HR_5.29.14

May 29, 2014. Behavioral economists study what motivates employees to do good work and display engagement in their jobs. Employers, managers, and supervisors can glean some useful tools from these lessons.

Watch the TED Talk HERE.

Eliminate Negative Motivation

1. Meaning. Employees thrive when they see meaning in their work. An unmotivated employee may not see why their role is important in the larger organization. A poor performer in accounting, for instance, may not understand why their work benefits the company. Explain his work in the bigger picture.

2. Acknowledgement. There may be no greater drain on morale than when a person or team works hard at a project, but the company changes direction and that work is no longer needed. Even when a project is not needed or needs some work, acknowledge the work and endeavor to take some value from the project. This can be as simple as discussing what the employee learned along the way.

Promote Positive Motivation

3. Challenge. Mountain climbing - people want to be challenged. We value our work more as the difficulty level rises. Keep people challenged.

4. Progress. No one wants to do work but get nowhere. Show your employees how they have made progress. Even if they do the same thing every day, a sense of accomplishment encourages us to do more and do better.

For more information regarding employment law and how to motivate employees, contact the Goosmann Law Firm at info@goosmannlaw.com or call 712-226-4000.

Follow Jeana Goosmann and Emilee Boyle Gehling on Twitter @JeanaAtGLF and @EmileeAtGLF!

Subscribe Our Blog

DISCLAIMER: The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. By visiting this website, blog, or post you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the Goosmann Law Firm attorneys and website publisher. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from Goosmann Law Firm, PLC, or the individual author, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this Post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.