Motivate & Energize Employees: The Dos and Don’ts

How you push one staffer’s buttons might not be the best strategy for another staffer. But there are some motivational “Dos” and “Don’ts” that resonate with just about everyone:

Do reward teams and individuals

Group rewards and recognition are just as important as individual rewards because they stress the importance of interdependence – AKA teamwork.

Don’t criticize groups

Group criticism rarely works. The people who deserve the criticism most will likely let it roll off their backs. Those who don’t need or deserve criticism will resent it and possibly become de-motivated.

Do communicate clearly — vocally and in writing

When giving praise or constructive criticism, make sure to articulate exactly what you liked (or need to see improvement on). For example: “The data sets you provided were spot-on. However you turned it in a day after our deadline. You need to communicate if you need more time to complete a project.” This way of communicating helps people to understand what you want and expect from them on a consistent basis.

Don’t be vague

The opposite is just as true. People become de-motivated if you can’t clearly communicate goals. Phrases like “Step it up” or “You need to a better job” aren’t worth much without specifics. For example: telling an employee that you need a project done ASAP. You’re telling the person to drop everything he or she is working on — and to rush to complete it. In the grand scheme of things, there are very few instances where a task truly needs to be done ASAP!

Do empower

One of the biggest turnoffs for good employees is micro-management. Give good staffers the training they need, help them develop their skills, and communicate the goal clearly. Then get out of the way and let them do it.

Don’t let them founder

This is the flip side of empowerment. When hands-off doesn’t work, good managers step back in to get their people on track. Delegation (or empowerment) is good, but abrogation (letting them founder) isn’t.