Archive for motivation SmartBlogs
For decades, management science has concerned itself with researching and developing sophisticated systems for understanding and unleashing employee motivation. In organizations, we’ve experimented with countless combinations of possible solutions to arrive at that magical motivational mix. We’ve tried:
- Compensation, bonuses, and different takes on doling out the almighty dollar to inspire employees
- Recognition in a variety of flavors, including verbal reinforcement, physical tokens and reminders, and exotic trips
- Team structures that support relationships and greater autonomy
- Enticing work spaces (because what says ‘motivation’ more than a pool table and hanging out with Fido from 9 to 5?)
- Flexible schedules and remote working opportunities
Is it possible that we’ve over-engineered a complex solution to a simple problem?[…] Continue Reading »
The recent criminal indictments of 35 Atlanta school administrators and teachers at the root of that district’s test-cheating scandal show just how far some people will go when incentives are so lucrative.
Other school systems — including those in New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, and El Paso, Texas — have experienced similar cheating on standardized tests.[…] Continue Reading »
Here’s something that might surprise you: The best leaders do not attempt to motivate their employees, athletes, students or children.
In fact, those people in leadership positions who try to light fires for others tend to not keep their jobs for long. However, those who know the difference between leadership and motivation create a different legacy; their impact on others endures.[…] Continue Reading »
“I review my notes for a conference call with a client in Asia; I generally talk with them early morning, my time, about twice a month. I stand up to face the large whiteboard, dial in, and present my idea: a customized management-development learning program. The call goes well, and we make plans to co-develop a series of videos to teach basic and advanced leadership, workplace performance, and personal productivity methodologies to their global workforce.”
What you have just read is a portion of one of my Ideal Days at work.[…] Continue Reading »
When I became the president of Bates Communications in 2010, I embarked on a series of conversations with executives from great organizations across the country. Frequently, I heard of companies at which individuals had risen in the ranks due to their technical brilliance and impressive individual accomplishments. Now, though, they had reached a point in their careers where their technical skills had taken them as far as they could go.[…] Continue Reading »
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