Your Own Staff Motivation Plan

As discussed in the previous sections, some of the most effective ways for managers to motivate staff include giving praises; recognition; positive feedback; passing on feedback from more senior managers; and letting other staff know which staff have been responsible for praiseworthy work and/or effort. Too often staff experience 'management by mistake', where most of the feedback received is corrective or punitive for mistakes they are perceived to have made.

If staff feel that their decisions are generally supported, and when genuine mistakes are made they will be guided in the right direction; they will be more positive, confident and prepared to take on responsibility and decision-making.

When staff are shown clear expectations and when they are valued, trusted, encouraged and motivated; they will be more likely to give of their best.

Consider the following for your planning of staff motivation:

• Assess how motivated your staff are; observe whether they show the "signs" of being de-motivated.

• If the problems are serious, discuss with your supervisor and decide on the course of action.

• If the problems exist but are not serious, check
  • whether the present performance management system has been fully made use of; and

  • whether the personal motivational practices discussed in section 4 have been adequately applied.

• If the "telling signs" are detected not in individual members but the whole team, get the whole team to discuss together.

• In applying personal motivational practices,
  • try to use those you feel easy to manage and feel the effect. Then test out some more.
  • invent some more of your own as you accumulate more experience.
  • share your success stories with other managers and encourage them to do their best.