Motivational_Methods

Motivational Methods HCS 325 Professor John Thompson February 14, 2011 Managers in the health care setting are routinely met with change. How they, and their employees, adapt to change is one way to measure the organization’s success. While change breeds feelings of negativity, change can also improve decision making and performance (lovetoknow, 2006-2011). To prepare for change, a manager must implement new strategies for coping with stress and to keep employees motivated in the process. According to Lombardi (2007), “motivation is used in management theory to describe forces within individuals that account for the level, direction, and persistence of effort they expend at work.” Three motivational methods that a manager can put into place are goal setting, incentives or consequences, and personal empowerment. According to Lombardi (2007), “goals can be highly motivating-if they are properly set and well managed.” Goals set the foundation for success. With proper goal setting, managers and employees can identify priorities within themselves and the company, and can reprioritize if needed. According to Bruce Wares (1998), goals must be “conceivable, believable, and achievable.” For goal setting to equal success, a person must be able to visualize their goals, have the goals match their value system, be realistic, and physically and mentally achievable. For an organization experiencing change, a manager could help with setting goals on an individual basis, or amongst groups. To set goals, an individual or group must identify an area that needs, or could use, improvement. Next, the group or individual must write the desired action on paper. By committing to paper, a group or individual is more likely to complete the goal. Finally, as the goal is nearing completion, the group or individual should begin formulating a new goal to be completed (Wares, 1998). If a manager approves of the goals that their employees have set, they can then set incentives for completed tasks or consequences for uncompleted goals. Incentives can be anything from money to vacation trips. Behaviorists have said that managers can motivate employees by giving praise. Praise is economical and works to meet Maslow’s top need of Self-Actualization. When praise is paired with a non-cash reward, such as a Friday off of work, employees are more likely to perform highly. Bret Longnecker of Longnecker and Associates in Houston, Texas states that “rewards must be random and occasional. If gift cards are given on a weekly basis, they will become more of an expectation rather than a reward” (Microsoft Business, 2010). When setting a reward for an accomplished goal, an employee is more likely to focus on the reward rather than the fear of failing to complete the desired action. Incentives must be made available to each member of the organization to promote respect and unity amongst employees. Fear of failing to complete a goal is also a motivator for desired performance. For employees that do not meet goal setting expectations, managers can implement ramifications to motivate employees to perform. Successful consequences can be write-ups, suspensions, or termination. If divided into teams, employees can also set up consequences among the group. According to PhysOrg (2003-2010), “the ability to monitor the contribution of others can be beneficial to those working together frequently. If team members can observe each other's efforts then they can impose sanctions on those who shirk as it may encourage them to pull their weight.” Along with motivation, consequences set boundaries within the company. If an employee strays from the policies and procedures of a company, then consequences will be enforced. As team members receive praise and pursue leadership, their feelings of empowerment grow. Empowerment is a good motivator to encourage employees to hold personal responsibility. Empowerment enables employees to make decisions about their work. As employees gain greater responsibility, a higher level of stress and focus is placed on completing a task in a timely manner, and to the best that they can. If a manager offers opportunities to advance in the organization, empowerment would be a great motivator for promotion within the company (About.com, 2011). Managers can foster empowerment through leadership programs, team building workshops, and employee-led staff meetings. By allowing employees to voice their opinions and offer suggestions, the manager can build up the staff’s morale and also provide a quality work environment. As manager’s face changes within their organizations, it is their responsibility to help their employees deal with the stress that change brings. By motivating their employees through goal setting, incentives, consequences, and empowerment, an organization can successfully overcome potential barriers of change. References About.com. (2011). Team Building / Employee Empowerment / Employee Involvement. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/Team_Building_Employee_Empowerment_Employee_Involvement.htm Lombardi, D. M., & Schermerhorn, J. R. (2007). Health care management: Tools and techniques for managing in a health care environment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. lovetoknow. (2006-2011). Stress Associated with Change. Retrieved from http://stress.lovetoknow.com/Stress_Associated_with_Change Microsoft Business. (2010). 4 Ways to Reward, Motivate Employees. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-us/resources/management/pay-benefits/4-ways-to-reward-motivate-employees.aspx'fbid=SBDDK-gluLI#waystorewardmotivateemployees PhysOrg. (2003-2010). The Benefits of Punishment. Retrieved from http://www.physorg.com/news147705684.html Wares, B. (1998). The Importance of Setting Goals. Bottom Line Underwriters. Retrieved from http://www.bluinc.com/news/theimportance.html