Creating a Motivating Environment at Work Sample

Introduction:

Every organization irrespective of the fact whether it is a local or international organization is fuelled by the employees who work behind it. The fact that the employees are offered salaries for individual and group services for their work is simply not enough.  The organizations have identified and realized the need for compensating the inadequacies of the environment of work for their employees. The best method that can be possibly used to achieve these objectives is motivation (Galanou & Farrag, 2015).

Motivation can be defined as the process that accounts for the direction, intensity, and persistence of efforts toward achievement or objectives. Motivation occurs when an individual counters a specific instance or situation that stimulates the drive of the individual to achieve something.  As per Klaus & Fernando, employees need motivation as it provides them with many reasons to work dedicatedly except for the financial aspect that an organization has to offer to the employees as fixed salaries (Klaus & Fernando, 2016). Creating motivation by understanding the behavior of the employee would give the employees a boost to work in the orientation of the organization. This indirectly enhances the profitability of the organization.

Theory of Goal Setting

The goals setting and motivation theory of the research of Dr.Edwin A. Locke is considered among the top theories of management. This theory states that setting goals and task motivation are integrally associated with the performing of the tasks.  It further states those specific and demanding goals along with the appropriate feedback for better and more efficient performance of tasks.  Swanson & Frederick said that the goals and objectives give direction to an individual regarding what to be done and to what degree efforts are to be put in (Swanson & Frederick, 2016).

Four Points

Willingness to Work

The prominent features of the goal-setting theory are reflected in the context of creating motivation in the environment of work.  The main source of motivation is employees should have the willingness to work in orientation towards the achievement of the objectives and goals of the organization. It is also observed in organizations that specific, clear, and challenging goals prove to be greater factors of motivation than generalized, easy, and vague goals.  While creating motivation in the environment of work, clear and specific goals shall lead to better performance and greater output.

On the other hand measurable, unambiguous goals that are designated to be completed within a deadline avoid misunderstandings in the work environment.  It is further observed that appropriate feedback on the results has a direct implication on the behavior of the employee which leads to the contribution of better and more efficient feedback than the cases where feedback is not provided. As per Syed, et al., providing feedback to the employees in the work environment of an organization facilitates a medium of attaining reputation regulations or handling of difficulties in of goals and making clarifications (Syed, et al., 2016).

It assists the employees to work with an increased involvement that leads to higher satisfaction in the job. While creating a motivating environment at work, it is required to create and assign goals that are challenging and realistic. This will give the employees a feeling of victory and pride when they achieve their goals. This automatically motivates the employee to prepare himself for attaining the next higher goal (Swanson & Frederick, 2016). To create a motivating environment at work, it is to be kept into consideration that the more challenging the objectives, aims, and goals will be, the greater the rewards will be along with the creation of more passion.

The Leader who takes the Team Forward

The goal-setting theory can find relevance in the leadership role played by Catherine Crowley, Director of People and Culture at Swisse, Australia. For the creation of motivation in the work environment along with the setting of goals in the organization, it has been researched that there are instances when the industry cares deeply about its employees and lets them have the best work experiences in the organization. As per Syed, et al., being in the position of Director of People and Culture, she had decided to overhaul the culture of the organization when the company saw a reduction in its profits (Syed, et al., 2016).

The leader believed that culture is fed by leadership and leadership that is desired in the organization is dictated by the culture.  The leadership at Swisse has been very efficient in motivating its employees with its strategies and implementation of goal setting in its fashion. It no longer remains a mere instance that the employees at Swisse make use of polite and positive language to motivate employees (Swanson & Frederick, 2016).

Instances of creating a motivating environment in the workplace include the substitution of the words such as “team ” for the employees or staff, and “problem ” for the challenge along with using words like “improve”, “learn”  and “grow”. The employees are also given targets and deadlines to meet which provides them with a competitive environment and motivation to work for their benefit.

Importance of Leadership

It is very important in leadership to include motivation in an organization as without it the contribution of a leader to the organization is incomplete. According to Klaus & Fernand, the aspect of leadership is to combine the goals of work with the goals of the employee. So as a leader, the motivation of employees is an integral aspect of making sure that the goals of work are in alignment with the goals of the work. A leader also needs to understand the factors that motivate each employee (Klaus & Fernando, 2016).

As a leader, the best thing to do is to motivate the employees in the organization. For instance, Woolworths has integrated the engagement of employees by establishing a culture that is motivated by performance in an organization. This has increased accountability and helped in recognizing, managing, and rewarding the employees whose performances are aligned with the objectives of the company. This has simply been achieved by inculcating motivation in the work environment of Woolworth.

Motivate the Employees and See the Result

In this report, the discussion regarding creating motivation in the work environment is done. The meaning of motivation and the importance of creating a motivating environment in a workplace is emphasized.  The need for motivating the employees and its implications on the business of any organization is reflected. The relevance of goal-setting theory and how organizations can implement the techniques of goals-setting theories to achieve effective outcomes in the organizations are reflected (Galanou & Farrag, 2015). The theory of goal setting refers to the setting of objectives and goals for the employees to promote a competitive environment in the workplace which would motivate the employees to give better performances.

This will directly be reflected in better productivity of the organization as a whole. The role of leaders and leadership is very important in creating a motivating work environment for the employees.  The instances of integration of motivation in the work environment and leadership are illustrated.

Conclusion:

It can be said that creating a motivating work environment is essential in any organization. The research has shown that motivation has direct implications on the performance of the employees as well as the overall productivity of any organization. Organizations have realized the importance of motivation in their environment and have been implementing different methods to achieve these objectives.

References

Galanou, A. and Farrag, D.A., 2015. Towards the distinctive Islamic mode of leadership in business. Journal of Management Development34(8), pp.882-900.

Klaus, L. and Fernando, M., 2016. Enacting spiritual leadership in business through ego-transcendence. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 37(1), pp.71-92.

Swanson, D.L. and Frederick, W.C., 2016. Denial and leadership in business ethics education. Business ethics: New challenges for business schools and corporate leaders, pp.222-240.

Syed, R., Bandara, W., French, E. and Stewart, G., 2016. The status of research on leadership in business process management: A call for action.