Employee motivation is unarguably one of the most important factors of a productive workplace. Not just the success but the very survival of any organization in difficult times depends on how motivated its employees are.
Moreover, without the employees being motivated, their engagement and productivity are likely to stay low. And as a result, for a company to move forward is not possible.
So, the role that motivation can play in making the most of your workforce is the pivot.
Nevertheless, what we often forget is that without the top leadership being motivated first, it is difficult to expect it from the rest of the employees.
Additionally, being motivated and understanding the importance of motivation alone is not sufficient.
You need to hit the right spots that will drive employees to work hard and do wonders. But how can this be achieved? Simply, by studying and understanding employee motivation better.
There are many articles that one can find on the internet regarding employee motivation. However, they are not the best substitutes for the books written specifically on making employees motivated.
So, for you to understand better how you can instill motivation in your employees, we bring you the five books that we think you should read to have a motivated workforce working for you.
1. Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
Author: L. David Marquet
David Marquet was one of the experienced officers in the US Navy. He was later transferred as a captain in a nuclear-powered submarine.
The fleet had issues such as poor performance and worst retention.
In one of his days as the captain, Marquet unknowingly gave an order that was impossible to achieve.
This task was not only impossible but was also very dangerous upon trying.
The team, however, still tried its best in successfully following the order.
Later, Marquet got knowledge of this. And he asked his team why they did not tell him that the task had considerable risk involved.
The team replied that they were ordered to do so.
That led the author, the then US Marine officer, to come to a realization.
Marquet realized that the Marine force was in dire danger due to the traditional leader-follower culture.
This book is based on the true story of David Marquet. The story of how he went from keeping power to distributing it down to all the ranks.
This model makes everyone develop a sense of responsibility. And that results in motivating the people to work better.
2. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Author: Daniel H. Pink
As opposed to this belief that money as a reward is the highest motivating factor, Daniel H. Pink writes otherwise.
In this book, the author references the research on Employee motivation. However, Pink reveals that the organizational practices have been in total contrast.
The author concludes three elements for motivation from the research: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
This book consists of the results of scientific research on employee motivation. And it draws inferences from it.
Nevertheless, the author in this book also suggests the actions that are necessary for achieving employee motivation.
Read: The Best Advice You Could Ever Get About Employee Motivation
3. Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t
Author: Simon Sinek
Not everyone loves their job. Many of us do not.
It is similar to winning a lottery or hitting the jackpot, where only a few get lucky. And so, only a few can claim to love the job. While others just cannot.
A world where people love and are passionate about their job is not eutopic since many organizations have been successful in achieving it, as the book says.
Such organizations make work rather fun by making working together more enjoyable. So, the book suggests that if you cannot make the job roles of your employees loveable, then make group work exciting.
The author of the book strongly links the motivation of employees for work with their ability to work as a team.
So, to conclude, for people to love their jobs, they must first love working with their peers.
In addition to this, the author goes on to provide a reference from the Marine forces, where officers always eat last, thus the name of the book.
In many organizations, the culture of self-interest is very common.
Employees seldom care about the interest of their employer company, let alone of their peers’. However, in successful organizations, the workplace culture is poles apart from such a mindset.
In successful organizations, leaders tend to sacrifice their interests. They bring others to the front. They let others have the limelight. And they put themselves before others when needed.
Not only does it lead to people loving their job, but employee motivation also reaches new heights.
So, we can also conclude that leaders/ managers also have a crucial role to play in devising a motivated workforce. And that it is not entirely the responsibility of an employee or the company itself.
4. The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration – and Get the Most from Your Employees
Author: Mark Royal and Tom Agnew
The author in this book makes use of the latest research on employee motivation by the Hay Group.
As the name suggests, the book discusses the factors that hinder the performance and thus the motivation of employees. These factors are excessive procedures, lack of resources, overly narrow roles, etc.
Moreover, the book also proposes the necessary practices that can be used for eliminating these factors.
The author in this book reveals the results of the studies conducted by the Hay group. And in one of the studies, it was found that due to the unfavorable working conditions, the employees become unproductive.
This book also provides its readers with researched-backed tools and practices. To find and overcome the factors leading to lesser employee motivation.
5. Why We Do What We Do
Author: Edward L. Deci
Arguing against the system of rewards and punishment, the author writes that it is the autonomy that matters most, for employee motivation.
The author further writes that it is by the virtue of autonomy that motivation is instilled into the employees.
This book is a complete guide not only for the managers but the parents and teachers as well.
It is for anyone who wishes to promote efficiency and motivation by making people autonomous in their course of actions.
Read: 7 Ways to Completely Ruin Your Employee Motivation
Bottom line
Employee motivation lies at the heart of organizational success. It tends to make employees more engaged, which results in an increase in their productivity and performance levels.
All in all, motivating your employees should be a priority.
Lastly, yet importantly, rewards and recognition play a major role in terms of employee motivation. So, you can also leverage employee recognition and rewards to boost the motivation of your employees.
That said, rewarding employees for their recognition for good work is not easier.
But, a relevant platform, such as BRAVO!, makes it easier for you to appreciate and reward your employees for their hard work. And consequently, making employees motivated becomes easier as well.
So, the rewards and recognition platform, BRAVO!, leads you to develop a motivated workforce also, which adds to its advantages.
You can book here to have a practical demonstration of BRAVO! on employee motivation.
