82 Posts Found

What’s interesting is that people often treat middle managers as the dispensable layer of the organization. This may be a contracting issue. Those at the very top are incentivized with high compensation tied to stock options. Those at the very bottom have simpler tasks that are spelled out in legally enforceable hourly contracts. Not so for those in the middle, who are responsible for implementing … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Claudine Gartenberg | Source: “IESE Insight” | Subjects: Human Resources, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Too many employers pay too little heed to the needs of the lower earners in their company. Here’s why—and how—they should shift gears.

Content: Article | Authors: Brooke Weddle, Tera Allas | Source: “McKinsey Quarterly” | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Many employees who are not engaged want a reason to be inspired. They are the “show me” group that needs an extra push to perform at their best. While positive feelings, such as happiness, are usually byproducts of engagement, they shouldn’t be confused with the primary outcomes. Rather, the primary emphasis should be on elements that engage workers and drive results, such as clarity of … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Authors: Annamarie Mann, Jim Harter | Source: “Gallup Management Journal” | Subjects: Human Resources, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Managers must take proactive steps to increase employee engagement, or risk losing their workforce. Engaged employees perform better, experience less burnout, and stay in organizations longer. The authors created this Employee Engagement Checklist: a distilled, research-based resource that practitioners can execute on during this critical period of renewed uncertainty. Use this checklist to boost employee engagement by helping them connect what they do to what … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Ashley Whillans, Daniel Stein, Jon M. Jachimowicz, Nick Hobson | Source: “Harvard Business Review” | Subjects: Human Resources, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Feelings are messengers of needs. Meeting needs unlocks positive feelings and energy; neglecting needs does the opposite. By integrating business objectives with meeting people’s needs, companies can make sure the strong wind of a positive emotional force is at their back. Emotions and feelings bring our needs — human requirements for survival — to our attention and strongly move us toward meeting them. 

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Our feelings … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Authors: Carolyn Black, Chad Gomes, Jon R. Katzenbach | Source: “strategy+business” | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Where self-advancement cannot, or is not allowed to, serve as a driving force, other sources of enthusiasm have to be found if momentous changes, such as the awakening and renovation of a stagnant society or radical reforms in the character and pattern of life of a community, are to be realized and perpetuated.

Content: Quotation | Author: Eric Hoffer | Source: “strategy+business” | Subjects: Change Management, Human Resources, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

If you tell your employees that you want them to embrace teamwork, but then reward your work force based on what they accomplish individually, you’ve undercut your message. In all likelihood, the consequence will be that employees who want to be considered for a bonus may no longer want to perform or support “unseen” collaborative work, which, despite what the company posits, goes unrewarded.

Content: Quotation | Author: Susan David | Source: “Inc. Magazine” | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Trust and transparency are the two biggest factors that impact engagement metrics, and if you don’t share survey results, you’ll erode both. You don’t have to do everything employees want, of course, but explain why you’re moving forward with some ideas and not with others. Organizations tend to do a poor job with the ‘why.’ They tell the team the ‘what,’ but not the reason behind … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Chris Powell | Source: “Inc. Magazine” | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Although an initiative should not rely solely on extrinsic motivation, that is, rewards and penalties (because they shift people’s motivation to the transactional side and thus diminish genuine interest in learning), keeping score can be useful in fostering spaced repetition. It represents a more “gamified” approach to daily life. Employees might thus earn points for making progress in gaining skills, perhaps redeemable as merchandise.

Content: Quotation | Authors: Ann Johnston, Darren Lee, Mike Pino | Source: “strategy+business” | Subjects: Human Resources, Motivation, Training & Development

When clients, customers and other end users express feedback and appreciation, employees develop stronger beliefs in the impact and value of their work. Interaction also increases empathy for customers, even when the interaction is virtual.

Content: Article | Author: Adam Grant | Source: “[email protected]” | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

What it means to be happy differs widely among people. Some of us, when we say we want to be happy, actually mean that we want to feel calm and relaxed. That’s what we would consider a state of happiness. Then there are others who would say, “I want to be excited and enthusiastic. And if I’m feeling that, then I am happy.” There may … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Jochen Menges | Source: “strategy+business” | Subjects: Human Resources, Motivation, Personal Development

In our combined 50-plus years of working to improve organizations, we’ve observed that many managers struggle to make employees feel that their talents and contributions are noticed and valued. To explore this problem, we recently took a deep dive within an organization to see how organizational efforts to show appreciation and gratitude were perceived. In that project we engaged with both employees and managers through … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Joseph R. Weintraub, Kate O’Leary, Kerry Roberts Gibson | Source: “Harvard Business Review” | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Motivation

In today’s tight job market, employers must focus on how to attract and keep top talent. Giving away stacks of money may not always be the best incentive.

Content: Article | Authors: Ashley V. Whillans, Dina Gerdeman | Source: “Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge” | Subjects: Compensation, Human Resources, Motivation

Much research shows that pay is a “hygiene factor,” not an “engagement factor.” In other words, in most cases if compensation is not high enough, people will leave—but increasing compensation does not directly increase engagement (with certain exceptions).

Content: Quotation | Author: Josh Bersin | Source: “Deloitte Review” | Subjects: Compensation, Human Resources, Motivation

What really motivates us? Humans have pondered this question for decades. Is it money, power, and fame? Or rather fear and punishment? Psychologists’ answers have varied, along with a broad transformation in prevailing views. Developed by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci nearly four decades ago, self-determination theory (SDT) has become one of the most widely accepted theories of human motivation in contemporary behavioral science.

Content: Article | Author: Sandra Knispel | Source: “University of Rochester” | Subjects: Human Resources, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

Research sheds light on which employee incentives work best.

Content: Article | Source: “Kellogg Insight” | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior

These findings echo one of the main concerns associated with monetary rewards that sometimes fail to accomplish their goals. Academics refer to this phenomenon as the crowding-out effect of explicit incentives on intrinsic motivation. In other words, associating an economic value with a certain activity changes the nature of the exchange. If health care workers sanitize their hands because it is in the best interest … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Susanna Gallani | Source: “Harvard Business Review” | Subjects: Motivation, Organizational Behavior, Personality / Behavior

Unfortunately, so often when people try to motivate others they take responsibility rather than helping the person find responsibility themselves.

Content: Quotation | Author: Richard Ryan | Source: “University of Rochester” | Subjects: Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior, Personality / Behavior

Most startups don’t spend nearly enough time recognizing people. Most people need to know their managers and org leaders see their hard work and value it. They’re hungry for this type of acknowledgment. When you tell a story about them, you kick their motivation into hyperdrive, and you make them a model for the rest of the team to follow their lead.

Content: Quotation | Author: Don Faul | Source: “First Round Review” | Subjects: Leadership, Management, Motivation, Storytelling

I firmly believe that leaders at companies need to be in service to their people. They need to ensure they have everything they need to succeed. One of the most critical needs they have is a complete picture of why they should show up and pour their heart into their work every day. It’s not a nice to have, it’s a basic need.

Content: Quotation | Author: Don Faul | Source: “First Round Review” | Subjects: Leadership, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior