What Motivates Managers?

Motivation is all about treating people with dignity

What is motivation?
Though there is no one definition of the word, it usually includes:

Desires, wants, wishes, aims, goals, needs, drives, motives and incentives.

Here are some strategies that operating managers can apply in order to create requisite 'desires' within their people to deliver their best to the organization.

• Providing career growth, learning and development opportunities: What a present day knowledge worker needs is adequate opportunities to learn and grow so that he remains employable in the current competitive business environment.

• Providing an exciting and challenging work environment: So that he can put all his existing skills to good use.

• Appreciating good performance: A manager should feel that he is a part of the team and his contribution is being noticed.

• Providing regular feedback: As Ken Blanchand, author of the One Minute Manager says, "Feedback is the breakfast of champions" i.e. they want to know how they are delivering. .

• Soliciting, Employees, Opinions: In order to involve them in decisions that affects their jobs.

• Opening channels of communication: Regular question and answer sessions, small group forums with the head of the organization and an open door policy are some ways that might encourage managers to speak up.