Why Employees Perform Poorly

Usually, when we believe that an employee is unmotivated, we base our conclusion on the quality of that persons job performancepoor job performance equals lack of motivation. But are we correct in that assumption? After all, many things beside motivation can affect job performance. Poor job performance may be caused by a number of factors, including: one of the best of the members.

The employee doesnt understand the expectations for performance

The employee doesnt have the time skills to meet the expectations The employee doesnt have the time or resources to do the job properly The employee is capable of meeting expectations but isnt motivated to do so The expectations for performance are so that nobody could meet them What is Self-Motivation?
Self-Motivation is an intense desire for change for the better. Its that desire which creates change and brings about better results. As long as that desire remains strong within us, our self-motivation will also remain strong.

Motivating Yourself Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you satisfied with your job? 2. Are you doing your best? 3. What do you want from your job in the long run? 4. Whats your attitude towards your job?

How to Motivate Yourself by Setting Goals

Make a detailed plan, then * Take charge of your life * Discipline yourself * Get rid of failures * Keep the right company

Motivation Activators Start your day by doing something that

makes you feel mentally and physically vital.

(i.e., go for a brisk walk) Do something that makes you feel good about yourself. (i.e., activities you have putting off lately) Have a positive attitude.
WHAT TO DO WITH SAM:

1. clearly state what is expected. No beating around the bushjust a straightforward conversation about his duties and responsibilities as well as any problems he may have meeting those expectations. Nice managers are easy to manipulate. If he blames others for his problems, nudge him back on track with, What can you do, to make sure you do get what you need? You are still accountable for your own results, regardless of what others do. 2. Set up a progress update with regular intervals, say, once a week. During those sessions (which could be as short as fifteen minutes), Tom should report on his activities. This may include keeping notes, tracking actions or showing samples of his work. The manager should not play mommy or daddy. In other words, under no circumstances should the manager chase a poor performer. Tom must take the responsibility to come to these meetings prepared and report to the manager. If he doesnt show up or doesnt report as expected, the pressure should be increased tighter timelines, more frequent meetings, and firmer conversations. 3. If Tom doesnt improve and complaints continue, its time to talk consequences. This is the fairest, nicest thing you can do for someone. It sounds counterintuitive, doesnt it? Think about it: Is it kinder to tell Tom the consequences of his continued behavior--so he can turn things around before its too late-- or just sneak up on him and fire him (or worsedemote him)?
Nice managers often tell everyone but the person who needs to know. Sometimes problem employees suffer career stagnation, loss of credibility, become the office joke, or lose their jobs. Is this nice?

Eight Ways to De-Motivate Your Best Employees 1. Be rude. One of the most effective ways Ive ever seen to de-motivate employees is to treat them with sarcasm. When one of your employees makes a suggestion, roll your eyes like Simon Cowell on American Idol. For added effect, throw your glasses on the table and say in a dramatic voice, What kind of an idea is that? 2. Change the rules. Have a sales contest where anyone that signs up 100 new customers gets a $2,500 bonus. Then after you realize that too many sales people are getting the bonus, change the rules to 150 new customers. And then watch as your top employees start taking those calls from headhunters rather than calling prospective customers. 3. Be inconsistent with compensation. Tell an employee that you love the work she did and that you are going to put her in a special Platinum

Compensation Pool that people have to earn their way into. And then hire a new person who starts at a higher salary and who has never achieved the degree of success of the current employees in the Platinum Category. What you meant as a compliment turns out to feel very backhanded. 4. Give no wiggle room in roles and responsibilities. Even though an individual demonstrates passion and strengths around developing leaders, dont ever give the person the opportunity to use those strengths and passions in the workplace. Say, Look, I hired you to run the purchasing department, and that job keeps you plenty busy. We dont need you spending time mentoring other people. 10 years ago I left my job and started my own business because my bosses never gave me even a small opportunity to focus on developing leaders and teaching the things that I teach today. 5. Provide no development for the individual. Rather than focusing on developing an employees mind and expanding his skills, make sure the person does only the job he was hired to do. In this way, youll optimize short-term productivity and rob the individual and your organization from ever growing into a more productive long-term future. 6. Be vague in feedback. Give every employee a satisfactory rating and tell them they are doing fine. Your best employees will wonder what is going on. And then theyll think, Well, if the boss thinks Im only as good as everyone else, then theres no need for me to try any harder than anybody else. 7. Have nothing for the person to aspire to. You have a great employee who over a period of eight years has done magnificent work. She has worked her way up to Sr. VP of Operations. And you say to her, Youve done everything weve asked, and youve reached the top of the mountain. Congratulations. Helloooo. Make the mountain bigger. She needs something new to aspire to in order to stay self-motivated. Create an international division or a new line of products division or a National Key Accounts position. Do something. 8. Make the person feel like a small cog in a big machine. My son, Ben, is six years old. For some reason hes hooked on the old movie, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. At one point, the oldest brother, Adam, says to his younger brother, Dont worry if you lose out on that woman. One wife is pretty much like another. My wife, Barb, always says, Now Ben, dont you ever say that to a woman. And yet this how some managers make their employees feel. They will say, Look if you leave tomorrow, well find someone to take your job right away. Wow, now that makes a person feel special.

