Keeping Good Help
Stable Management by Stephanie J. Corum January 2015
“It’s hard to find good help.” How many times have you heard or said that? And once you find that good help you certainly want to avoid the typical labor problems of turnover, absenteeism and low productivity. Doing so will require more than offering a paycheck. The first step is getting to know your employees’ personality styles and what motivates them. Then it is up to you to meet their needs.
One simple way to start is by using a rule you were (hopefully) taught as a child. Say “please” and “thank you.” You’d be amazed at how far a simple “thank you” will go. It shows that you see and acknowledge a person’s efforts and will make her feel appreciated.
Yes, the equine world is full of passionate people who want to make a go of a career in horses. But reining them in, while keeping them motivated, can be a tricky balance. The following are some tips from the experts:
Sources of Motivation
People are motivated in different ways, but no person is motivated exclusively by one. That’s why it’s important to get to know your employees. A study done by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln looked at motivational trends throughout the agricultural workforce and found five main ways that individuals are driven. They are:
- Intrinsic process—motivated by fun. These people focus on the sheer enjoyment of the work. They will talk about how much they like or dislike a task. They will volunteer for jobs that they enjoy the most, but won’t do well in jobs they don’t like.
- Instrumental—motivated by rewards. These individuals have a concern for tangibles, such as money and bonuses. They expect compensation for any extra work, talk a lot about money and the relative wealth of others compared to themselves.
- Self-concept external—motivated by reputation. These people are concerned about the opinions of others. They want to preserve or enhance their reputation among their peers. They will often ask for feedback, as well as seek praise and recognition for work performed.
- Self-concept internal—motivated by challenge. These individuals strive to meet their own personal standards for job performance. They will do difficult tasks with little or no supervision and are interested in developing a wide range of skills.
- Goal internalized—motivated by the cause. These people need to believe in the cause. They have value-based principles that guide their decisions and actions. They may ask you “Why are we doing this?”
The key, then, is to tap into the right source of motivations for each employee. And if you have employees with different motivations, it would be best to institute rules across the board rather than one set of rules for one employee and another set for a different employee. Suggestions from the research include: click to continue reading.
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June 26, 2016
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