When Mary started with the company, she was enthusiastic, energetic, and consistently the top salesperson on the team. She got along well with her co-workers and was known for her superior customer service skills. But over time, something changed.
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Mary began to arrive to work late, leave early, and take long lunches. The brief interactions with her co-workers usually turned into complaint sessions. She ignored phone calls and didn’t respond to emails. Customers were frustrated. Mary spent more time on her cell phone than doing the work she was getting paid for.
John, Mary’s manager, was at his wit’s end. He wanted Mary to get back to the level of work he knew she was capable of. He went from one extreme to the other trying to motivate her. First, he tried money. Then, he tried disciplinary action. Both resulted in short-term improvements, but they didn’t last.
Does this situation sound familiar? If so, don’t give up too soon. There are six other ways to motivate employees that have longer lasting results than money or disciplinary action. The challenge is in determining what motivates employees.
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Comments
Other factors to consider
This article is good but too narrow. It assumes that the employee's change in behavior is due to lack of motivation. Before assuming this, first evaluate more deeply. Is it possible this employee is responding to stressors outside of the workplace and is too private or even embarrased to discuss it? Perhaps there are issues at home that are impacting their work, such as a pending divorce or sick family. Maybe they need more flexibility in hours and duties for awhile to allow them to work through whatever the issue is. Disciplinary action will only serve to add to the stress and behavior problems, not alleviate it. If the employer shows concern and allows for more flexibility it can acutally serve to increase staff loyalty and motivation once the stress issue eases because it shows compassion and value for the employee.
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