Non-monetary Motivational Strategies
What can managers do to motivate employees given the additional federal restrictions with elimination of the "safe harbors"?
A great way to motivate is with positive verbal feedback. Letting employees know they have done a successful job in there position.
Jeffrey,
Positive feedback is always important. Employees enjoy knowing when they have done a great job.
I AM A TRUE BELIEVER IN POSITIVITY! IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY COMING TO AN EMPLOYEE WITH A NEGATIVE CIRCUMSTANCE, AND YOU BEGIN YOUR SESSION WITH SOMETHING POSITIVE THE EMPLOYEE HAS DONE OR ACHEIVED. I BELIEVE YOUR OUTCOME WILL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL!
Maria,
Positive reinforcement is a great tool for motivating others.
Cindy Bryant, Facilitator
A great way to motivate employees is by finding out strengths that they possess and things they are passionate about and allowing them to explore various ways to exercise their passion. For example, I am a breast cancer survivor and enjoy speaking publicly about my diagnosis and recovery. This example may be more appropriate than I realized during the breast cancer awareness month of October. I formed a team and our admissions department was very receptive and last year we raised more than $1,700 and had 35 participants. The marketing department supported our efforts by providing custom T-shirts for our team as well!
I think this is a wonderful point. Employees are not just employees they have families and personal causes they are involved with daily. So much time is spent at work away from family and away from philanthropic causes that bring us joy it’s wonderful to know the time we are spending is appreciated.
I completely agree with everyone on the discussion thread. I think that when employees are happy it comes out to the students. Positivity really effects everyone in the school, if one department is unhappy, it is usually felt throughout the school.
Using qualitative management rather than quantitative management. Ensuring that the official process of the school is followed with each student via coaching/calibration sessions, observations, feedback, scoring systems based on qualitative measurements, survey results, compliance inspections, etc.
Quantitative measurements may be used by the manager to see where strengths and focus areas appear within the team and performance. However, the standards for what is acceptable and unacceptable should fall under the qualitative approach.
Documented evidence of inspections, results, and training provided to the employee should be on file and occur on a routine basis. This documentation should be inspected by a compliance officer regularly also to ensure it is being completed by the manager.
This is a win/win/win for the student experience, a healthy employee/employer relationship, and good-standing between the school and regulatory body.
Establishing a culture of teamwork, and staying postive with the intent to help students. We had an activity where as representatives that we could gain points and recognition by helping our team answer student questions, helping with paperwork and follow up when individuals were out of the office. I t allowed everyone to become a leader in their own right and allowed us to show our managers a different set of skills within the workplace
One way of motivating is by reminding the employee that they are doing the right by helping the student with proper procedures and/or direction. It is important to remind people of that, especially in an environment of heavy regulation.
We've made our in-service trainings a very motivational experience! We provide lunch, positive feedback to the reps during the trainings, and just try to make them feel special for that day.
Donna,
You can't go wrong with food. :)
Cindy Bryant
I feel that positive feed back is the way to go. If everyone supports each other and gives constructive criticism by highlighting the positive work, everyone benefits in the long run.
Jessica,
The positive approach is far more effective. An additional component to a motivational environment is to ensure that information is free flowing and free of retribution.
Cindy Bryant
Within the class it states that safe harbors were eliminated due to inappropriate recruiting practices. It was reported that they were receiving complaints from students that the students felt pressured to start classes. I agree that a college education should not be tied to an individuals compensation. Colleges should be holding themselves accountable to ensure that they are providing the best services to students. If they are providing the best services then students will want to attend that college.
I feel that as managers you can motivate employees by getting to know them on a personal level. By reminding the employees what your mission is and why you believe in the school and the mission. If you have employees who feel that they are appreciated in the workplace then they will be more successful on the job. Studies have even shown that people are motivated by recognition rather then compensation. We also motivate employees by providing lunches, ice cream socials and popcorn days to thank them for their hard work.
Heather,
I completely agree with your theory regarding motivating employees. To some extent, a high level of employee motivation is derived from effective management practices. To develop motivated employees, a manager must treat people as individuals, empower workers, provide an effective reward system, redesign jobs, and create a flexible workplace. The effective reward could be as much as a paperweight or plaque of appreciation. Thank you for your contribution to the forum.
Cindy Bryant
Providing positive feedback that is timely and specific is beneficial with motivating employees. In addition, our organization has employee appreciation events throughout the year to let employees know they are valued and appreciated.
Teri,
Positive reinforcement truly goes a long way. It is hard to implement a fully functioning positive reinforcement program for employees and maintain consistency in REAL LIFE! But it is a great first step. It is well known that consistency is the key to effective change.
Cindy Bryant
Of course recognition is a great way to motivate but I feel that there's also the responsibility to lead by example. In my experience, the best way to keep others motviated is to show just how high your level of commitment is. By making sure the student's well being is a priority, the managers can not only motivate, but to walk the walk themselves.
