While there are many theories about the best way to motivate staff, the basic principle of motivation is simple. When you break down the word itself you can come to its true meaning. Motivation is a "motive" for "action". Motivation is all about giving your staff a reason for doing something and as long as this reason is lacking you can do what you will, the motivation will be low and the performance mediocre at best.
What does motivation mean?
Real motivation comes from within and has to come from every person. External motivation like pay rises, bonuses and promotions will not work as long as it remains an external motivation. So how do you create this real inner motivation. Here are 3 great ways that work.
1. Responsibility
By giving someone responsibility you do much more than giving them a sense of self importance. You actually display trust in them and when someone feels trusted it makes them want to respond to that trust.
2. Goal
By giving your staff or a staff member a goal to work towards it can really inspire them and give them a reason to do what they are doing. So many companies have employees aimlessly working away at "nothing" and there are no goals to work towards and no sense of accomplishment that comes with reaching goals.
3. Recognition
So often staff members starts harbor resentment towards their employee because they feel like their hard work is not being recognized. People want to feel recognized. They want to feel appreciated. They want to feel like what they are doing is making a difference and that its important.
