Deliverable 2 - Effective High-Performance Motivators

Motivation and Job Satisfaction

Leadership plays a critical role in employees’ motivation and performance level as well as job satisfaction Let’s start with defining each element.

· Motivation is anything that influences direction, promotes a positive reaction, and encourages persistence to behavior.

· Performance are the actions resulting from behaviors directed toward the organization’s goals.

· Job satisfaction is the way a person feels about a specific job or work activity.

Motivation and job satisfaction may appear to be interchangeable concepts. However, they are different when it comes to job performance. Motivation can be a response to job performance and the response can be for a specific behavior or a repeated behavior for a gained purpose. Job satisfaction can be the response for pleasure gained from the experience or a level of reassurance for a completed job. Although the two factors, motivation and job satisfaction, are different, there is a relationship in the workplace. A motivational environment can influence job satisfaction. Satisfaction in the workplace plays a critical part in the success of an organization. Having a satisfied workforce strengthens the organization's culture and the bottom line. Satisfied employees perform better, have decreased rates of absenteeism, and tend to contribute more to the organization’s goals; it is the leaders of the organization that must motivate and create satisfying working environments.

Employee Motivation

The success of a company or organization is the result of various elements. One element a company can implement is creating an environment of employee motivation. What is employee motivation? Employee motivation is a combination of natural and social needs, such as emotional gratification and physical comfort on the job. An environment of motivation has the most significant effect by developing a bond and work commitment with each employee. Taking the time to comprehend the drive needed for employees to perform is an excellent way to connect to the employees and retain engagement. Leaders can create an environment of motivation by setting realistic goals, encouraging team collaboration, creating engaging projects, and offering incentives. Leaders that motivate their employees can increase the organizational performance, which is beneficial to both the employee and the organization. The win-win for employees and the organization is that employees build confidence and the organization maintains a strong workforce.

Motivators: An individual's motivation to grow builds confidence when they feel a sense of autonomy over their own progress and development. In the workplace, leadership skills, practices, and behaviors build confidence, motivation, and inspiration. In some situations, the base of encouragement in the workplace depends on the current leadership practices, typically believing someone else handles their development and human resources.  

Direct Motivators: Direct motivators consist of play, potential, and purpose. Play, meaning interest and creativity is sparked by work progress or completion. To complete a task or goal you tend to feel accomplished. The purpose is identified and accepted when a person recognizes the meaning and the mission of the work that has been done. Having a clear understanding supports the defined purpose which in-turn encourages development and completion. And shelter of the direct motivator's triad is potential. Giving an individual a clear path of understanding for the mission and the desired accomplishment helps to push potential which overall increases their performance. 

Indirect Motivators: Indirect motivators are emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia. Emotional pressure is a response that is motivated by an outside source of force. When you were a child you played a school sport. You did not truly have a passion to play this sport. You wanted to please a parent. This is an example of emotional pressure. This happens in the workplace as well. Economic pressure can come from the "rewards" at work such as salaries, bonuses, miscellaneous incentives, and performances to avoid punishment. Responding to these types of motivators the performance can tend to be a mediocre result of pressure and not that of passion. And the indirect motivator, inertia, is the result of a stale mentality in the workplace, feeling that there is no energy or influence to build, move, or perform better. 

Leadership’s Impact on Motivation

Leaders can motivate their workforce in various ways. A starting point is to get to know your team. Developing a close relationship with your team has benefits for both the leader and the employee. The leader can effectively manage, coach, and support the employee through these stronger relationships, which helps the leader understand and identify what drives and inspires the employee to progress. Building a relationship with the employees can create a trustworthy relationship that supports the best interest of the employees. The trustworthy relationship gained by the employee can help increase performance levels. The employee may become more acceptable to extend their support when needed as trust is beginning to build between the leader and employees. Creating an environment of trust influences employees to be more driven and they tend to give their best performance. This behavior can have an overall positive effect on the organization.

Impact of Leadership

The diagram above shows that employee motivation and job satisfaction can harm organizational effectiveness if they are not balanced. As a result, an organization can develop a cycle of practices and behaviors that will damage the bottom line. The diagram below shows examples of cycles of common practices that could develop within an unbalanced work environment.

The previous diagrams show how certain behaviors and practices of a leader can harm the employees. But having a balanced environment of motivation can strengthen job satisfaction. A person that is motivated and satisfied with the job specifications and responsibilities will perform better. The benefits of a positive environment can consist of increased employee and organizational:

The impact of each action shown above is different, but they all work together to create a cohesive environment. Increased responsibility ties to increased productivity as a result of the employee feeling satisfied on the job. An employee that is satisfied with the job will be more dedicated and more inclined at work. Job satisfaction inspired by a motivational leadership can also influence referrals for other opportunities within the organization. A satisfied employee will refer other employees that they believe will be essential to the team. As a result, growth in the organization is achieved. The growth applies to both the positive influence on the employees as well as operational growth. Leadership that motivates the employees sets the tone that encourages better work ethics, collaborations, support, and willingness to complete a task.