Management Practices to Maximize Employee Motivation

Management Practices to Maximize Employee Motivation

        In the article “Top Management Practices to Maximize Employee Motivation” deals with a lot of issues that I have witness as a government employee and as a supervisor.  Personally I have seen a decline in the way manager/supervisors interact with their employees.  The practices that the article talks about are used far and between organizations.

        The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through our employees. To do this as a manager I should be able to motivate employees.  But that is easier said than done and I am sure many would agree with that statement.  As a military member and a supervisor I am faced with a lot of these challenges both with our military and civilian employees.  Like the article stated each employee is an individual and how best do I motivate each of them.  What particular stance do I take with my employees or rather what type of management style do I want to deploy.  I believe that maximizing an employee’s productivity is important and they can be accomplished through both management style and motivation.

        Lessons learned from the article are being able to answer those questions that were provided in the literature.  I cannot guarantee that all the employees that I supervise will feel they are valued and appreciated as well had a chance to grow in their career field.  My job as a supervisor is to mentor and guide the young airman ensuring that they are capable of performing their job. As my mother use to say you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip simply put employees will either be productive on their own or motivated to be.

        In the military we look at the totality of the unit and gage the working environment with surveys such as Climate Assessments as well as look for ways to promote esprit de corp among the military members and the civilian workforce.  The article gives very useful practices to use in ensuring that maximum motivation is achieved.  As with many organizations members in the military have their reasons as to why they joined and that reason seems to motivate some to perform at their best while others require a little more coasting.

        Unlike civilian organizations the military is not able to use bonuses as a tool to motivate employees so different approaches are taken such as Wingman Days, Family Days, and Sports Days.  Each of these activities is used to promote the overall health of the organization and teamwork.  We also use feedback sessions as a tool to mentor airman and promote career growth.  The feedback sessions are an opportunity for both the member and supervisor to have a one on one conversation and gain feedback on an individual performance.  It is also used to discuss other items that the member has in play such as family life or professional development.