Motivating Employees

Strategic management encompasses the use of specialized management tactics in order to achieve organizational goals. (Jong, 2012)Different issues must be addressed in strategic management including corporate social responsibility and ethics. However, motivation of employees plays one of the most pivotal roles in strategic management. Most managers have the perception that motivation of employees is merely about salaries and wages. Whereas money is an important motivator, other dimensions must be considered. For instance, employees would be highly motivated if they are provided with excellent working conditions.

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Organizations would struggle to achieve goals if they fail to develop adequate plans for motivating employees. (Hardre, 2009)It is also essential to note that human resource managers should establish motivation programs that enhance employees’ performance. This strategic approach ensures that both parties work towards the same direction. Communication is also another aspect that plays a critical role in strategic management.

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Without effective communication channels, organizations would struggle to maximize employees’ input. In strategic management, sufficient measures must be established in order to facilitate for free flow of information. Communication and motivating employees are two crucial aspects of strategic management since they determine the performance of any organization. (Glonaz, 2011)

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Motivation refers to an act of influencing individuals in order to work towards a certain direction. When individuals are motivated up to a certain level, it is important to maintain that level of attitude. In previous years, human resource management was aimed at ensuring that tasks are completed as expected. In contrast, modern day strategic management seeks to facilitate the completion of tasks and also safeguard employees’ wellbeing. This cannot be achieved without integrating motivation into the process of strategic management. Based on research, motivated employees are more productive compared to unmotivated workers. (Kumar, 2011)

The attainment of all organizational goals is strongly influenced by motivation levels among employees. The importance of employee motivation can be assessed from different perspectives as explained below.

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Enhancing employee loyalty serves as an important aspect of strategic management in all types of organizations. Success would not be achieved within organizations if employees are not loyal. The world’s most respected companies are similar in that their employees are very loyal. A company like Wal-Mart is characterized by excellent levels of employee loyalty. Organizations that have loyal employees spend minimal resources in hiring new workers.

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Loyalty is only achieved if employees are motivated. Unmotivated employees will always look for greener pastures. All organizations must develop mechanisms for minimizing expenditures. This serves a significant role towards enhancing the income levels. However, if a company spends a lot of time replacing workers, precious resources are consumed unnecessarily. (Weiss, 2011)

Even after recruiting new employees, organizations must spend more resources during training and orientation processes. Apart from increased expenditures, organization’s productivity is compromised if the employees are not loyal. This is because such employees do not work according to their potential. In contrast, loyal employees will always sacrifice personal ambitions for the sake of their employer. During recruitment, potential employees are easily attracted to a company whose workers are loyal.

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This implies that a loyal workforce contributes towards enhancing the public image of any company. Employee loyalty is not only important in large scale organizations but also in small and medium enterprises. It is critical that all types of organizations develop motivation mechanisms in order to enhance loyalty among employees. This helps a lot towards attaining organizational targets as expected. Loyal managers make decision in the best interest of their company. (Simon, 2010)

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Motivated employees are not only loyal but also highly productive. A highly productive workforce is significant in any form of strategic management. Some managers subject employees to lengthy shifts at work in order to increase productivity. Other organizations establish stringent policies in an attempt to raise the productivity of workers. Such strategies are only effective in the short-run. After some time, employees become worn out and offer to quit.

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Avoiding these kinds of eventualities requires the development of positive strategies within organizations. Motivation contributes more towards productivity compared to other strategies. (Chelsea, 2010)

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A highly motivated employee is always willing to deliver results as expected. It is very difficult to attain this if employees are subjected to unnecessary pressure at the workplace. A company like Google is characterized by a highly productive workforce. This approach has played a crucial role towards the company’s success over the past decade. Some employees might have enormous potential but offer little contribution towards developing their organization. Such potential can only be maximized if the workforce is highly motivated. Employees might work for lengthy shifts but contribute negatively towards organizational growth.

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However, this cannot take place is human resource managers enhance workforce productivity through motivation. Such a strategy also enhances the overall efficiency of organizations or companies. Some companies spend a lot of resources looking for highly qualified employees. Even though individual’s academic qualifications are essential, they do not necessarily guarantee a productive workforce. An employee might be highly qualified but unwilling to work for the company. In strategic management, balancing between the two aspects serves a critical role towards enhancing employees’ productivity. Motivation acts as an important link between the potential of employees and their willingness to work for any given company. (Taylor, 2012)

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Relationships between employees influence the overall efficiency within an organization. A company is likely to incur heavy losses if disputes occur within its workforce. In order to work towards the same goals, organizations must build strong relationships among employees. The successful completion of most tasks in a company is dependent upon teamwork. Even though professionalism serves an important role in teamwork, personal relationships are equally significant.