Identifying the Signs of Burnout What are the signs of a lack of motivation or burnout? One of the key red flag symptoms is a

decrease in performance or productivity. This is especially obvious when comparing an individual's past performance with current performance. Absent any serious reasons to explain away the change, de-motivation is usually the culprit. This leads us to the next red flag: an increase in the number of days missed. If you're in the midst of the flu season and a number of other employees call in sick, then ignore this absence. However, if someone who's rarely sick starts to miss work, then the likelihood is that de-motivation is the germ. Here are more signals you need to be looking for and must begin to address:

Attitude changes. The employee is usually up-beat, but now appears quiet, somber, sullen, disagreeable or even moody. Or the reverse--the employee becomes far more outgoing, energized or talkative than normal, typical or acceptable.

Comments from co-workers that "something is wrong." Stress reactions. The job isn't being completed as well as in the past; the employee is jittery, short-tempered or difficult to get along with. Tardiness. The employee is arriving late in the morning and leaving early or at the exact end of the workday or shift. Change in lunch and coffee breaks. The employee takes more time than usual or doesn't take them at all. Decrease in positive interaction with other employees. He "just doesn't get along" as well with others anymore. Increase in errors. Decrease in productivity. There's an oncrease in time spent on projects without a subsequent increase in quality or productivity.

1. Meet with the individual. Begin by asking the employee his or her perception of their performance or productivity. Then based on your data and observations, share your specific views of the change in productivity and attitude. 2. Identify previous motivators (the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior). Determine which factors are no longer present and/or determine which ones no longer work as motivators. 3. Identify new motivators. Frederick Herzberg , who's writings of workplace psychology in the 1950s and 60s is still heavily relied upon today, offers the following most commonly used and effective motivators:

First, identify areas where the individual can experience a sense of achievement, such as accomplishing a task, finishing a report, meeting with colleagues or creating new ideas. Next, be certain to recognize and reward the individual for a job well done or work in progress. This form of positive feedback usually encourages increased performance and therefore the individual receives even greater recognition or comment from you, the boss.

Provide opportunities for personal or professional growth on the job. This can be accomplished through attendance at seminars or workshops or by observing other employees in other jobs. In addition, by creating a concrete career pathway (a plan for future career growth), you can motivate this person to strive toward the next job or position in your organization.

Ensure that you're providing appropriate amounts of guidance and supervision so the employee knows exactly what's expected. Also, ensure the communication between the two of you is frequent enough, appropriate and adequate to ensure the employee knows exactly what the road to success looks like. You might discover that the current job is too challenging or perhaps not challenging enough to maintain the person's interest and productivity.

Try rotating or exchanging the job responsibilities between several employees. This form of cross-training injects fresh, new energy and challenges into the daily job performance. And finally, try expanding the breadth and depth of responsibilities. This too can energize the individual who is not feeling challenged.

Tips for Motivating Employees There are some simple managerial tips and methods that will help you motivate your staff. Most of these tips can be easily be included in the daily office routine and will definitely help to motivate your employees. Share Your Vision: An employer needs to be a good leader in order to keep his staff motivated. There is nothing more disheartening for an employee than the feeling of being out-of-place. If an employee does not feel that he/she belongs to the organization, then it is very likely that such employees will display exceptionally low levels of motivation. An employer should always share his vision for the company with the employees and inform them about the companys long-term and short-term goals. Make the employees feel like they are a part of one coherent team. Value Employee Feedback: Always encourage feedback from your employees about all the company decisions and new projects. Asking for feedback, makes the employees feel that their opinion is valued and will hence encourage them to contribute more. In case of failures or setbacks, take feedback from your employees and ask them why they feel things went wrong. Regular Interaction: In case the team does not meet regularly to discuss the daily progress, there is no direction to the entire team. Even if there are no regular meetings, an employer should always interact with his employees to ensure that there is no disharmony in the team and that all the team members are working efficiently. Exchanging pleasant hi/hellos might also help to bridge the gap between the employers and employees and can motivate the staff to perform better. Appraisals and Rewards: The most demotivating feeling for any employee is the one when he/she is not appreciated for the work. Regular appraisals are the acknowledgment for the hard work that an

