Secrets of Motivation, Work Ethics and Counter-Productive Behaviors.

Are bad attitudes, lack of commitment or low morale cutting into your bottom line? Are you frustrated with hiring star employees who only give you attitude and poor performance? Well, believe it or not, these employees are motivated. Unfortunately they invest their energy in the wrong places - in fighting change, complaining, and disrupting the workplace.

Studies have suggested that 70 percent of employees today are less motivated than they used to be, 80 percent could perform better if they wanted to, and 50 percent put forth enough effort each day to keep their jobs.

I'll go one step further. All employees are motivated. But based on extensive research, the Quality of Motivation (QM) Theory identifies sources of motivation as having both positive and negative influences. How can motivated employees produce negative results?

Motivation can be derived from both pleasure and pain. You might ask why anyone would be motivated by pain.

Have you ever heard the phrase "no pain, no gain" or "nothing comes easy'? These beliefs drive people toward pain, believing a little pain now will reap pleasure down the road. Think about the marathon runner or the professional athlete. Despite the risk of chronic pain due to the constant pounding of their joints and extreme stress to body systems, these athletes are relentless in their drive to reach the finish line at any cost, even long-term crippling and incapacitating injury.

Self-punishment is also rewarded in the today's workplace. It's what we call workaholism. While doing more with less is driving American productivity and admired as good old work ethic by managers, it is also driving the rates of chronic disease sky-high. "A little pain never hurt anyone" isn't necessarily true. Getting workers to "tough it out" may have the short-term benefit of increased productivity but long-term negative consequence of burnout, injury and even premature death.

What can employers do to avoid motivating these counter-productive behaviors and ensuring they create a positively motivated workplace? Managers must first recognize that enthusiasm, drive and high-paced activity alone are ineffective measures of motivation. People employed in your business bring their own unique motivational sources and skills to the workplace. That explains why some people seem to run and run….and run - just like the Energizer Bunny. Think about it. Watching Robin Williams perform can make you tired. So can hyperactive, pencil-tapping, knee shaking employees. Their activity and busy-ness uses lots of energy but their results aren't always productive; their work habits are not necessarily efficient.

Rewarding hard work and a strong work ethic is one thing but when it inadvertently rewards self-punishment, the cost to the bottom line is devastating.

Self-punishment is just one of four maladaptive behaviors that motivate employees and shape a company's culture. Motivation is more complex than just pumping up spirits and getting people to work harder. By understanding that motivation has both positive and counter-productive effects, employers can create work environments and employee incentives that get the business results they want and avoid the long-term debilitating consequences of encouraging the wrong behaviors.

How do you measure motivation? How do you know if an employee is motivated enough or too much? Which motivational sources positively affect performance, safety, and stress? For more information on assessing motivation in your workplace, check at the Personal Interests, Attitudes, and Values(tm) assessment here:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/piav.htm