Keys to Motivating Employess Without Fear or Threats

Given the challenges, and sometimes monotony, of the modern workplace, motivating your employees isn’t always easy. Productivity can start to drop, morale can suffer, and workers can find themselves in a bit of a slump. Some employers resort to the use of fear and threats to combat this, but this won’t produce the kind of positive, lasting results you seek. Here are six key ways to motivate employees without fear or threats.

Hire the Right People

The hiring process can be difficult, especially if you’re desperate for savvy, smart and self-starter employees. But high standards and intentionality in the hiring stage will really pay off over time. Instead of hiring people who merely meet basic criteria, seek out those who share your vision, who are inspired by what you’re doing. Pursue those who are not driven by the bottom line, but by passion and a desire to always improve and keep learning. Hiring self-motivated people who share your vision will prevent falling into fear or threats to get the results you want.

Set Clear Expectations

Sometimes employees underperform because they do not have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Without clarity, people usually lack confidence, and this lack of confidence can lead to stilted effort. It’s hard to be motivated when you’re not sure if you’re doing your job right! If you set clear expectations and guidelines for your employees, they’ll be less likely to lose motivation.

Have Written Job Descriptions

Unfortunately in today’s fast paced world many employees are tasked with duties that don’t always fall under their job description.  For example:  A sales representative’s job may be to work with prospects, close sales and earn repeat business.  However, does the job description cover several hours each month in mandatory meetings or trainings?  What about the reports and projections needed for next month’s forecasting?  A clear job description that covers the typical duties expected, rather than a basic overview, can go a long way in ensuring that you find the right people and set the right expectations early on.

Listen Well

Listening to your employees can go a long way. When you listen to someone, you show them both trust and respect. Using fear or threats, however, seldom makes an employee feel trusted or respected. Sometimes an honest conversation makes a big difference. Maybe you have an employee whose lack of motivation comes from the unspoken belief that they stand no chance of moving up in the company. Or could it be that they are bursting with ideas that could improve sales but no one has taken the time to ask, or have shot down other ideas in the past.  Initiating a conversation with them, and letting them express their concerns, gives you the opportunity to encourage them, correct wrong assumptions, and exchange ideas.

Create Attainable Goals

Employees who feel they cannot succeed will often lose heart, and their performance will become lackluster. If people assume that they won’t reach their goal, they won’t bother exerting themselves. An objective must be attainable, while still requiring time and effort. A goal that is challenging but in reach will help employees feel motivated to work hard.

Praise Publicly

Sometimes an employee’s underperformance can stem from discouragement. A kind word is always beneficial, but you can take it a step further. Public praise is particularly beneficial, capable of providing a significant morale boost. It shows an employee that you are grateful for their contribution, and that their work is worth commending to others. It also promotes an environment where people are comfortable receiving—and giving—praise. A workplace full of individuals encouraging and congratulating one another will be a workplace with motivated, productive workers.

Provide Desirable Rewards

The opposite of using fear and threats as motivation is using rewards. The concept is simple: instead of threatening to take something away, why not give something? Encouragement and praise are a good start, but adding a rewards program will be an even greater improvement. However, this reward must be something your employees find desirable. A unique, exciting reward that appeals to your particular employee demographic will motivate in ways a threat never could. Using fear or threats can hurt employees’ confidence and self-esteem, and potentially produce bitterness or anger. Rewards, on the other hand, are much more likely to produce a positive response—gratitude, excitement, and improved loyalty. Travel incentive programs, in particular, significantly improve motivation through the promise of an exciting, new adventure. These rewards will get people talking, encourage a healthy competition, and produce a kind of lasting productivity that threats can never accomplish.

Conclusion

While the use of fear or threats can sometimes produce a brief, and occasionally even significant, boost in motivation, it does not produce long-term impact.  Employees won’t have lasting dedication, they won’t have excitement about their work, and their self-image may take a toll. Instead, use positive motivators. Replace fear with encouragement and threats with rewards, and soon your employee motivation will be on the rise.

Are you seeking ideas to reward your employees to boost motivation among them?  If so, contact Gavel International to learn more about travel incentive programs.