A new way of thinking about motivation

Nobody can disagree with the notion that motivated employees work harder and perform better. But if, as an employer, you want motivation of your people to be massive, you have to accept that it requires a whole new approach in order to navigate the complex world of employee recognition and reward.

We think it’s about time we got back to basics: a simple, human and transparent approach to motivation that inspires trust and treats each employee in the way they deserve: as an individual.

Can’t buy me motivation

As a manager, motivation is not something you can just expect from your team, it’s something you have to earn. That means putting people before targets and inspiring them as opposed to simply managing them.

You can’t demand that people get motivated and it’s not something you can buy. You have to think and act differently: understanding and accepting that what might have worked before simply doesn’t cut it any more is the first important step towards massive motivation.

Massive Motivation – have you got it?

We all know what it feels like to work in an energised environment full of motivated people. It's when everyone is performing at their best and working productively in and with their team.

It's when targets are being smashed, attention to quality and service is second nature and the whole company is alive with ideas, energy and positivity. In the simplest terms, it’s when work is enjoyable for everyone, not just a select few.

Truth is, nearly every business faces a motivation gap. The 2016 Edenred Wellbeing Barometer found that around a third of employees are unhappy at work. This is down to a combination of factors - a lack of pride and commitment to the bigger picture, a negative attitude towards teamwork and a lack of opportunity and empowerment to help shape the success of the business: “If I’m not going to be heard and it’s not going to make any difference, why should I bother?”

Time for change

Managers must learn to understand the specific motivations of an increasingly diverse, multi-generational workforce with different attitudes and career expectations, and accept that one size doesn’t fit all.

It is only by building and nurturing strong relationships on an individual basis that employees will be motivated to work towards a common goal and feel appreciated by their leaders and peers for their contribution.This applies as much to the retention of good employees as it does to the recruitment of new talent.

So whichever way you look at it, the message is clear – if you want to build a successful organisation, motivation should be at the heart of everything you do.

Inspire, Reward, Perform: the three pillars of Massive Motivation

Talking about targets is not motivating. What IS motivating is inspiring your people with a vision for success and providing the support and encouragement to help them achieve it.

Massive motivation isn’t about reviewing the way you do one or two things; it’s a fundamental change in behaviour and attitude in order to create a culture of appreciation and recognition in the workplace.

Reward is the essential link between inspiration and great performance - give reward and recognition that is personalised and genuine and watch motivation grow. Importantly, monitor what is working and what isn’t: transforming your approach to motivation is only effective when you listen and learn from your people.

In essence, massive motivation is about creating a momentum for success that everyone in your business can understand, relate to and benefit from. Whatever your motivation challenges for the year ahead, our full guide to making it massive can be found here:

Andy Philpott is sales and marketing director at Edenred.

This article was provided by Edenred.