Acknowledgment as a tool of motivation

Are you quick to acknowledge your subordinate’s achievement? For example, good work performance or exceptional sales achievement. Do you immediately compliment such positive behaviors? Or you don’t mind it simply because you see it as ordinary and without meaning?

Words or actions that acknowledge a positive behavior fulfills our need to have a place in an organization. In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this is number three in the hierarchy which is the need to belong. When an employee feels that his/her need to belong in an organization is fulfilled. He/she would naturally be motivated to work hard or work even harder.

Human as we are, we feel good when we are recognized or complimented. For example, remember when you were still studying? And when your professor complimented you for correctly answering his question during recitation? How did you feel during that moment? You felt good and you were raring for another session of class recitation. Right? What influenced your positive behavior? It’s the acknowledgment and recognition that was given to you.

In the same vein, acknowledging or complimenting your subordinate’s achievement no matter how small is motivating as well. Therefore, we must not be stingy in giving well deserved compliment and acknowledgment for a job well done. This is for the reason that this gives an employee a purpose and meaning in his existence in the organization. and it fulfills the number three hierarchical need under Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs which is the need to belong.

Hence, we should be quick to acknowledge positive achievements and behaviors and we should do it as often as the opportunity gives us to do so. Try it and see for yourself the motivation that it will give your subordinates.  And the positive impact that it will create in your image. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Do you want to be more productive? Begin by trusting your subordinates

Gerry is a department manager in a semiconductor related organization. He is workaholic and a micro manager; he is always first to report for work and last to leave the office. He is very particular with every detail of the work of his subordinates. Therefore, it seems to him that there is not enough time for him to accomplish what he is supposed to accomplish.

Nothing is wrong with Gerry’s being workaholic but being a micro manager? A micro manager is a boss who is a control freak and obsessed with his power.  When a boss has this mentality it strongly signifies his lack of trust towards his subordinates. Lack of trust which constricts his productivity.  

When we throw out of the window our micromanagement styles, we also begin to invite trust to come into our doors. What can trust do to our workplace environment? Trust invites workplace productivity and our employees’ cooperation and engagement. Employees who are trusted are motivated to work hard thus they are productive citizens of the organization.

But how are we going to communicate trust? Is it enough to tell our subordinates that we trust them and that’s it already? Of course not! Among other things, trust is communicated by loosening overly restrictive organizational control mechanism.

By sharing vital but not classified information to our subordinates. This we can best do during staff meetings or even during ordinary workplace conversation. When we share information to our subordinates, we communicate to them that they belong and are close to us. This solidifies the bond amongst the manager and subordinates and it also creates an invisible feeling of responsibility.     

When we bequeath trust to our subordinates, we also eliminate our micromanagement and control freak styles of management. Which are counterproductive to an organization for it stifles productivity and growth. 

But of course, we have to carefully choose the subordinates whom we would bestow trust. We should not trust our subordinates simply because they are close to us. We should trust those who are competent, hard workers and those who have potential for growth. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

How do you approach motivation?

The story is told about Romy, a forty years old supervisor in an online retail store. He had no negative and derogatory record in his almost twenty years of working. However, his manager noticed his lack of motivation.  He was simply going thru the motions of his work: no drive and no enthusiasm whatsoever.

So, the manager talked to Romy and asked him if he could help him if he has problem in his work or whatever is going on in his life. Romy curtly replied, “Nothing everything is ok.” Another two weeks had passed and his work behavior and performance were still mediocre. Considering that he was paid well and the non-monetary package of benefits was also excellent.The manager was clueless on what was the cause of his demotivation. 

Like the manager, many of us may think that money and benefits are the be all and end all of motivation.  Money and benefits are only a component of the motivational puzzle. Therefore, it’s not the be all and end all of motivation. There’s more to motivation than money and benefits.

Since these two were already out of the question of his demotivation. The manager engaged this former productive employee more often. This he did by talking to him more often, by giving him more responsibilities and giving him voice during staff meetings. Slowly but surely the performance of Romy rose up again and he was even promoted to the next higher rank.

Motivation is a complex thing, it’s not simply about money and benefits. It involves human relations and behavior. It involves employee’s social engagement inside and outside of their work. Motivation is the fusion of efforts and ideas by the employee and manager. Motivation is also about having a safe and conducive work environment and the like.

Motivation is dynamic and not static that’s why effective and good leaders think every now and then how to fuel the motivation of their subordinates.   

How are you as a motivator? – Marino J. Dasmarinas