A critical competency as a seasoned leader is being able to motivate employees to perform well throughout the year. At performance review time, however, you may face hesitancy and resistance to feedback. How can you keep them motivated while offering suggestions for improvement? Let’s dive into effective communication so your input aligns with your employee’s key motivational needs.
One effective way is identifying behavior style using DISC, the science of observable behavior. You can determine how your team members prefer to receive feedback, be managed and how they respond to conflict.
The second way to keep people motivated is by meeting three of their basic needs. Dr. Thad Green, developed the Belief System of Motivation and Performance over thirty years ago. His theory addresses three beliefs that help define what your employee needs to be motivated at work:
- Belief in Self: Employees need to believe “I can do it” to have confidence. If there are certain aspects of their job they feel they cannot do, their motivation will be low. Getting them to tell you where they need help to be more successful is the first step in understanding confidence issues.
- Belief that Outcomes Are Tied to Performance: Employees need to believe “Outcomes (good or bad) will be tied to my performance” to have trust in you, their leader. Otherwise, they will likely say, “why bother?” Trust in you won’t exist if they don’t know upfront whether performance is rewarded.
- Belief in Satisfying Outcomes: Employees need to believe “The outcomes I receive will be satisfying to me” as a part of this motivation equation. Do you know the outcomes your employees will find satisfying? The challenge is to know the needs of each of your team members. Some simply want praise and recognition, while others want a more flexible schedule or monetary rewards. Therefore, you must ask your team members what’s most satisfying to them.
You have an opportunity to share positive feedback with your employees and bring out their best using effective communication skills. I also have a Belief System of Motivation and Performance assessment that’s very helpful.
Are you experiencing a lack of engagement or had challenges motivating employees? If so, contact me for your organizational development needs. I’ve heard countless performance challenges from leaders and can help you solve these problems.