Employee motivation—again!

Yesterday's paper contained a report on yet another study, this time by Robert Half International, that says people are motivated by recognition. The study polled 972 professionals in the marketing and advertising fields, and 76% said they were motivated to work harder and be more productive because their companies were good at recognizing their achievements. They said they were motivated by public praise and time off for extra effort just as much as by money.

What surprises me is that companies are still surprised by this! The same results come up in study after study, and yet many people still switch companies because they don't feel valued. What does it take to get companies to understand and act on this informaion?

As a manager, you don't need to rely on some official company procedure on this—fortunately! All you have to do is pay attention to your people. When someone makes an extra effort to finish a project against a tight deadline, thank them for a job well done and make sure they get credit for their efforts. Even small things can make operations run more smoothly and productively, so give a word of thanks at every opportunity. It's over twenty years since Ken Blanchard told us in "The One Minute Manager" to catch someone doing something right and thank them—the advice is even more important today.

Try it today!