Motivation: A Panacea For Workers' Efficiency

 

 

Team work

         

 

 

                                                                                            BY

PROF. ICHADO, SUNDAY MENYAGA

 

 

  INTRODUCTION:

There is general agreement among psychologists that with a few exception all behaviours are motivated, people have reasons for doing the things they do and that behaviour is oriented towards meeting certain goals and objectives. This is why Freud (2009) and other psychologist like Taylor (2007) generally agreed that man is motivated by the desire to satisfy a number of needs. Some of which he is not consciously aware of differences of opinions exist as to the nature and relative importance of these needs.

 

MOTIVATION

Motivation is the word derived from the word 'motive' which means needs, desires, wants or drives within the individuals. It is the process of stimulating people to actions to accomplish the goals. In the work goal context, the
psychological factors stimulating the people's behaviour can be –

·        desire for money;

·        success;

·        recognition;

·        job-satisfaction;

·        team work, etc.

One of the most important functions of management is to create willingness amongst the employees to perform in the best of their abilities. Therefore, the role of a leader is to arouse interest in performance of employees in their jobs.

 

The process of motivation consists of three stages: -

1.     A felt need or drive.

2.     A stimulus in which needs have to be aroused.

3.     When needs are satisfied, the satisfaction or accomplishment of goals.

 

The needs have been classified into the following order:

1.     Physiological needs- These are the basic needs of an individual which includes food, clothing, shelter, air, water, etc. These needs relate to the survival and maintenance of human life.

2.     Safety needs- These needs are also important for human beings. Everybody wants job security, protection against danger, safety of property, etc.

3.     Social needs- These needs emerge from society. Man is a social animal. These needs become important. For example- love, affection, belongingness, friendship, conversation, etc.

4.     Esteem needs- These needs relate to desire for self-respect, recognition and respect from others.

5.     Self-actualization needs- These are the needs of the highest order and these needs are found in those person whose previous four needs are satisfied. This will include need for social service, meditation.

 

DEFINITION OF PANACEA

A remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all. Some antidote or remedy that completely solves a problem, most so-called panaceas in this industry, if they survive at all, wind up sitting alongside and working with the products they were supposed to replace. In addition, nothing solves a problem without introducing its own new set of problems.

The panacea /pænölsi:o/, named after the Greek goddess of universal remedy Panacea, is any supposed remedy that is claimed (for example) to cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely. It was in the past sought by alchemists in connection with the elixir of life and the philosopher's stone, a mythical substance which would enable the transmutation of common metals into gold. In our case a remedy or solution to effective relationship and productivity at work place.

 

Productivity is commonly defined as a ratio between the output volume and the volume of inputs. In other words, it measures how efficiently production inputs, such as labour and capital, are being used in an economy to produce a given level of output. Productivity is considered a key source of economic growth and competitiveness and, as such, is basic statistical information for many international comparisons and country performance assessments. For example, productivity data are used to investigate the impact of product and labour market regulations on economic performance. Productivity growth constitutes an important element for modeling the productive capacity of economies. It also allows analysts to determine capacity utilisation, which in turn allows one to gauge the position of economies in the business cycle and to forecast economic growth. In addition, production capacity is used to assess demand and inflationary pressures. There are different measures of productivity and the choice between them depends either on the purpose of the productivity measurement and/or data availability. One of the most widely used measures of productivity is Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per hour worked. This measure captures the use of labour inputs better than just output per employee. Generally, the default source for total hours worked is the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Annual National Accounts database, though for a number of countries other sources have to be used. Despite the progress and efforts in this area, the measurement of hours worked still suffers from a number of statistical problems. Namely, different concepts and basic statistical sources are used across countries, which can hinder international comparability. In principle, the measurement of labour inputsshould also take into account differences in workers' educational attainment, skills and experience. Employees want to feel that their managers listen to their needs and concerns.

 

This is the time when owners and managers can step up and be the leader that
employees need. The first thing to do is make sure the communication is good between all parties and always transparent. There are plenty of ways for remote workers to keep in touch with management, fellow employees and clients. It is important to always provide specific information and clear instructions. This will make virtual meetings more effective. Next, help any employee with their immediate needs and concerns. Offer counseling or exercise classes to staff that might be suffering from anxiety or they can grow professionally and personally during a time where one might feel
stagnant. We all need a little encouragement today and to feel appreciated for what we do for others, not just at the job, but at home and in our community. Thank and praise employees (and yourself) for what they are doing for the firm under such difficult times. Let them know that they are not alone, and things will eventually get better. Humans are social creatures. It is important that we band together and leverage the available resources we have to stay connected. After the pandemic winds down, we will need to take stock of the significance of these changes. There's much to be learned from this new way of life. This is an opportunity to evaluate and improve the business' ability to support employees during a time of upheaval and isolation.

Kindness and positive encouragement shown by you as owners and to others as clients, friends and loved ones, will long be remembered. This is our chance as leaders to help those who are struggling during these desperate and lonely times. 

What Is Employee Performance Management? Employee Performance Management can be defined as a systematic process that organizations implement to plan, set, review, and evaluate progress in terms of business results. Performance management is not the same as an annual review, instead it is a continuous process of communication between managers and employees to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Whereas, performance appraisals and annual reviews generally happen annually and are considered as components of performance management. Effective employee performance management should focus on the following: 

·        Clarifying job expectations and goals. 

·        Improving group and individual productivity through feedback and coaching.

·        Effective and seamless communication between managers and employees.

·        Employee development for greater job satisfaction and engagement. 

Globally, a majority of the population is still working from home due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. It has affected employees' personal and professional lives, which has led to stress and burnout. In this current scenario, it has become a necessity for organizations and managers to keep their workforce productive and engaged. Without meeting their employees in person, managers find it challenging to do so, but having performance management software has made it easy. 

COVID-19 impact: Effective performance management in the new normal By Sonica Aron 8th July, 2020. 

https://yourstory.com/2020/07/covid-19-employees-performance-management-hr-organisation-role Performance management, often seen as an HR process, is actually a key business process that ensures individual and team goals dovetail into organisational goals. 

Trust your employees

In a remote working scenario, if some employees are not meeting a deadline or are not responsive, it would be incorrect to assume that they are inefficient and judge their performance. Instead, it is important to trust them and reach out to them as they might be overwhelmed or might be dealing with a personal matter. Such things are hard to know when you are working virtually. 

How to Keep Your Employees Motivated During COVID-19 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the whole world to its knees. Countries across the globe were suddenly forced to implement stay-at home-orders and social distancing policies. Due to these regulations, most companies had no choice but to transition to fully remote workforces to keep their employees healthy and safe. 

In the pre-COVID world, only 20 percent of companies were working from home. Now, 98 percent of the workforce is remote. Working from home in a non-pandemic world is not easy, so it's not surprising that some of your employees may be feeling anxious and less motivated during these uncertain times. Whether they are balancing remote work with child care or feeling isolated, your employees' mental wellness could be suffering-which directly impacts their quality of work andperformance. 

REFERENCES: 

https://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/mag

features/2020/08/10/578320.htm 

https://engagedly.com/employee-performance-management-during- covid- 19/ 

https://www.adecco.ca/en-ca/blog/how-to-keep-employees-motivated-during- covid- 19-pandemic/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2020/12/16/five-ways-to- 

support-and-motivate-employees-during-the-pandemic/?sh=7cab67116661 

https://yourstory.com/2020/07/covid-19 -employees-performance-management-hr-organisation-role