US Army Motivates Employees

Assignment 1: 8600 - 310 – Understanding How to Motivate People in the work place

Motivation provides individuals the drive to behave and act in a certain way in order to influence their work environments (Robbins & Judge, 2014, pp. 35-36). When employees are able to influence their work environments, they can make a psychological identity with their organization that provides a sense of purpose, or meaningfulness, to their existence in their job performance and involvement (Robbins & Judge, 2014, pp. 35-36). Thus, providing employees with a higher level of job satisfaction. To promote higher levels of job satisfaction, involvement and performance, managers will utilize motivational strategies to encourage their employees to perform certain tasks (McCoy, 2012, p. 2). However, managers are recognizing that traditional incentives are no longer providing the results of behavioral physics in their organization (McCoy, 2012, p. 3). To address this dilemma, managers are looking at motivational strategies where the incentives psychologically empower their employees in their daily activities.

In any workplace, workers are no doubt the essential mainstay that holds any business or corporation together. Employees achieve important tasks to help the company’s long term vision and goals to be successful and efficient. A business can’t be successful without a proper management that is why it is important for employees to enjoy going to work and they also have maintain a positive attitude while being productive and completing tasks. Motivation is what gives a person the purpose to perform or behave in a certain way with the desire or willingness to gain something. There are two types of motivations, motivation that comes from a person and motivation that comes from materially goals. It is very necessary that employers keep their employees motivated and encourage them to perform above expectations.

Old Navy is a corporation that exhibits all of the characteristics of a business in an industry where good tactical management is the key to long-term success and survival. There can be little doubt that the backbone of every successful business or company is its staff of employees. Employees are the vital parts of the business machine that can aid in its success or contribute to its failure. It is, for this reason that it is imperative to possess the ability to acquire and maintain effective employees. The chief method by which a business or company can accomplish this task is through employee-centered motivational programs. While being an assistant manager at Old Navy I was able to look into how the business motivated its employees,

People are motivated by different rewards and therefore, a manager must know each employee’s reason to why they are working at the organization (Ivancevich, Konopaske and Matteson, 2014). Even though there is no best theory of motivation as a manager you have to work even harder to try and understand all your personnel’s motivation (Ivancevich, Konopaske and Matteson, 2014). One aspect of the motivational construct is for certain, the best way to influence individual performance is to have a reward system (Ivancevich, Konopaske and Matteson, 2014). This reward system can also attract outside talent to come and work at the

The motivational strategies developed by most companies refer to financial motivation, but also to other types of compensation and benefits that can stimulate employees' work improvements (McNamara, 2010). Such compensation and benefits usually refer to bonuses, paid vacations, public acknowledgement of results, paid subscriptions to health and fitness clubs, training programs intended to improve employees' skills, and others. There are numerous types of compensation and benefits that can be addressed, but the motivational strategy must develop

As the economy continues to struggle, it becomes more and more difficult to find ways to continue to motivate employees. To motivate your staff, you must be a role model to the staff and pave the way for motivation. The result of productivity within the business is measured by the effort that a manager puts into the employees to improve their occupational performances. It it thought that motivation comes from within ourselves, although, motivation from an outside source can boost the work rate as well. In today’s workforce, a manager endures various challenges with motivating their employees that did not exist in the workforce fifty years ago. Each challenge that a manager experiences ties hand in hand with one another and are all equally important. The three challenges that I will be discussing in this paper include: lack of communication, diversity and personal issues.

Ted, one of the most popular managers within the company exercised resilience at its finest when the two executives interrupted him while he was greeting the committee at the onset of the job evaluation meeting. The meeting was held to discuss job rating reviews, but as Ted was outlining the purpose of the meeting, the two executives wanted to bypass Ted’s plans for the meeting and discuss Rebecca’s job rating in an effort to enhance total compensation within the power of the organization. In the U. S. Army, most master resilience trainers defines what the two executives were trying to do, as effective praise. I highly recommend employers and leaders to understand everything within their ability to enhance total compensation to their employees or individuals because valued, selfless, and courageous efforts should be recognized and rewarded. I remember countless occasions when my Soldiers SGT Ni, SSG Stevens, and SGT Tippens would motivate their Soldiers to score high on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). A few Soldiers would maximize the standards set forth by the Army during every administered company-level APFT. In return these three Sergeants would come to me to have the Soldiers stand in front of a formation of other Soldiers and reward them with a three or four-day weekend pass, do physical training on their own for thirty days, and even get a certificate of achievement for their accomplishments. There are strengths and weaknesses found in every

