The sky is the limit

Why it is that employees in some organisations are highly motivated, whereas employees elsewhere are discouraged and downtrodden? The answer to this question is no doubt complex, but in many instances it may lie in the role of leadership. There is no doubt that a manager has the ability to shape a workplace environment.

Creating the right environment starts with developing a strategic plan that gets everyone involved. It also entails giving staff members the right direction and feedback.

Any 'dream team' is comprised of a talented and highly motivated person, as the leader. More than anything else, the effective leader has to motivate or energise people. Without motivation, talent is nothing more than wasted potential. 

Motivation is a feeling of interest that makes you want to do something, a reason for doing something or behaving in a certain way. While, it is true that motivation comes from within, it can also be generated by a leader who has the credibility to confirm goals and promote goal-oriented activity.

All the best managers have the leadership qualities that provide a highly motivating environment for employees.

It is easy to assume that the most successful and most creative organisations are those with the most recognisable style or the most amazingly artistic portfolio of achievements. However, in truth, the firms that are able to deliver quality results year in and year out, are very often the ones that have an energised, enthusiastic team.

These organisations are typically the ones which recognise that their greatest asset is their people.

Some consultants have suggested that it is almost impossible to get more out of employees. In some organisations they have been restructured, reorganised and re-engineered. They've been downsized, delayered, and diversified. They have been asked to do more with less.

But this attitude is slightly negative and ignores the power of energising and motivating people.

The positive view of employees is that people come to work motivated to do a good job. They bring their minds, hearts and egos with them and they certainly are not thinking of doing things to jeopardise their self-esteem. That's why they want to continuously and consistently perform well, meet and exceed the company's and customers' expectations, and get better at what they do. They realise mistakes are a part of learning and performing. But, they don't come to work to make deliberate mistakes.

In such an environment, managers are well advised to do what they can to increase the energy level in the company by celebrating the wins and successes, and also the mistakes and failures. When employees believe that they can fail without fear, and use that failure as a learning experience for future performances, they are usually more motivated to perform well.

There are case studies that indicate that very traditional manufacturing companies can better utilise the brains and talent of employees. Where managers believe in people, amazing things can happen.

Where workers are motivated to be creative, whole plants can be transformed from environments in which each person individually handles part of a work process, to fully cross-trained manufacturing cells producing a whole product.

For such radical change, though, it is essential for managers to be involved, to be visible and to be around.

Now more than ever before, it is really beneficial for the manager to be present with his or her people.

By being present, managers show employees that they are involved in the daily issues. It is not good enough to be just a figurehead sitting in an office reading academic journals.

Managers can win great credibility when they help employees or do their share of tasks that are considered less pleasant.

Simple as it may seem, walking around and asking how things are going, can have a dramatic effect. Equally, being available for questions or consultation shows workers that a manager is part of the team and is available to help them be successful.