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It would be difficult for any team to achieve success if some members hold grudges against one another. Furthermore, teams would not meet targets if the members are not passionate about their work. Motivation helps a lot in dealing with these types of challenges. (Jong, 2012)This is because good relationships exist between highly motivated workers. Poorly motivated employees might collaborate in order to undermine organizations’ performance. However, such plots are easily avoided through strategic management. Promoting healthy relationships among employees also helps to establish a strong corporate image.

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Members of the public always scrutinize companies by evaluating interpersonal relationships among employees. Additionally, potential shareholders are also interested in the type of interpersonal relationships among organization’s employees. The nature of relationships among employees says a lot about organizational values.

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Potential business partners or clients would be reluctant to associate with a company that does not promote healthy relationships within its workforce. This indicates that motivation is an important tool towards enhancing organizations’ brand or image. With excellent motivation levels, companies are capable of fostering strong employee relationships. Friendly relationships not only benefit employees but also the organization. Good relationships between employees and managers are also determined by motivation. When the manager and workers are motivated, they will work together for the sake of the company. On the other hand, lack of motivation results into strained relationships between managers and employees. This can easily undermine organization’s performance or efficiency. (Weiss, 2011)

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All organizations have goals that can only be achieved through a dedicated workforce. An organization specializing in the sale of consumer goods depends on excellent coordination among various departments such as sales, marketing and public relations. For a company in the telecommunications sector, employees’ creativity serves a crucial role towards attaining organizational goals. The same case applies to other companies or organizations in different industries. (William, 2006)

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Understanding the specific goals of an organization is the first step during the implementation process. In poorly performing companies, most employees are barely informed about organizational goals. Understanding the values and principles of a company is also critical towards the attaining organizational goals. Employees cannot be passionate about organizational goals if they are poorly motivated at the workplace. In strategic management, motivation serves a major role in the pursuit of organizational goals. For instance, motivated employees have the ability to minimize a company’s expenditures. Furthermore, motivated employees promote the company’s image internally and externally. (Kumar, 2011)

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Motivation is closely associated with effective communication in the workplace. Without effective communication, companies would struggle to achieve organizational goals.  Communication not only affects internal operations but also external interests. In business, companies must communicate to the target market about their products or services. The significant roles played by communication have been described below.

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In the workplace, conflicts might easily occur as a result of different issues. The probability of conflicts in the workplace is strongly influenced by the type of communication mechanisms. Companies that rely upon teamwork must ensure that every employee understand the importance effective communication in such groups. Conflicts might arise when employees start to blame one another for mistakes. Effective communication is the key towards alleviating such conflicts within organizations. (Maxwell, 2009)

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Apart from mitigating conflicts, effective communication helps in avoiding wastage of resources in any given organization. Modern strategic management is founded on the basis of maximizing resource allocation in organizations. Organizational resources encompass both financial and non-financial assets. Companies must ensure that all assets are used accordingly in order to avoid losses. Without effective communication channels, companies would struggle to allocate the available resources. This is because some employees are likely to misuse organizational assets for personal gains. Communication also helps in avoiding mismanagement of company resources. (Weiss, 2011)

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Job satisfaction is a critical aspect of strategic management in the workplace. This is because job satisfaction directly influences workforce productivity. Employees who are satisfied with their jobs provide greater output compared to poorly motivated employees. Lack of adequate communication mechanisms within organizations undermines the levels of job satisfaction. In contrast, effective communication enhances the levels of job satisfaction. (Jong, 2012)

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Different companies use different tactics to motivate employees. Whereas some methods are associated classic management theories, most tactics conform to scientific theories of management. The most effective motivation tactics are usually not based on money. As an integral component of strategic management, motivation of employees should be prioritized in all organizations. Such a strategy not only enhances productivity but also strengthens the corporate image of organizations. Employees are the most essential assets for any company.

Organizations must invest heavily in order to enhance the welfare of their workforce. Top companies like Microsoft, Wal-Mart and Google invest millions of dollars towards motivating employees. The benefits of this strategy are manifested in impressive annual reports. (Maxwell, 2009) Furthermore, the levels of employee loyalty in these companies are quite impressive. The most effective methods of motivating employees have been evaluated below.

