Rajendra Dhar
POLICE WATCH INDIA (Regd. NGO).
Ever since the day this Universe came into existence Motivation has been the most powerful tool in the hands of the Leaders & Administrators. A Competent & Capable Motivator can persuade, convince and propel people to act for the achievement of his/her set objectives & goals.
It is a general tendency to believe that motivation is a personal trait. Some people have it and the others don’t. In practice, some are labeled to be lazy because they do not display an outward sign of motivation. However, individuals differ in their basic motivational drives. It also depends upon their areas of interest. The concept of motivation is situational and its level varies between different individuals and at different times. If you understand what motivates people, you have at your command the most powerful tool for dealing with them & getting the best out of them.
WHAT IS MOTIVATION
Motivation is the power which inspires people to work, individually or in groups in the ways such as to produce best results. It is the will to act. It is the willingness to exert high levels of effort towards organizational goals conditioned by the efforts and ability to satisfy Society’s needs.
Motivation is getting somebody to do something because they want to do it. It was once assumed that motivation had to be injected from outside, but it is now understood that everyone is motivated by several differing forces.
Motivation is a general term applied to the entire class of drives, desires, needs, wishes and similar forces. To say that administrators motivate their subordinates is to say that they do those things which they hope will satisfy these drives and desires and induce the subordinates to act in a desired manner.
To motivate others is the most important of administrative tasks. It comprises the abilities to communicate, to set an example, to challenge, to encourage, to obtain feedback, to involve, to delegate, to develop and train, to inform, to brief and to provide a just reward.
TYPES OF MOTIVATION
(1) Achievement Motivation
It is the drive to pursue and attain goals. An individual with achievement motivation wishes to achieve objectives and advance up on the ladder of success. Here, accomplishment is important for its own sake and not for the rewards that accompany it. It is similar to ‘Kaizen’ approach of Japanese Management.
(2) Affiliation Motivation
It is a drive to relate to people on a social basis. Persons with affiliation motivation perform work better when they are complimented for their favourable attitudes and co-operation.
(3) Competence Motivation
It is the drive to be good at something, allowing the individual to perform high quality work.
Competence motivated people seek job mastery, take pride in developing and using their problem solving skills and strive to be creative when confronted with obstacles. They learn from their & others experience.
(4) Power Motivation
It is the drive to influence people and change situations. Power motivated people wish to create an impact on their organization and are willing to take risks to do so.
(5) Attitude Motivation
Attitude motivation is how people think and feel. It is their self confidence, their belief in themselves, their attitude to life. It is how they feel about the future and how they react to the past.
(6) Incentive Motivation
It is where a person or a team reaps a reward from an activity. It is “You do this and you get that" attitude. It is the types of awards and prizes that drive people to work a little harder.
(7) Fear Motivation
Fear motivation coercions a person/persons to act against will. It is instantaneous and gets the job done quickly. It is helpful only in the short run.
There are other types of Motivation which are not being deal’t with in this Edition for sake of brevity.
REQUISITES TO MOTIVATE
We have to be Motivated to Motivate.
Motivation requires a goal or goals.
Motivation once established, does not last if not repeated.
Motivation requires Recognition.
Participation has motivating effect.
Seeing ourselves progressing Motivates us.
Challenge only motivates you to win. Don’t be afraid of challenges.
Remember everybody has a motivational fuse i.e. everybody can be motivated.
Even animals can be motivated if one knows how to go about it.
MOTIVATING DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS
Motivation is not only in a single direction i.e. downwards. In the present scenario, where the workforce is more informed, more aware, more educated and more goal oriented, the role of motivation has left the boundries of the hierarchy of administration. Apart from superior motivating a subordinate, encouragement and support to colleague as well as helpful suggestions at the right time, even to the superior, brings about a rapport at various work levels. Besides, where workforce is self motivated, just the acknowledgement of the same makes people feel important and wanted.
TO BE AN EFFECTIVE MOTIVATOR ONE MUST
Treat Staff Well.
Think Like A Winner.
Recognize The Differences.
Set Realistic Goals.
Prevent De-motivation at all costs.
We all know that monetary rewards have always had a high motivational capacity. But non-monetary rewards are equally helpful. A thank you note, a letter of appreciation or even few words of praise can help smooth-en the creases between the different levels of administration & boost the morale of the force.