When you are watching the bottom line, it is easy to forget how your employees are feeling about their jobs. But unproductive staff can be one of the biggest threats to that bottom line, as many business owners have discovered to their cost. Motivated employees are effective employees. Learn how to create a favourable working environment and increase worker effectiveness!

INTRODUCTION: Motivating Today's Employees xi
PART I: THE BASICS OF MOTIVATION 1
1 MOTIVATIONAL THEORY 5
What Is Motivation? 6
What the Theorists Tell Us about Motivation 7
Frederick Herzberg 7
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 9
Theories X and Y 10
Theory Z 11
Applying the Theories 12
2 FACTS AND FALLACIES ABOUT MOTIVATION 13
Fallacy #1: Motivation Is the Goal 15
Fallacy #2: Money Motivates 15
Fallacy #3: The Golden Rule Applies 17
Fallacy #4: Motivators Are Universal 18
v
CONTENTS
Fallacy #5: The Burning Platform Can Be a Strong Motivator 19
Fallacy #6: Motivation Doesn't Matter As Long As the
Job Gets Done 19
Fallacy #7: In a Poor Economy, Motivation
Doesn't Matter 20
Fallacy #8: Nobody's Irreplaceable 20
Fallacy #9: I Can Motivate My Employees 21
Fallacy #10: Once a Motivated Employee, Always a Motivated
Employee 22
3 WHAT MOTIVATES EMPLOYEES? 23
Motivators for the 21st Century 24
What Employees Want 26
Employee Commitment 26
Employee Retention 28
Finding Out What Your Employees Want 29
Putting It All Together 31
PART II: THE FIRST LINE OF INFLUENCE 35
4 FINDING THE RIGHT FIT 41
Hire Right 43
Start Employees off on the Right Foot 48
Welcome 49
Organization Chart 49
Company and Department Objectives 50
Working Conditions 50
Job Responsibilities and Job Standards 51
Company Standards 51
Introductions 51
Problems to Avoid during Orientation 52
Goals, Roles, and Reporting Lines 53
Goals 54
Roles 55
Reporting Lines 56
vi Motivating today's employees
Maintaining Ongoing Contact 56
5 COACHING AND COUNSELING 59
"What Do You Expect from Me?" 60
Establishing Job Standards 60
Establishing Clear Goals 63
Additional Considerations 65
Evaluating Performance: "How Am I Doing?" 66
Providing Constructive Feedback 68
Giving Credit and Praise for Accomplishments 72
The Importance of Constructive Feedback 73
Handling Problem Employees 76
Exercising Positive Discipline 78
Exit Interviews 81
Exit Interviews Should Be a Standard Operating Practice 81
Use an Objective Third Party to Conduct the Interview 82
Conduct an In-Person Interview 82
Look for Trends, Not Incidents 82
6 COMMUNICATION 85
Communication: An Organizational Priority 86
It Starts at the Top 86
Preparing Employees to Hear the Messages 87
Manager As Role Model 88
Communicating in an Environment of Change 89
Creating an Environment for Change 91
What You Should Tell Employees 93
Common Communication Problems 95
Hearing Only What You Expect to hear 95
Letting biases interfere 96
Semantics 97
Noise 97
Emotions 97
Contents vii
Non-verbal Communication 98
Organizational Barriers to Effective Communication 99
A Three-Step Approach to Avoiding Miscommunication 100
Step 1: Verification 100
Step 2: Clarification 101
Step 3: Follow-up 101
Encouraging Two-Way Communication 102
Removing the Risk 103
Responding to Constructive Feedback 104
Communication Vehicles 107
Rap Sessions 107
Regular Meetings 107
Grievance or Suggestion System 108
Intranet Forums 108
Open-Door Policies 109
Opinion Surveys 110
Social Gatherings 110
Creative Communication: Lessons from the Front Lines 111
PART III: PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES 115
7 BENEFITS 121
Meeting the Needs of a Diverse Workforce through
Flexible Benefits 123
Addressing Employee Work/Life Needs 125
Family First: A No-Cost/Low-Cost Benefit 127
Time Off When They Want It - PTO Programs 128
Meeting the Needs of Working Parents 130
The 3:00 Syndrome and What You Can (and Should)
Do about It 131
The Child-Care Dilemma 132
Workers without Children 133
Telecommuting 134
viii Motivating today's employees
Little Things Mean a Lot 137
A Variety of Benefits to Meet Employee and
Organizational Needs 139
Communicating the Value of Employee Benefits 142
8 RECOGNITION AND REWARD 143
The Simple Things 146
Problems with Awards 148
Rewarding Employee Longevity 150
Additional Resources 152
9 INVOLVEMENT AND ADVANCEMENT 153
Decision Making: More Than a Managerial Prerogative 156
Encouraging Employee Involvement 158
"What Do You Think?" 159
Encouraging Employee Suggestions 160
Job Growth and Opportunity 162
What Makes a Job a Good Job? 162
Providing Job Growth 163
Job Redesign 164
Job Enlargement 164
Job Restructuring 165
Job Enrichment 165
Cross-training 168
Teambuilding 168
Succession Planning: Identifying Future Leaders 169
Identify What Skills and Competencies Are Needed 170
Make Sure the Direction Comes from the Top 170
Develop an Acceleration Pool 171
Additional Resources 172
10 EDUCATION AND TRAINING 173
Training Topics 176
Customer Service 176
Technology 176
Contents ix
Interpersonal Skills 176
Quality Improvement 176
Technical Skills 177
The Benefits of Employee Education 177
Types of Training 178
In-House Training 178
Choosing Outside Training 179
Computer-Based Training 181
Getting a Degree Online 184
Other Training Opportunities 185
Brown Bag Lunches 185
Reading Groups 185
Discussion Groups 185
Special Assignments 185
Mentoring 185
Community Events 186
Training Pays 186
11 HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS 189
Job Pressures Impact Health and Wellness 190
How Jobs Contribute to Stress 192
Creating a Low-Stress Environment 193
The Benefits of Health and Wellness Programs 194
Steps to an Effective Program 197
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) 199
Managers and EAPs 200
CONCLUSION 207
SAMPLES
1 What Do Employees Really Want? 30
2 Retention Risk Assessment 33
x Motivating today's employees