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Some managers underestimate the significant role played by recognition. Recognizing employee’s efforts is an important strategy for motivation in the workplace. This is because recognition instills confidence in all human beings. Essentially, recognition in the workplace is not simply based on pay increments or bonuses. For instance, hardworking employees might be entrusted with more responsibilities in the workplace. Recognition also motivates other employees to work hard in the workplace. It is therefore an excellent aspect of strategic management since it enhances productivity. (Kumar, 2011)

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Career growth is a target for most employees. While choosing jobs, individuals prefer companies that provide opportunities for professional advancement. In strategic management, career growth is an important element for motivating employees. Professional advancement does not necessarily involve switching jobs between different companies. Employees can advance their careers in the same organization as long as adequate opportunities are available. Organizations must establish plans for helping employees develop their careers. This strategic approach is also a critical element of job satisfaction in the workplace. Employees would be reluctant to look for greener pastures if the company provides a path for career growth. This might be achieved through experience-based promotions. (Simon, 2010)

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Training employees serves as another important element of motivation in the workplace. Every year, successful companies invest millions of dollars in training programs for employees. In order to deliver, employees must be well informed about emerging trends. Training is also a good opportunity for employees to hone skills. These kinds of tactics are essential in strategic management. Training helps in boosting employees’ confidence since they are well informed. Additionally, training is also an excellent platform for career growth. This is because it facilitates for professional development in different areas of specialization. Seminars and workshops are important elements of training employees. (Glonaz, 2011)

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These types of forums also provide employees with opportunities to interact and thus foster interpersonal relationships. During the workshops, employees enhance their professional networks since they interact with other experts. Training serves as a tool of thanking employees for their contribution towards organizational growth. It is therefore an outstanding method for motivating employees in any organization.

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The conditions in the workplace contribute a lot towards job satisfaction. Working conditions vary between different organizations. A company whose work environment is excellent enhances motivation within the workforce. In contrast, an organization with poor working conditions struggles to attract employees. Most people would rather earn less in good working conditions than earn more in a poor working environment. Managers must streamline the working conditions in order to enhance employees’ productivity. In good working conditions, effective communication mechanisms must be developed.

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Additionally, employees must not be pressurized to meet organizational goals. Good working environments are characterized by healthy interactions between employees and top executives. Aspects such as insurance cover must also be considered in order to enhance working conditions in the workplace. In such environments, employees are highly motivated and contribute positively towards the attainment of organizational goals. (Weiss, 2011)

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Employees should be entrusted to make some decisions in the workplace. In some companies, all decisions must be verified by top executives or the board of directors. This means that employees are not even entrusted to make minor decisions. Such an approach is not encouraged in strategic management since it undermines employees’ confidence. Employee motivation must be approached from different perspectives. Even though sensitive decisions require approval, employees should be entrusted to make some decisions. This motivates them because they are considered as integral stakeholders in the workplace. (Jong, 2012)

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Poor communication undermines the productivity of employees in any given organization. This is because employees are poorly motivated. In strategic management, enhancing communication in the workplace encompasses different tactics. To start with, managers or executives should organize for frequent meetings. During such meetings, employees are enlightened about their responsibilities in the company. These meetings are also good platforms for evaluating grievances from employees. Executives must be careful to avoid victimizing some employees when things go wrong. Everyone must take responsibility for failure. Similarly, attainment of company goals should be perceived as a collective responsibility of all employees. Managers should take advantage of meetings to emphasize these issues.

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Communication is also enhanced to the encouragement of dialogue between junior and senior employees. Both groups can benefit one another and thus enhance productivity in the workforce. Managers must also conduct frequent reviews of communication methods in the workplace. Some tactics hamper communication within the workforce. They should be replaced with efficient tactics that enhance productivity. Apart from official meetings, organizations should organize for frequent interactive forums.(Chelsea, 20100)

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During these forums, employees share with one another. Strategic management is based on solid communication platforms that encourage interactions between employees. This approach comes in very handy within organizations that are strongly dependent on teamwork. Effective communication facilitates for the identification of loopholes or weaknesses in the company’s management. After the review, the company can take establish appropriate measures for countering the problem. (William, 2006)

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Motivating employees should be a top priority in all companies. The levels of motivation among employees influence almost all other aspects of strategic management within organizations. Whereas most organizational leaders consider money as the biggest motivator, other factors are equally important. Communication is also an important element of strategic management in the workplace. Most conflicts arise as a result of poor communication between the involved parties. Furthermore, communication plays a critical role towards the attainment of organizational goals.

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Companies can motivate employees through training, recognition, empowerment and career development among other methods. Organizations can streamline communications through formal meetings, informal gatherings and frequent reviews. Information contained in this study is not only beneficial for personal development but also for professional advancement. Individuals can use this information to enhance productivity at their places of work. From a professional perspective, managers and top executives will find this paper invaluable in all aspects of strategic management. Corporate entities will also find this information helpful as they formulate a roadmap towards the attainment of organizational goals.

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Kumar, K. (2011). Motivating employees, South-Asian Journal of Management, 18(3)

Maxwell, R. (2009). Motivating employees to live the brand, Journal of Marketing Management, 25(9)

Simon, A. (2010). Motivating employees of the public sector, Public Management Journal, 13(3)

Taylor, S. G. & Hettie, R. A. (2012). Understanding input events, Academy of Management Review, 37(3)

Weiss, W. H. (2011). Building morale, Supervision, 72(9)

William, S. (2006). Motivating language, Journal of Business Communication, 43(4)