Motivation creates the energy necessary for individuals to move and act. It enables people to deliver work that is beyond mediocre, finish what they start, meet goals and exceed them.
Motivation can either be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is driven by the pursuit of internal rewards, such as one's own fulfillment or personal happiness. Extrinsic motivation is driven by external motivators. Things like meeting a sales target, getting positive feedback and recommendation from a client, or receiving a bonus, are just a few examples of extrinsic motivations.
Empowering people is one very effective way of positively affecting their level of motivation. Empowered workers possess high self-efficacy. Due to this positive belief and knowledge that they can carry out a task to completion, they're more likely to accomplish it successfully.
Empowered employees possess high morale, high job satisfaction, and an overall positive outlook about their work. They are more likely to perform better and produce better results at work. They handle challenges more effectively and are able to carry out tasks with more ease and confidence.
When completing difficult and challenging tasks, a person's motivation level (intrinsic or extrinsic) can be a major factor, working as a catalyst to enhance their efficiency at work. A lack of motivation can cause them to feel anxious and stressed at work, limiting their productivity.
Motivating People Through Empowerment at Work
A great part of motivating people through empowerment involves enabling employees to work with a certain degree of freedom, by engaging some or all of the following:
- Showing sufficient trust in their abilities, giving them the confidence that they can follow through on tasks with minimal supervision and without superiors necessarily hovering over them and/or micromanaging them.
- Providing employees sufficient autonomy and decision-making responsibilities.
- Investing in their understanding of the company's purpose, values, and goals and learning about their own products/services so they can work independently and still be productive.
- Recognizing and rewarding good performance.
- Giving constructive feedback.
- Encouraging workers to share opinions for thoughtful consideration by the management.
- Supporting professional development and growth.
Empowerment as a strategy to motivate people requires consistent monitoring of the welfare and wellbeing of employees. This way their various needs are met, ensuring that they function at a much higher level and contribute greater productivity at work.
When employees wait on their superiors to make work-related decisions, they feel less accountable for their actions, tend to think less and make fewer positive contributions at work. They don't get to exhibit and practice initiative which is advantageous to both the employee and the enterprise.
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Benefits of Empowerment as a Strategy to Motivate People
There are many benefits and advantages of empowering people as a means to increase their level of motivation.
High-Quality Work Is Produced
When employees are empowered to make decisions within their own capacity, they get a morale boost and understand that they are a valuable part of the organization. When trust is present, workers are naturally motivated to improve and produce better results. They also have greater accountability for their actions and the company's goals. This greatly increases the chances that they will produce high-quality work.
More Productive and Engaged Work Force
An empowered workforce is composed of productive and highly-engaged employees. Highly productive workers make it possible for businesses to function with greater agility and profitability. They play a greater role in moving the company forward and are more open to embracing necessary changes.
Empowering individuals will bring about a healthy attitude in the workplace. When employees feel they have a voice, have accountability for their actions, feel heard and seen, and know they are valued by their superiors and the company, they tend to perform better and help others do the same.
A happy, healthy workplace will also help the company attract the right people to stay in long term positions. This helps secure the company's reputation as a reputable and trustworthy business and a great place for employment.
