Motivation techniques to develop committed employees

Motivation techniques to develop committed employees

It is well known that committed employees go to great lengths to get things done right. It is also widely documented that organizations with employee motivation programs tend to produce more committed employees than companies that do not act on employee motivation and integration. There are many theories on what to do to motivate people, some of the most common are: the incentive theory, the need theory, Social exchange model, self-determination theory, and the Maslow’s hierarchy psychological theory, among others. In today’s article I will focus on the most adequate mix of motivation techniques, considering the human nature as the differentiating factor.

What makes people tick?

Many of the motivational programs fail to achieve the expected results because they neglect the most basic issue: Human Nature. Not all people react in the same way to an external stimulus; so, if you want a program that reaches most of the people in your organization you need to combine motivation techniques that address the different typologies of persons.  Which begs the question: What makes people tick?

Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria sustain that there are four main drives that move the human being. Let’s go over them.

Drives to acquire:  Many people like to differentiate themselves from others by acquiring scarce things, especially in this age of consumerism.  they can be material things, like a house, expensive cars, exclusive clothes, etc, or it can be things that improve their social status, such as promotions, better office, being invited to corporate meetings, etc. Other things to consider when thinking about motivation techniques routed in the drive to acquire, is that it is relative (humans tend to compare what they have with what others do) and insatiable (people always want more).

Drive to bond: Most species bond with their kinship group, but humans extend the connection to larger groups. Those people for whom bonding is important feel motivated when their feeling of belonging to the organization is acknowledged and reciprocated. The counterpart is the loss of morale when they feel betrayed by the organization, which often happens due to poorly structured motivation techniques.

Drive to Comprehend: For some people the main drive is to make sense of the world around them. In the work environment it means clarity on their job, the company’s goals and trends, how they fit into the organization and clear ways to learn and grow in the organization. Motivation techniques that do not address this group make employees who feel trapped and often leave the companies to find new challenges elsewhere.

Drive to Defend: This drive is rooted in the basic fight-or-flight response common to most animals. In humans, it manifests itself not just as aggressive or defensive behavior, but also as a quest to create institutions that promote justice, that have clear goals and intentions, and allow people to express their ideas and opinions. People who fall into this category are often resistant to change, even though it may be for the better.

Motivation techniques to fulfill the drives that motivate employees

Knowing what moves people we can use specific motivation techniques aimed at each of the groups. The image below lists motivation techniques that match the drives to acquire, bond and comprehend, with their possible actions or tools to implement them.

These programs must be implemented in an environment that addresses the drive to defend. An additional issue: when you configure your set of motivation tools based on different personalities types, it is important to bear in mind that drives are subconscious, emotional, and evolve over time. So, what motivates one individual today may not in the future. For this reason, it is very important to review the incentive programs from time to time and closely monitor the level of the employee motivation.

I hope this article has been helpful to you on how develop committed employees. I will continue to post information related to warehouse management, distribution practices and trends, and the economy in general. If you are interested in this article or want to learn more about Laceup Solutions, please subscribe to stay updated on future articles.

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