There are three components—the organization, the organization and its managers, and the managers—that, when they work harmoniously, create a motivating work environment . Motivating, as we will see, is very easy to understand but hard to implement. It is hard because it takes a commitment and partnership from both the organization and the managers to do their respective parts in cultivating an environment where team members can be motivated to develop to their fullest. If any one of these three components is not present or only partially present, it may be impossible to create that motivating environment. Let’s now look at these components.
Component 1: The Organization
The organization or company has a responsibility for providing an environment where individuals can become motivated. The organization needs to:
- Establish a secure workplace.
- Maintain good working conditions.
- Offer competitive salaries.
- Have a company image that people want to be proud of.
When an organization satisfies these basic concerns that individuals have in the workplace, it has done its job in the motivational partnership. Even though the organization assumes most of the responsibility for these items, the manager does have influence.
Secure Workplace. To team members a secure workplace means job security, fringe benefits, and safety.
- Job Security. As much as possible, an organization needs to give team members the comfort that their jobs are secure. If a team member comes to work each day and doesn’t know if he will be there next week because of downsizing or reorganization, it will be difficult for him to feel motivated. Job security is mostly in the hands of the organization, but managers can certainly influence a team member’s perception of it by their acceptance or rejection of job performance. If managers document and discipline unacceptable performers and work to keep and develop good and excellent performers, they will be sending a powerful message. In addition, managers can increase job security by keeping team members updated on coming changes, and providing them with specific instructions, training, and continual feedback.
- Fringe Benefits. Most team members, when they are hired, expect to receive reasonable fringe benefits for the type of job that they have. They will expect to have medical coverage, hospitalization, sick days, vacation time, and even flextime or the opportunity to telecommute. If people get reasonable amounts of these fringe benefits, they will feel satisfied at work.
- Safety. If the people on your team are worried about how safe equipment is, or if they are breathing in some toxic air, or if they fear that an unwelcome intruder will pose a physical threat, they won’t feel comfortable at work. Managers have the responsibility of making sure that their work areas are safe and reminding team members of safety procedures.
Good Working Conditions. Working conditions have to do with the availability of things such as state-of-the-art equipment, appropriate lighting, adequate parking facilities, heat in the winter and airconditioning in the summer, comfortable chairs, a good cafeteria, and conference rooms.
When the organization invests in good working conditions it is giving the staff a message that the organization cares about them. When an organization neglects them, it opens the door for the staff to not want to be motivated. Once again, managers need to be vigilant about the working conditions in their areas and bring any problems to the attention of the organization immediately.
The Case of the Parking Dilemma
There is an organization in New Jersey that recently merged all of its sites into one. There are now about 3,000 people working at this one location. Starting time is 9:00 A.M. The organization has a huge outdoor parking lot to accommodate all of the automobiles. There is no reserved parking unless a staff member is disabled. There is a visitor’s section near the entrance to the building. If a staff member gets to work later than others, he will have at least a tenor fifteen-minute walk to the building. New Jersey is cold, snowy, and icy in the winter. In the summer it is hot and humid. One of the biggest causes of unhappiness is the parking lot. I have known of vice presidents who vie for the employees-of-the-month slots because the reward is valet parking. People resist going to meetings outside of the building because they will lose their parking space, which may be close to the building. And forget about going out to lunch!
Competitive Salaries. When they are interviewing for a job, most people know what the salary range should be for the type of position they are applying for. They have done some benchmarking with friends or relatives. If they get the job, they will expect their salary to be within that range. If it isn’t, the organization has not created the type of environment where team members will be motivated. Managers can influence a team member’s salary by making recommendations to their managers.
Company Image. Imagine one of your team members is sitting on an airplane coming back from a business trip. The person next to him is talking about her company and what a great place it is to work. When she asks him whom he works for, how does he reply? Does he make up a different company name, say he is a consultant, or tell her how much he likes working at your organization, in your unit or department?
If you want your team members to be motivated at work, you should care that they feel good about where they work. Companies that have good images—regarding their products or services, their community involvement, and how they treat their people—foster the team member’s desire to be motivated. The manager can also influence the image that team members have of their company. The manager can be positive about the organization and speak constructively about its mission and goals.