How do I motivate my employees? #1

 

This is one of the questions I get asked many times. Let's do a series to explore this topic. In the context of the workplace, the elephant in the room is compensation. All of us work for money. Don't believe anyone who tells you money doesn't motivate employees. It does. Just that it is not the only thing, and often it is not the most important thing. 

Money is several things at once. Money is survival. If we don't pay enough that our employees worry about making ends meet, they will not be able to focus. Money is fairness. If they are paid the same as a low-performing colleague, they will not be motivated to do well. Money is recognition and appreciation. A good boss gives praise for good work done, and also wants to give you tangible rewards. 

Money is a sanitary factor. If you don't pay enough, your employees will not be happy. If you pay enough, paying more does not increase employee satisfaction significantly. Once they are in a financially stable position, they look for more than money. As leaders we must think about what money means to our people. Money is not just money. 

Do you lead with fear?

 

Some leaders think they should lead with fear. They want their employees to fear them somewhat, because that's the most effective way to get things done. Some leaders who do lead with fear deny it even to themselves. They cannot bear to think of themselves as a bad boss that employees fear. They think of their employees as unconfident, incompetent and passive. 

Fear is a poor motivator. It motivates people only to avoid mistakes. It teaches people to avoid responsibility and accountability, because the less of these that you have, the smaller the chances of getting blamed. People who operate under fear are not creative or innovative. They do not dare to escalate issues they see for fear of getting penalised. They just want to stay out of trouble. 

I have observed one situation of an employee delaying telling their boss problems and waiting until there are several before escalating them all at one go. By then it is already rather late to address some of these problems. The rationale is if I'm going to get scolded by the boss, I'd rather just get scolded once for several things, instead of getting scolded several times separately. This sounds absurd, but this is very real. 

Motivate employees by pride in their work, by the drive to provide for their families, or by a sense of belonging. Don't motivate by fear.