Motivational Methods

Motivational Methods

HCS/325

Motivational Methods

Motivation is the backbone of success in any industry, and the healthcare service is no exception. In this scenario I was asked to place myself in the shoes of a manager whose department is facing a considerable downsize. Managing a team who is staring at potential employment loss is difficult but, with the right motivational tools, can be a successful endeavor. I will need to analyze my team members strengths and weaknesses in order to create a motivational plan that will rally them together for the upcoming change.

Importance of Equity

According to Adam’s Equity Theory, “individuals are motivated when they perceive they are treated equitably in comparison to others within the organization” (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2016, p. 54 a.). This generates a need for me, as the department manager, to create a positive environment for my team members; letting them know that their individual contributions are not only noticed but appreciated. This ensures that my employees know they are needed, wanted, and appreciated in this company; therefore, establishing loyalty between the company and each employee.

There are several ways that I can do this, one of which is through simple acknowledgement. Employees who are hardworking and producing positive results don’t always need monetary incentives to continue their positive work habits; verbal validation can be just as rewarding in these situations. This can be done one-on-one between the employee and myself, or during a meeting, letting the group know that I appreciate the actions of an individual employee, which can in turn inspire other employees to increase productivity and create a positive environment in order to receive this validation themselves.

During a large change, such as downsizing, employees can become skittish and unsure of their future with their company. This can lead to poor productivity and behavior. By showing loyal employees that they are an asset to the company whose contributions are critical to our success, a manager can create a bond between the company and team members, letting them know that they are irreplaceable. This also promotes positive employee growth and productivity.

Intrinsic Rewards

Building upon the Equity theory, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory shows “the expectations of individuals and hypothesizes they are motivated by performance and the expected outcomes of their own behaviors” (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2016, p. 54 b.). As the department is downsizing, it would be inappropriate for a manager to offer, or an employee to expect, a raise in pay or a promotion within the company. Because of this, positive feedback can be the most potent form of motivation as it directly links performance with the effort that was given. In this scenario, the outcome of an employee’s job well done is both the pride they feel from their accomplishment and the verbal validation from the management team. Even in the absence of incentives, a manager who can motivate their team through positive reinforcement and intrinsic values can produce positive growth and bring their team together to work toward the company’s goals.

Goal Setting

Positive feedback and motivation would be useless if they weren’t geared toward goal achievement. According to Locke’s Goal Setting Theory, “establishing goals motivates individuals to take action to achieve those goals” (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2016, p. 54). In this scenario, I find myself in the management role, therefore elucidating that I need to be able to lead my team toward productivity, by getting them to complete tasks. The greatest way to rally my team would be to create an organized plan and set of goals that my team can work towards and complete. Locke’s theory explains that establishing goals motivates employees to achieve them, circling back to those intrinsic values mentioned before where the completion of the goals themselves is the reward to the employees.

Setting goals can also help me on a management level, by clearly defining my team member’s value and work ethic; those who are truly loyal to my team will put in the effort to prove that they are an asset to me and our company. This can be valuable information as the company moves forward with the downsize of my department. Depending on whether or not the company will be delegating employees out to other departments or letting them go, I will be able to base my recommendations off of the behavior of my team during the transition time.

Conclusion

As the manager, it is my job to motivate my employees daily, and during a transition like this, motivation becomes even more critical as it can mean the difference between employees being retained within the company or let go. By utilizing these three theories, I would be successful in rallying my team together. Motivating the employees within my department would create a positive environment that would in turn inspire my employees to enjoy their work and produce positive results. As the department is downsizing anyway, being able to give my employees peace of mind and the knowledge that they were appreciated would in turn inspire me as I go to my next team.

References

Buchbinder, S. B., & Shanks, N. H. (2016) a. Introduction to Health Care Management (3rd

ed.). Retrieved from

https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284119725/cfi/6/26!/4/88/8/2@0:0.

Buchbinder, S. B., & Shanks, N. H. (2016) b. Introduction to Health Care Management (3rd

ed.). Retrieved from

https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284119725/cfi/6/26!/4/88/8/2@0:0.

Buchbinder, S. B., & Shanks, N. H. (2016) c. Introduction to Health Care Management (3rd

ed.). Retrieved from

https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284119725/cfi/6/26!/4/88/8/2@0:0.