisfier is poor or obstructive company policies. One role of a company leader is to set solid, dependable and successful strategic policies. Yet, sometimes leaders implement unpopular policies and then ask employees to carry out these policies. Take the airline industry. An airlines strategic leadership, due to rising fuel prices and the uncertain economy, decides to start charging for the second piece of checked luggage. Even though management created this policy, it is the employees who must implement it with the customers. Employees have to deal with customers irritated by having to pay to check a second bag, ultimately destroying their satisfaction with work. When they have to implement unpopular policies or ones they are not sufficiently bought into, it chips away at workplace contentment. Companies can avoid this by providing employees with opportunities to participate in policy-making decisions.

employees leave an organization is due to the relationships they have with their immediate supervisors. How can you identify and rectify these problems? Ask the employees about the work environment. What could be better? What is OK? Assess the level of conversations occurring between managers and their direct reports. Focus on enhancing two-way communication by increasing the quality and frequency of conversations between managers and employees. Teach them to set clear goals that are mutually agreed upon with each of their employees. Give them the tools needed to conduct day-to-day coaching to provide employees the support needed to achieve the goals.

needed to perform their jobs, it demonstrates respect for employees. If this basic need is not met, employees will be driven out of the company. Sometimes the simplest solutions can have the biggest impact. Whats the best way to evaluate the working conditions in a facility? Ask the employees.

#5: Compensation
The fifth dissatisfier to address is compensation. This can be a real challenge when budgets are tight. The good news is that contrary to popular opinion, most employees have a good sense of what is fair pay. Therefore, to create a pay system that works well, ensure people are paid fairly. Ideally, this means adopting a compensation plan that pays people slightly above the going rate for their work considering all of the factors. Remember that pay is mostly a dissatisfier instead of a motivating factor. Research shows the positive impact of a raise typically lasts only three weeks. If managers dangle compensation as a motivator, they will enter into an escalating process where employers have to offer more and more compensation to keep employees from becoming de-motivated. Compensation will never create long-term satisfaction in employees or happiness in an organization.

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#3: Interpersonal Relationships

Two types of interpersonal relationships affect an employees work satisfaction level. The first is the relationship with the boss or immediate supervisor. Employees want to sense that managers have their best interests at heart. The second relationship is with coworkers. Employees want their peers to be caring and trusting. If this environment doesnt exist, it becomes a dissatisfier. Ask these questions: >Should people have friends at work? >Should employees be encouraged to talk during work hours? >Should employees be encouraged to get to know each other outside of work? >Is the office set up to encourage employees to take breaks together? >Does the work environment make it difficult for employees to talk to and get to know each other? Some are fearful that if employees connect and get along well, it will have a negative impact on productivity. However, the opposite actually happens.

Communicating Effectively
In difficult economic times, leaders have to make tough decisions. By demonstrating care in the way those decisions are implemented, you can limit the negative impact they have on the organization as a whole. By avoiding the common dissatisfiers, companies can accomplish the restructuring needed in a way that maintains employee engagement and positions the company for growth when economic conditions improve.
Scott Blanchard is the executive vice president of client solutions and David Witt is a marketing manager at The Ken Blanchard Companies. The Ken Blanchard Companies is a global leader in workplace learning, productivity, performance, and leadership effectiveness solutions. It helps companies improve their performance, productivity and bottomline results. For more information, please call 760-489-5005 or visit www.kenblanchard.com.
WINTER 2009 manufacturing-today.com

#2: Supervision
The Saratoga Institute surveyed more than 19,000 employees about why they left their jobs. The misconception is they leave to accept better job offers from other companies. The reality is there are a variety of explanations ranging from pay dissatisfaction to limited growth opportunities. However, one of the key reasons why

#4: Working Conditions

It is important to assess general work conditions, such as physical surrounding and environment, to ensure they meet or exceed industry standards. When organizations provide employees with good, safe working conditions and the tools

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