Motivational Skills in the Workplace

Motivational Skills in the Workplace Motivational Skills in the Workplace If you are successful at motivating others, then this is an important skill that you want to point out to potential employers. Employees use motivation skills to increase their chances of getting positive results when interfacing with customers, subordinates, upper management, suppliers, donors, team members, funding sources, and supervisors. For managers, who must inspire a whole team of people, the ability to motivate is a requirement.     What Are Motivational Skills? Motivational skills can be defined as actions or strategies that elicit a desired behavior or response by a stakeholder. These strategies and actions vary based on three major factors:   The motivators style  The target audience  The personality of the person the motivator seeks to influence Steps in the Motivational Process Motivation is a process that requires careful strategy for success. These steps can help you to reach the desired outcome: Assess the preferences and personality characteristics of the individual or group to be motivated. What motivates one group of people might not be the same as what motivates another group of people.  Define motivational strategies appropriate for that target.Convey expectations for performance from the object of the motivation. Or, make it clear how the person can achieve the desired outcome.Communicate benefits, rewards, or sanctions if expectations are or are not met.Share feedback on progress or lack of progress toward desired outcomes. Address problems or obstacles that are limiting success.Provide rewards for desired outcomes.Issue warnings before enacting sanctions.Recognize people who have responded in the desired manner. Examples of Motivation Motivation can be used in many different ways to elicit a positive result. Examples of how motivation can be used in the workplace include: Allocating professional development resources to the most motivated staffAllowing team members personal problem-solving autonomy instead of micromanaging the teamAsking for input regarding departmental objectivesAssigning desirable projects to staff who are highly engagedAwarding a performance-based bonus or salary increase to employees who achieve the right resultsBeing open to discuss, in a constructive and non-judgmental manner, employee concernsContinually noticing the contributions of staff and conveying appreciation Creating a pleasant and ergonomic workplace for your team membersDrafting a budget proposal for additional staff to management that emphasizes how revenues would be enhancedEmpowering staff to choose the way in which they will address goals whenever possibleFocusing on ways to learn from rather than punishing mistakesGiving to office collections to support favorite staff charities, celebrate birthdays, or sympathize with personal family lossHelping to build bridges across staff and management levels to heighten interconnectedness, foster collaboration, and build a shared sense of mission   Implementing a public tally board to record comparative sales by different members of the sales teamIdentifying and acknowledging the unique talents and contributions of team membersJoining informal “water cooler” discussions to gain an understanding of staff interests and personalities  Keenly assessing the interest of staff in various tasks and projectsLaunching voluntary health and wellness programsLimiting the length of staff meetings by sticking to a strict agenda and concluding discussions quickly Meeting with a subordinate to set performance goalsMentioning positive aspects of your supervisors leadership approach to her superior at an informal gatheringMentoring new personnel in an engaging and supportive fashionNoticing and quietly thanking peers for unsolicited acts of both project/work initiative and of interpersonal kindnessOffering to support colleagues or subordinates who are under stressProviding in-person testimonials by potential beneficiaries at a presentation to a grant funding organization Quarterly implementing team-building workshops to increase collaboration, mutual respect, and project ownershipRecognizing the contributions of key donors in public communicationsSending a note to an IT staff members supervisor after she helped with a successful implementationTaking a strong departmental contributor to lunch and thanking them for their effortsThanking a supervisor for their supportUtilizing rising technologies to streamline work processes, increase efficiency, and reduce caseloads Validating the individual progress of your subordinates in assuming greater levels of responsibilityWarning a subordinate of the consequences for continued latenessWriting a LinkedIn recommendation for a helpful business partnerExamining your own personal communications and work style to identify better ways to motivate others and lead by exampleYielding control, and ownership, of various project stages to subordinates or colleagues who deserve the opportunity to lead othersZeroing in on opportunities to increase staff engagement and accountability Motivation is an important skill that can bring you positive results. If motivating others is one of your key strengths, then this is a skill that you want to make known to employers, as it can lead to growth for both you and your company.