Motivation in the workplace, for too many employees and leaders, is still an oxymoron.

This page describes motivation in the workplace, employee motivation theory and employee motivation tips. In addition, it explains Herzberg motivation theory and aspects of motivational psychology.

"Why can't employees be more motivated?":

This is a cry I have heard thousands of times in the past 30 years from well-meaning, genuine supervisors and managers frustrated at how difficult it can be to achieve high levels of motivation in the workplace.

It is often accompanied by statements such as, "employees are only interested in money" or "if you try to treat people well, they take advantage" or "people don't like change and will resist it".

All of which may be true for some people some of the time in some circumstances, but these views are unlikely to be valid for ALL employees, ALL of the time, in ALL circumstances.

(click here for some inspiring leadership quotes)

"Ok, so how do you motivate employees?":

This is going to sound harsh, but if leaders have to ask this question they don't understand employees' motivation in the workplace.

WHY do I say that?

Because the only answer to the question I can give is, "YOU DON'T motivate them, THEY DO".

This answer is based on motivational psychology, employee motivation theory and 30+ years experience working on issues of motivation in the workplace (click here to define motivation).

First things first:

A list of employee motivation tips would have to begin by clarifying some assumptions. For example:

* employees, like all human beings, ARE motivated (unless they are dead) and they come to their workplace motivated

* they may NOT be motivated to achieve the goals of the workplace (especially if they do not know what they are, understand them, have had no involvement in setting them, disagree with the values on which they are based, and are not allowed to make decisions relating to them etc.)

* the job of leaders is not to motivate employees (that's already done) but to ensure that the goals of the business and the employees are continually aligned as positively as possible

* inspiring leadership (which creates willing followers) involves helping employees to experience high levels of motivation in the workplace through intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Click here for some inspiring team building quotes that may be used to help to create a motivating climate for employees.

Herzberg motivation theory:

Frederick Herzberg (1923 - 2000), an American psychologist, put forward an employee motivation theory relating specifically to motivation in the workplace.

The motivation - hygiene theory emerged originally from interviews, in Pittsburgh, with 203 American accountants & engineers.

They were asked to think of a time when they felt very satisfied at work and to describe the circumstances etc. that caused them to feel that way.

Then they were asked to think of a time when they felt very dissatisfied at work and to describe what caused these feelings.

You might want to answers these questions and see to what degree your personal experience supports Herzberg's theory (or not).

When the answers were analysed and interpreted, the following key messages emerged:

* the 5 key things that people reported as causing satisfaction were:

~ a sense of achievement

~ recognition for their achievements

~ intrinsically interesting work

~ responsibility (e.g. making decisions)

~ advancement (e.g. promotion or psychological growth such as learning new skills).

The 5 key things people reported as causes of their dissatisfaction were:

~ (perceived poor) company policy and administration

~ salary

~ supervision (e.g. treated badly by the boss)

~ interpersonal relationships with colleagues (e.g. poor teamwork)

~ poor working conditions.

Two messages are striking from these data:

1. why are they not opposites?

That is, people said that whilst some things lead to feelings of satisfaction, quite different things lead to dissatisfaction.

2. the satisfying factors relate to the person and the work whilst the dissatisfying factors relate to the environment in which that work is done.

As a result, Herzberg proposed the Motivation-Hygiene Theory, also known as the Two Factor theory (1959), of job satisfaction and motivation in the workplace.

That is, the factors leading to satisfaction were called, "motivators", and those leading to dissatisfaction were labelled, "hygiene" factors because, like hygiene, if they were not kept "clean" they would lead to dis-ease.

Herzberg proposed several key findings:

* a bad environment (poor hygiene factors) will lead to dissatisfied people, but a good environment (good hygiene factors) will rarely lead to satisfied people

* both the prevention of dissatisfaction and the encouragement of satisfaction are necessary (through inspiring leadership).

That is, it is necessary to ensure that the hygiene factors are kept positive IN ADDITION to the motivators

* the motivators and hygiene factors are independent.

For example, an individual can be highly motivated in his or her work and be dissatisfied with his or her work environment

* improvements in hygiene factors have only short-term effects in the removal of, or prevention of, dissatisfaction.

Hygiene needs are cyclical in nature and come back to a starting point which leads to the "What have you done for me lately?" syndrome (much to the frustration of many leaders).

For example, employees may experience this effect in relation to their pay.

That is, they become dissatisfied with their income (e.g. as they see others earning more or getting bigger pay rises).

Someone may give them some money (a pay rise) which removes their dissatisfaction - for a while, before they begin to feel dissatisfied again etc. and the cycle is repeated.

Finally, one of the most important lessons of Herzberg's motivation theory, I think, is that it is a message of hope.

That is, there is nothing inevitable about motivation in the workplace - high levels of intrinsic extrinsic motivation for employees at work is NOT an oxymoron.

Deming is reported to have said, "our prevailing system of management has destroyed our people".

Maybe so, but work can be, and should be, an enhancing experience for employees if we go about facilitating motivation in the workplace the right way.

Click here for the Maslow theory of motivation and other motivation theories.

Click here to see some motivational phrases and motivation quotes.

Motivation in the workplace does not have to be an oxymoron.
It just needs inspiring leadership and effective use of
employee motivation theory.
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