Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Where is my motivation?

You know the story. It is a Monday, coffee in hand soon to be consumed and hopefully before Monday consumes you! The weekend is wearing heavy on your mind as you sit in your chair reminiscing about the weekend that could have lasted even an hour longer. 


What is it about this job that you just can't seem to get over? Sighing, you place your coffee down on the same place you always set your drinks down. You know this because of the white dried ring left by your iced drink on Friday afternoon as you tried to fuel yourself through the last few hours before your weekend.

Motivation is something that is innately found in each employee. Everyone has motivation, but what motivates a person differs based on gender and generation with generation playing a key role in the motivational factor. As we are in the Informational Age, we find that many younger employees from the Y-generation almost fight the "norm" presented in many companies across the nation. They leave jobs searching for a newer, cooler place to work that empowers them and gives them what they are looking for, but what is that exactly?

Jobs are viewed by the Y-generation as just that...a job. This job pays the way to enjoy better life things. And things and a social lifestyle are definitely two things held dearly by them. However to encourage more than just an employee doing a job that they wished could be "cooler", the Baby Boomer generation MUST develop new concepts to keep the Y-generation involved. You see, corporate America was founded based on people who were workers and who wanted to work hard to do just that...WORK HARD! The rules, culture, and specifics of working in a company were hashed out and implemented LONG before this generation came into play. And they just don't play by those rules! Sometimes, there is nothing you can do about the rules, so you think...

Your job as a boss, manager, or owner is to empower these employees to take ownership in their jobs. To give them the creative power to develop and manage tools that even you can't imagine. They will take your company to the next level, if you place your faith in them. Yes, they seem a bit wild, uncharted, and in your mind, all over the road, but this generation has the ability to multi-task and develop. Cultivate that desire to grow, but also understand that if 5pm rolls around and you haven't properly motivated them, they will pick up and waltz out that door faster than you can watch the second hand pass twelve. However, if you bypass the rules of corporate and give them some leeway to practice a few ideas with your support, they will begin to take ownership of what you have given them and you will see a swift worker-bee. Don't be surprised if they elect to take the work home and do it at 2am after they have had a fun night out with their friends. They will find time to do it and you need to be aware that they are working hard.

Praise is another key influence that can help the Y-generation feel motivated into becoming a hard worker. Feel free to give them raises, if you can afford it. If you can't, lunch every once in a while, tickets to an exclusive event, or even a handshake or award can do justice to a failing employee. There is still a thick line between employee and boss, but the closer you toe the line, the more open the younger employee will feel and ideas will begin to flow.

Now one thing to remember is this, your idea of a perfect employee is a FAR CRY from what they believe a perfect employee is. You will see bits and pieces of what you want, but never push your idea so hard on them that they crack. Remember, even though you don't see them working at their desk for overtime, this does NOT mean that they are not working at home. If they have enough ownership and praise and enjoy working for YOU (remember these guys do not work for a company, they work for a manager), then you will start seeing the outcome you desire.

No comments:

Post a Comment