Motivating staff: proactive and reactive techniques Part 2

It’s crucial to keep valuable employees happy as they work in high gear the deepening personnel shortage makes it crucial. Managers cannot directly change employees’ attitudes and motivational goals despite what management and psychology books may say. By improving working conditions, adjusting and reassigning tasks as needed, and becoming more effective leaders they can promote motivation indirectly. Employees who are active in professional organizations or other outside activities yet only marginally productive at work, for example, would not be considered highly motivated in a management context. Not everyone with energy directs it toward his or her job. In this article the word “motivation” will refer to cognitive drive that benefits the employer.