Is motivation important for you?

Motivating employees is supposed to be an important job for every manager. So, how much do your managers know about human motivation? And how well do they understand the needs of their staff? Is there room for improving their motivation skills?

The traditional and current motivational models as Klein (1989) pointed out are perplexing abstract theories that confuse practitioners in applying them to work situations. Additionally, these models do not address the current diversity of behaviour found in organisations today. The results of five years research: the HRO Motivational Questionnaire (MQ) is designed to help employees and employers explore and understand the conditions that tend to increase or reduce the enthusiasm and motivation of people at work. Based on 15 work related needs - called motivational factors - the questionnaire outlines a comprehensive job motivation profile for each individual participant.

The motivational profile is a snapshot of employee needs as participants perceive them at that time. It is a dynamic result of comparing desires with conditions currently provided by the work environment.

The motivational profile can serve as a reference material for appraisal, feedback or employee dialog. Such two-way discussions between employees and the organization are very important to define the right objectives and opportunities for people and to maximize the mutual benefits.

MQ also helps employees to benefit from the scientific research about human motivation. Scientists like Maslow and McClelland discovered that the most successful people share some common characteristics in their motivation: these highly effective people are capable of motivating themselves. They seem to have an internal dynamo that generates energy and enthusiasm, and this motivation carries them through tough times of starting up, hardship, slow development, difficulties, set backs, and failures. These motivational factors are called Intrinsic motivational factors, as opposed to Extrinsic motivational factors which come from the outside world. Extrinsic motivation quickly looses it's effect, while Intrinsic motivation gives energy for the long run. Employers need to look at both, but the Intrinsic motivation is something that is possible to develop, and that development brings a win-win situation for employees and employers. The HRO Motivational Training Courses provide an effective upgrade of motivational skills.