One of the most fundamental, yet overlooked, principles of business is that you get what you reward. What strategy does your organization use to reward employees and keep them motivated? Many organizations feel that a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work should cover the basics, with a pleasant working environment filling in the rest of an employee’s needs. While this approach may make an organization "no worse than the competition," it is not likely to motivate employees to be their best and give more than an acceptable level of performance.

If good wages and pleasant working conditions are not the whole answer, then what is? This is one of the questions management consultants have wrestled with during the last 35 years since Frederick Herzberg published his classic article “One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?” in the January-February 1968 issue of the Harvard Business Review. In that article Dr. Herzberg identified two types of motivational factors: factors that prevent dissatisfaction on the job and factors that enhance satisfaction. His study suggested that the factors resulting in job satisfaction were different from the factors that lead to job dissatisfaction.

What are you looking for from your work force? People who are merely satisfied with their work environment, or people who are truly charged up by their work environment? Depending on your answer, you will want to look in different areas.

The research shows that while addressing the prevention factors can decrease dissatisfaction at work, if you truly want to motivate workers you must go beyond just preventing dissatisfaction and actively promote satisfaction on the job. The way to do this is by creating a personally satisfying environment for employees that meets their internal needs, including the need for achievement, recognition for the achievement, interesting work, responsibility, and opportunities for growth.

In his article for the June 22, 1995, issue of Employment Relations Today entitled “Employee Motivation: Addressing a Crucial Factor in your Organization’s Performance,” Dr. Ken Kovach found striking differences between how employees rank 10 possible reward factors and the ways their managers rank them. Here is the comparison:

What Employees	What Supervisors
Want	Thought Employees Wanted
1. Interesting work	1. Good wages
2. Full appreciation of work done	2. Job security
3. Feeling of being "in" on things	3. Promotion and growth
4. Job security	4. Good working conditions
5. Good wages	5. Interesting work
6. Promotion and growth	6. Personal loyalty to employees
7. Good working conditions	7. Tactful disciplining
8. Personal loyalty to employees	8. Full appreciation of work done
9. Tactful disciplining	9. Help with personal problems
10. Help with personal problems	10. Feeling of being "in" on things

Why do managers choose to ignore the reward preferences chosen by the majority of the workers under their supervision? Dr. Kovach suggests that managers may be operating under a self-reference system, assuming that employees want the same kind of rewards that they, as supervisors, would want. If this is not true (as the data would suggest), then what should managers do to align their motivational rewards with the desires of the people they are hoping to motivate?

Ask them!

The simplest way to find out how you can motivate or re-motivate someone is to ask him or her. Instead of assuming that money is the primary motivator, managers should ask what types of rewards employees would value most. The answers might be surprising!

In their book Gung Ho! authors Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles identify three building blocks to creating a motivating work environment.

1. Worthwhile work guided by goals and values—Employees want to focus on ways in which they can feel that they are a significant and important part of their work environment. This means creating an exciting vision with clearly relevant tasks and job responsibilities that are tied to that vision.
2. Putting workers in control of achieving the goal—It is increasingly important to place the responsibility for decision making directly on the employees themselves. Employees are more motivated when they know they are being counted on to use their own judgment, versus simply carrying out policies that allow for little, if any, individual discretion.
3. Cheering each other on—Create a collaborative climate where milestones and other measures of improvement are celebrated and people feel acknowledged. Reward and recognition focused on catching people doing things right is one of the best ways to positively reinforce a motivating work environment.

Employees are expecting more from their work. Increasingly, employees are looking for their workplace to provide them with a sense of meaning and identity. They want to be recognized as individuals. They want a chance to express themselves. They want work that engages their interest, makes best use of their abilities, and develops their potential.

At the same time, organizations are looking for ways to unlock the discretionary energy of employees. These organizations recognize that this energy is one of their greatest sources of competitive advantage.

Employee motivation is a key factor in establishing long-term organizational success. Yet it is an area often overlooked by many organizations. People want to be motivated to give their best effort on the job. Make sure that you are setting up conditions and rewards in your organization that will encourage your people to be their best.

If you'd like to learn more about motivating employees in your organization, please join The Ken Blanchard Companies for a FREE online Webinar.

Motivation: It's All About You!
Thursday, November 11, 2004
9:00 -10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 -1:00 p.m. Eastern Time)

Have you ever wondered why some people are motivated at work while others aren't? Have you ever thought about what your organization could do to improve the level of excitement and engagement for its employees? Join Blanchard Consulting Partner Ann Phillips as she explores what motivates people and what organizations can do in supporting a motivating work environment. You'll learn how to set up a motivating environment for yourself and for others—resulting in both individual and organizational success!

Today, more than ever, employees are looking for meaning in the work they do and in the products and services they provide. Gung Ho! is the solution for inspiring and motivating employees at all levels.

For a limited time you can buy any of the following three Ken Blanchard book titles for only $10.00 each—in any combination and quantity! Call 800 728-6052 to place your order today to ensure delivery before the holidays.

Customer Mania! (NEW!), The Secret, or Your Leadership Legacy

Offer expires December 31, 2004

Please note that The Ken Blanchard Companies will be closed 11/22 to 11/26, 2004