Developing Motivation and Employee Engagement

Enabling people to succeed

If people in organisations are actively engaged with their work – not simply motivated, but valuing what they are doing and striving to do it better at all times – then they will be more productive for the organisation, as well as more fulfilled and likely to achieve personal career success.

The logic and evidence for this view is compelling: it works, and works well. The challenge, however, is to move from a situation where people might (or might not) be simply happy and motivated, to one where they are actively loyal, committed and engaged with their work.

The first part of this toolkit explains how employee engagement works and why it is so significant, giving examples of firms that have developed and benefited from greater engagement. The second part provides practical techniques to help you generate greater employee engagement within your team.

Length: 13 pages

Contents:

The Benefits

Key Concept: The Service Profit Chain

Key Concept: Three Factor Theory. International research highlights the importance of equity, achievement and camaraderie when managing performance. This section explains why these are important.

Action Checklist: Developing Employee Engagement

• Consider whether existing policies reduce engagement 
• Manage and resolve conflicts between individuals
• Follow the eight rules of motivation
• Develop teamwork
• Act decisively to correct anti-cooperative behaviour
• Work to develop a partnership between the organization and each individual
• Find areas of good practice
• Developing listening and communication skills 
• Increase collaboration
• Build trusted relationships

Key Questions

Things You Can Do

• Prepare a short presentation
• Establish ‘support and challenge’ groups of four or five people
• Review the budget or operating plan
• Produce a list of major challenges facing the business
• Encourage team members to plan
• Consolidate team success
• Review the way your team is remunerated and ‘walk the talk’
• Convey a sense of urgency and enthusiasm
• Confront poor performance and be persistent
• Focus on your own drive and determination

Further Action

Further Information

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