employee has put in. In addition to the appraisals, many employers also offer monetary rewards during festivals in order to motivate the employees. Corporate gifts can also be a great idea to motivate the employees. In addition to these things, even small remarks like "Good job!" or "Well done!" can boost the morale of an employee and thus motivate him/her to work harder. Team Activities: There are several fun team building activities which are essentially a great way for an employer to facilitate team bonding. A small recreational trip to a holiday resort or a nearby beach can be a great way to motivate your employees. Team activities strengthen the bonds between a team and hence increase the overall motivation levels of the employees.

Here are some quotes that work as self-motivation:

"Build upon strengths, and weaknesses will gradually take care of themselves." - Joyce C. Lock "Things will happen in your life that you cant stop, but thats no reason to shut out the world. Theres a purpose for the good and for the bad" Walter Sparrow, Now and Then. "People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success." - Norman Vincent Peale "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."- Henry David Thoreau "If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed."- David Viscott. "Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning."- Winston Churchill "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Martin Luther King, Jr. "The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fiber."William Mather Lewis.

"Courage is about doing what youre afraid to do. There can be no courage unless youre scared" Eddie Rickenbacker. "One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go." Sheila Murray Bethel. "For every person who doubts you, tells you you will fail, try twice as hard to prove them wrong." Anonymous. "Above all, challenge yourself. You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you have, what you can accomplish." Cecile Springer. Dont let the low times keep you down. Learn from them and reach for the high times." David Wiemers. "Being committed to some goal in your life a sense of having a mission, a purpose, even a calling is a very motivating, very comforting thing. Some peoples mission steps up to greet them, others have to hunt theirs down." Anonymous. "Square your shoulders to the world, be not the kind to quit; Its not the load that weighs your down but the way you carry it." Anonymous. "Accept everything about yourself. I mean everything. You are you, and that is the beginning and the end; No apologies, no regrets." Clark Montanas. "If you believe in yourself, things are possible." Shannon Macmillan.

"The biggest mistake you can make is continually fearing you will make one." Anonymous. "If you want to accomplish anything in life, you can't just sit back and hope it will happen. You've got to make it happen." Chuck Norris.

Self Motivation Quote #1 "Picture in your mind a sense of personal destiny." - Wayne Oates Motivation Quote #2 "You are what you think about all day long." - Dr. Robert Schuller Self Motivation Quote #3 "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." - Jeremy Kitson Motivation Quote #4 "It takes no more effort to expect the best, than to fear the worst. It's healthier, more productive, and a lot more fun!" - Philip E. Humbert, PhD Self Motivation Quote #5 "The path to cheerfulness is to sit cheerfully and to act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there." - William James Motivation Quote #6 "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Chinese Proverb Self Motivation Quote #7 "There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist." - Mark Twain Motivation Quote #8 "It doesn't matter what you are thinking or what fear you have, if you just do it. Action is the only thing that matters. I can see that at the end of my life, I'm going to look back and say, 'Gosh, I wish I had taken more action." - Diana von Welanetz Wentworth Self Motivation Quote #9 "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is ultimately to be at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be." - Abraham Maslow Motivation Quote #10 "Don't give up at half time. Concentrate on winning the second half." - Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant Self Motivation Quote #11 "I believe a little bit of success lies in everyone! Will you be the one to deny that? Or rather be the one who chooses to be guided by it? I hope you choose as I, to do the latter!" - Josh S. Hinds Motivation Quote #12 "Motivation is like food for the brain. You cannot get enough in one sitting. It needs continual and regular top up's." - Peter Davies Self Motivation Quote #13 "Your attitude is an expression of your values, beliefs and expectations." - Brian Tracy Motivation Quote #14

"Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity." - Earl Nightingale Self Motivation Quote #15 "Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly." - Stephen R. Covey Motivation Quote #16 "Because a fellow has failed once or twice or a dozen times, you don't want to set him down as a failure till he's dead or loses his courage." - George Horace Lorimer Self Motivation Quote #17 "A ship in harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are for." - John A. Shedd Motivation Quote #18 "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more luck I have." - Thomas Jefferson Self Motivation Quote #19 "You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction." - George Horace Lorimer Motivation Quote #20 "We cannot discover new oceans until we have the courage to lose sight of the shore." - Muriel Chen