Each person could be motivated by different things. Therefore, matching rewards with every employee’s expectation needs to be realized as Williams (2002) suggested. Moreover, factors that motivate employees really well in one level might de-motivate or create dissatisfactions in other levels. Consequently, to realize the real motivator of each employee, organizations

Motivational methods are the most fundamental concern for organizations abilities to achieve goals. Motivation takes place when employees have well-defined goals and take action that he or she expects will achieve those goals (Armstrong, 2007). Motivating employees is essential for organizations to achieve the highest levels of performances and meet internal goals effectively. Implements of motivational methods provides companies with the right techniques employees can use to complete tasks efficiently, meet expectations, achieve goals, obtain higher performances, enhance opportunities for advancement, and develop skills. Motivational techniques can also provide employees with rewards such as pay increases, promotions, recognition, and praises (Armstrong, 2007). Even though motivational techniques are extremely important for organizations to become successful, sometimes implementing these changes can be challenging and affect the employees attitudes and the process of organizations.

Job satisfaction is what people feel when they are valued in an organization. When a company rewards their employees, show interest in their work, and have an appreciation for what an employee does, this give an employee a sense of wanting to contribute more to an organization (Allen, 1993). Motivations for employees that many leaders strive to achieve is giving an employee meaningful work, recognition for the job they do, opportunities to grow, learn, and advance in the organization, and increase an employee’s responsibilities. A leader must observe the

What really motivates people at work? Is it simply the size of their paycheck? Is it another promotion? Or is it something else? Many contrasting views of motivation exist. However, most experts agree that motivation energizes, maintains and guides behavior. (John, 1992, pg. 63)

Organizations can use various motivational theories for inspiring their employees. According to the Hertzberg 's theory, employers should start by concentrating on sanitization features such as wage and employment security, before concentrating on influential issues such as exciting work and fully grateful that the work completed. In contrast, Adams ' equity theory states that management must focus on subjects that may be thought to be imbalances, such as wage and full appreciation of work completed, before concentrating on job security. The Vroom 's theory proposes that management must focus on the reward system, employee attempt in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organization. As mentioned by the Motivation in the Real World by Gellerman (1992), the most successful motivation techniques in companies in the United States are: “selectivity in hiring, generous pay and benefit programs, and encouragement of long-term employment.” Additional tactics are flexible implementation of procedures, rules and regulations, and a sensible policy of placing employee motivation is a priority (Beck, 2004).

The best employee motivation efforts will focus on what the employees deem to be important. It may be that employees within the same department of the same organization will have different motivators. Many organizations today find that flexibility in job design and reward systems has resulted in employees ' increased longevity with the company, improved productivity, and better morale. According to survey results, USAA may benefit greatly by incorporating the following recommendations as it relates to increasing employee motivation.

A compensation benefit package needs to have a clear and concise orientation of expectations for workers’ performance; in doing so, it will promote an effective strategy which can be outlined with an accurate, clear description of the job. In addition, to the evaluation of the workers’ performance through a job performance evaluation. An organization must understand their employees and what tools and skills are needed to be successful in the outline position, the need to make and maintain reachable goals and managers will need to lead by example; thus, creating employee motivation and increased productivity. Motivation comes in different forms, through verbal acknowledgement, great benefit packages and even better compensation offers to meet the needs of the workers. Organizations need to keep employees motivated, because employee productivity and success for the company relies on employee motivation to accomplished tasks (goals). Employee motivation is the fastest and easiest way for companies to succeed; if a company can have high employee motivation and morale the organization 's ability to complete is increased tenfold (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, & Uhl-Bein, 2010).