The pressure to perform, lack of acknowledgment and feeling undervalued- these are problems plaguing many passionate employees in the workplace. Not for the lack of effort from managers, CEO’s etc… but the lack of awareness that employees each have their own motivation styles.
Imagine this, you’ve ventured through the hiring process, found a perfect candidate and 8 weeks in you notice them dragging their feet to team meetings- they seem to be the furthest thing from the person you interviewed.
So, what happened?
I hate to say it, but odds are it’s something you did as a leader. The most present trend in corporations is worshipping employee achievement only through financial reward which is toxic as not all people are motivated by money.
Over time, this reward choice sends a subconscious message to the employees that their value to the company is worth x amount of money only when they achieve ABC goal. Therefore, if they are not receiving a financial reward, they are not valuable employees.
To be a successful leader, you must know that every employee has a primary and secondary motivation strategy unique to their personality.
Cater to an employee’s personal motivation strategies and you’ll notice workplace engagement, happiness, and positivity will drastically increase. If you feel like you’re in a downhill spiral with your team and need a bird’s eye view to get back on track, let’s chat.
Here are four motivation strategies to help keep your employees happy, healthy and wealthy:
A) Verbal Praise
When an employee is motivated through verbal praise, saying things like “ You’ve done a great job (name)!” or “ Way to go, I’m really proud of you!” will motivate them to continue doing incredible work for you. Words light them up and the more you use your speech to help them feel acknowledged, heard and seen, the more motivated they will be.
Verbal praise can happen in a 1:1 environment and/or a group setting. It’s best to check in with your employee on if they have a preference as some people do not like being the center of attention (which could demotivate them).
B) Kinesthetic Praise
Some people are highly kinesthetic and prefer to be motivated and appreciated through touch: handshakes, fist bumps or high fives. You’ll find these people are more comfortable talking in close proximity to you and often discuss how they “feel” about situations.
Most importantly, personal boundaries need to be respected. If someone is not okay with this method of motivation, you have the wrong motivation strategy and/or you need to reevaluate your approach.
C) Collaboration & Community
A person who is motivated through collaboration and community prefers to work as part of a team instead of alone. If they’ve been assigned to a project and are struggling, this person would respond well to your help in getting unstuck. If you consistently give solo projects to employees with this primary motivation strategy, switch up their tasks with some community-based incentives to keep their needs met in the workplace.
D) Rewards
When an employee’s motivational strategy falls into this category they can be driven by financial rewards, occupational advancement and/ or gift giving (like buying them a coffee). They’ll be motivated by bonuses, commissions, extra holidays, lunch out with the boss, the chance to snag a promotion, lead a team etc.
Remember that every person has a primary and secondary motivational strategy. When you’re focusing on catering to an employees needs, you can dance between both of their strategies.
Use the following 4 questions to uncover your employee’s motivational strategies and current motivation level:
1) On a scale of 1-10, how motivated do you feel to continue to excel in the workplace (10 highly motivated),?
2) Rate these questions from 1-4 to find to describe the best way to motivate you in the workplace(1 least motivated, 4 highly motivated):
I feel the most motivated when my manager/CEO/boss…
A) Tells me that I’ve done a great job and that they are proud of my work I get told
B) High fives me or gives me a handshake to acknowledge my work
C) Helps me out with a project that I’ve been working on
D) Buys me a coffee, takes me to lunch, gives me a promotion
3) On a scale of 1-10 (10 highly motivated), how motivated would you like to feel in your current position?
4) Is there anything else your employer should know about your motivation style that would help you succeed and excel in your role? (yes/no) If yes, please describe.
The quality of your communication is reflected in your culture. Focus on keeping your employees engaged by understanding their individual motivation strategies and you will have higher retention, increased performance and make the work culture a “win” for everyone.
About the Author
Shaylene Cameron, CEO, and Founder at Shaylene Cameron Mentoring. After driving over 1 million in B2C sales, managing a team of 12, and teaching everything from prospecting to client sales, Shaylene quit at the top of her game. Now, she helps service-based entrepreneurs, CEO’s and executives have a positive impact AND create more wealth in their businesses. You can get in touch with Shaylene by clicking here.
