Rewards and Motivation in the Workplace
1. In any workplace, both team and individual rewards and motivation are needed. "Reward systems are strategic mechanisms that are used to help achieve the initiator's goals (Klubnik & Rochelle, 1996)," and as such they are an essential part of an organization's productivity paradigm ("Individual and Group Motivation in the Workplace"). If not implemented thoughtfully, individual reward systems can disrupt the team, whereas systems that reward the entire team for good performance tend to promote good teamwork and, therefore, excellent productivity. On the other hand, organizations where only team motivations are provided shortchange workers who do outstanding work regardless of the lack of motivation of the rest of the team. Such workers are likely to move on, leaving the team in worse shape than before, because its only productive members have left.The optimum balance is to provide and promote team motivation and rewards the most heavily but to provide individual monetary rewards, as well. Organizations need to engage in team building and to d
A key problem is that many people who are promoted into leadership are not good leaders; they have little understanding of how to motivate people and lead them effectively. According to Leon Martel, author of High Performers-How the Best Companies Find and Keep Them (Jossey-Bass, 2002), there are two key management practices that show a high correlation with "championship retention"-"abundant face-to-face communications and the encouragement of risk-taking" (Zemke, 24). Organizations that offer misdirected rewards to employees-extra maternity benefits, for example, in an organization that is primarily composed of males-is guilty of obtuseness that will cost it valuable employees. Some team members may be self-motivated already, and those will be more amenable to minimal supervision, while others may need heavy outside motivation from the leader to stay engaged. It is up to leadership to adapt motivational efforts to the particular teams and individuals in the organization and ensure that the motivation offered is meaningful to them. evelop their teams' collaborative, cooperative, and problem-solving skills. Zemke does not single out any one motivational technique as the best, arguing that "There is no magic bullet for finding and keeping high performers," but he insists that "there are a clear set of practices-all based on changes in what employees value most-that work and might help other organizations become more effective" (Zemke, 24). The leader is responsible for a team's motivation. The leader shapes the team and creates motivation, not by dictating goals but by inspiring people to adopt the organization's goals as their own (Webb). Employees in an organization where the leadership rarely interfaces with them are less likely to be motivated, and those that are "nailed down" in jobs where taking risks is discouraged can become demotivated, as well. Motivation is a problem in organizations today for a number of reasons. Another problem is leadership styles that undercut motivation rather than promoting it.
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Acceptance Essays
