When was the last time you gave an employee an important assignment? You explain how you want it done and give them a deadline. A little later you check on them to see how they are doing. Much to your dismay they have only made a micron of progress. As you question them, you find out they have ignored your instructions and are doing it their own way. Or you encounter even a worse scenario. They have not even started the task, but have been on Facebook, checking the latest “news” on the internet or talking on their cell phone.
The most likely the reason they did not either start on the project promptly or did it their own unproductive way, or did not focus on it, was they did not understand the implications of not quickly completing the task in the way you instructed. They felt a lack of a sense of urgency as to how important the assignment was and the need for its proper and timely completion. These issues may affect many or all of your staff.
Studies have shown this apparent lack of discipline and motivation in the workplace stems from the fact that many employees are not fully engaged in their work. According to Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace Report only 30% of employees are engaged and inspired at work. Many employees do not comprehend the significance of their role in their organization or the importance of their business in the grand scheme of things. The reason this so crucial is that engagement leads to motivation, which leads to focus, which in turn yields productivity.
So how do you increase you
r personnel’s engagement, motivation, focus and productivity? A knee jerk response may be to increase their pay and improve their fringe benefits. Does this consistently result in motivation? Many studies have shown that once a person has what they perceive to be adequate compensation and fringe benefits, there is very little improvement in their productivity as result of a pay raise or more fringe benefits.
Are your unmotivated employees driving you crazy? Having worked with over 1,200 businesses over the past 17 years we have found that there are five foundations to creating engaged, motivated and productive employees. In my next article on this subject we will begin to examine these foundations.
