Motivating Employees: Theories & Techniques of Leaders - Essay Sample

Introduction

Motivation refers to the driving force that propels someone to do something and affect their behavior positively. It might be self-induced or acquired through promises of reward or punishment by others, especially those that are in authority. Scholars have come up with motivation theories that try to explain how different leaders may influence people to perform better. However, these theories cannot explain fully how the tools employed can lead to motivation. More than one technique needs to be used to achieve the desired outcome. A combination of Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of needs and incentive theory of motivation, when utilized by leaders, can effectively act as a driving force towards my better performance.

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Abraham Maslow, in his theory of the Hierarchy of needs in human motivation, states that motivation is based on five basic needs. Biological and Physiological needs which include air food shelter and warmth. Safety needs, which entail freedom from fear. Social Needs that gives human beings a sense of belonging. Esteem needs and Self-Actualization needs (McLeod .S, 2007). The primary goals of human beings need to be fulfilled one after the other. A person cannot be able to go to the second stage in the Hierarchy without satisfying the first one. This theory has worked perfectly for me in the past. The sense of satisfaction after acquiring the basic needs without having to rely on anyone made me perform better on my first job. After putting food on the table, have a roof over the head and clothing. The need to be secure both from physical harm and job security arises.

The employer needed to guarantee that I will not wake up the next day and find myself jobless. The sense of belonging needed to be fulfilled; the security need immediately was met. Being able to socialize both with co-workers and other people was the only thing that could motivate me to work extra hard at that juncture. Self-esteem need came later, whereby I wanted to feel good at what I was doing - working in an environment that is enjoyable to work in without being intimidated and humiliated by the superiors. Self-actualization need also motivated me to offer my level best. Need to be noticed and influential in that organization was the only thing that could propel me to work harder. The employer fulfilled one need after the other, which ensured that I was always highly motivated.

Incentives' theory of motivation has also worked well in the past. Leaders use this school of thought by introducing rewards and punishments for any piece of work done. High performance is rewarded while performance below the expectations is punished. Managers use salaries, job promotions, allowances, among other rewards, to reward employees who perform better in their given tasks. They also use demotion, retrenchment, warning letters, and other tools to punish poor performance. In one of the organizations I have been in the past, the employer could give cash bonuses to higher performers. The means employed by the managers acted as a driving force towards better performance. McGregor's Theory X, which is an incentive-based motivation model, argues that people are guided solely by material self-interest. They dislike work, and the only way that they can be made to work is through rewards and punishment. Theory Y, on the other hand, argues that people like to work, and they are self-driven in achieving the organization's goals without being coerced (Logan, F. A, 1968).Leaders have also tried unsuccessfully to adapt different motivation theories that have no impact on the intended parties. Ideas employed in their institutions aiming at motivating the people who are below them may fail to yield results. It is not easy to understand the nature of the individuals because what works for one person may not work for others. Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of needs may be effective at one stage and ineffective at the next stage.

The Hierarchy of need theory failed to be effective at one juncture when managers in one of the organizations failed to understand the need at that time. I had been able to fulfill basic needs that are food, shelter, and clothing. Increasing salary and allowances at this level could not work because the demand for job security was the motivation that I needed. The leaders of the organization could not guarantee the continuity of the business despite paying a tremendous amount of money. The assumption that increasing the remuneration could influence the performance was incorrect. The need to search for a more stable job arose, and I had to apply for another job in a more stable organization. This theory had worked well in the past, but the failure of the management to adjust with time led to job dissatisfaction. Rigidity in the technique of motivation is the main reason why it failed to work.

Different theories should be utilized by leaders to achieve the desired outcome. Being rigid to one idea which might have worked in the past may lead to demotivation. Managers and other leaders need to analyze individuals. A compelling study of their character and needs will lead to the adoption of motivation techniques that best suit them. For example, in an organization dealing with employees who fall under McGregor's Theory, X needs to come up with methods that best suit them. Coercing them to work may be sufficient to some, but promises of reward are more useful to others.

Logan, F. A. (1968). Incentive theory and changes in reward. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation (Vol. 2, pp. 1-30). Academic Press.McLeod, S. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Simply Psychology, 1.