| When an employee is demotivated, we automatically | | | | - Pay: reasonable to do the job |
| assume that, if we throw more money at that person | | | | - Inter-personal relationships: good relationships with |
| then they will become more motivated. Right? Wrong! | | | | your boss, peers, co-workers, direct reports, team |
| Money does not motivate. In fact, money does the | | | | members |
| exact opposite: it actually demotivates. Now, before | | | | Think about it in these terms: the above Hygiene |
| you nod your head in agreement and approval and | | | | Factors, if present, simply stop the individual from |
| reach for the company accounts to eradicate all | | | | leaving the company and going elsewhere where |
| wages and salaries, read on a little to find out why. | | | | these Hygiene Factors are met. So the morale of the |
| In the work place there is something called "neutral | | | | story is to, first and foremost, find out what Hygiene |
| motivation". This is simply the pre-requisite amount of | | | | Factors exist for every single employee, remembering |
| elements that everyone requires to simply turn up to | | | | that what is true for one person may not be so for |
| work and do the job. The difficult issue for every | | | | the next. |
| manager, however, is that everyone's requirements | | | | As for the Motivators, these are elements that, if in |
| are different. For some, vacation is more important | | | | existence, will motivate someone to try harder or "go |
| than office conditions. For others, have a shiney, new | | | | that extra mile". However, if they don't exist, will simple |
| computer is more important than a pension scheme. | | | | keep the individual at the neutral level but not |
| And for still other, a certain level of income is more | | | | necessarily demotivate them. Examples of Motivators |
| important than sick-leav allowance. And for some the | | | | are: |
| level of income required to reach this neutral level is "x" | | | | - A sense of achievement |
| and for others, it is "x + 1" - this for doing the identical | | | | - Recognition |
| job. | | | | - Responsibility |
| This neutral level is therefore the summation of all the | | | | - Advancement |
| elements that each person requires simply to turn up. It | | | | - Using capabilities |
| does not motivate people to work harder. It is simply | | | | Yet again, each person will be motivated by different |
| the point at which people do there jobs in accordance | | | | things: some simply want a pat on the shoulder and to |
| to their job descriptions and objectives that have been | | | | be told they have done a good job. Others want a |
| set. Take one or all of these elements away (or | | | | promotion. Others still may require a greater level of |
| reduce them so that the neutral level is not met) and | | | | responsibility and autonomy while some just want to |
| suddenly you have a demotivated person on your | | | | be simply left alone to do their jobs. As a manager and |
| payroll. Therefore, these factors - known and named | | | | leader, you need to discover what it is that drives each |
| by Frederick Herztberg as Hygiene Factors - don't | | | | individual and how best to provide that motivator. |
| motivate but can demotivate if they are not present in | | | | In summary, it is important to remember that what |
| the required quantity. Examples of Hygiene Factors | | | | motivates does not necessarily demotivate (if not in |
| are: | | | | existence) and what demotivates does not necessarily |
| - Company policies and benefits: vacation package, | | | | motive if in existence. Speak to your people and find |
| sick leave allowance, pension schemes, health | | | | out what they require to reach their individual neutral |
| insurance | | | | motivation levels and then what more is required to |
| - Working conditions: office space, equipment required | | | | motivate them beyond that level. |
| to do the job, environment, easy of access | | | | |