Discussion on motivating employees

Motivating employees can be a very difficult task for a manager with no budget. Read the attachment: No Cost Rewards.pdf
Actions
on No Cost Ways to Motivate Employees by Dan Tynan and respond to the following: see below
1) Which motivator do you feel is the best and why (1 paragraph)
2) Which motivator do you feel is useless or would just be a distraction and why (1 paragraph)
3) Which motivator do you think is nice gesture but really won’t motivate anybody and explain why (1 paragraph)
4) Supply (or research) your own idea of a no cost motivator and how you would implement it. Think of a good one. (1 paragraph)
Consider also the importance of empathy and understanding when connecting with and motivating employees. Listen to the short audio teaching entitled Management Audio 1 for additional help with this discussion question.
DB POSTING REMINDERS:
Please remember the initial post should be written as early in the week as possible, and the peer responses are due by Saturday evening.
Be sure to reference your eText or other research to support your response. You will be graded on how you relate the class readings to your initial post.
When you make your initial post, please fully answer the question and make substantive responses – i.e. at least 200 words that really dive into the topic and show that you’ve read in your texts and done the research to support your opinions.
Apply appropriate examples that illustrate your points – feel free to bring your work experiences into the discussion. It helps us all learn when we can relate our past work experiences to what we’re learning here in the discussions.
You must reply substantively (at least 50 words that welcome further discussion) at least twice to your classmates and/or your instructor.
All discussions and assignments required the use of APA to cite and list references. APA stands for the American Psychological Association and the guidelines that they develop for formatting and citing sources in research papers are required in many college-level classes that deal with areas of Business, Criminal Justice, and Education. Here you will find some practical information about what APA style and format are and how to use them:
Ways to Reward Employees (Without Spending a Dime)
Adapted from an article written by Dan Tynan

1. Flex hours. Give a little latitude in determining work schedules and to take time for family or personal issues. As long as
the employee is deserving and doesn’t abuse the privilege, this can go a long way to building trusting and mature relationships
with key workers.

2. Send a handwritten note. Supervisors should ask top brass to write a personal note to employees who deserve recognition.
For example, AdvancedMD CEO Jim Pack handwrites his thank-you notes to employees on a $2 bill. “In three years of doing
this, only one employee has asked if he could spend it,” said company spokesman John Pilmer.

3. Make work fun. Create a weekly event to boost morale. For example; ask everyone to bring in a baby picture and post it on
a wall, have an ugly tie or sweater day, make it “Hawaiian Day” etc.

4. Lose the shoes. Implementing a “no-shoes policy” can make employees feel right at home with each other, which translates
into increased productivity. But keep the footwear handy in case clients come in.

5. Reward effort as well as success. Even if their ideas sometimes fail, you want employees to keep producing them.

6. Give them a free pass. Giving out a certain number of free days off to employees to use as they see fit.

7. Dole out cream and sugar. During the busiest times of the year, executives at the Cigna Group push coffee carts around the
office, serving drinks and refreshments to their colleagues. As they serve, executives coach and encourage colleagues and
hear about real consumer issues.

8. Blow out the candles. Host a monthly hour-long birthday breakfast for any employee with a birthday that month so they feel
recognized.

9. Spread the love. Ask co-workers to write something they truly like or admire about an employee on a scrap of paper, then
frame them along with a photograph of the employee

10. Applaud their efforts — literally. If someone has done something really worthwhile, have your entire staff give them a
standing ovation at the next meeting

11. Say it with flowers. Reward employees by bringing in flowers and arranging them in a vase on their desks.

12. Elect them to the Wall of Fame. Setting aside a public space inside your firm and placing photos of employees who’ve
accomplished something truly special, along with the details of what they did to earn their place on the wall.

13. Create your own “Club Med.” Set aside a quiet space or unused office in your building where employees can meditate,
chill out, nap or otherwise re-center themselves.

14. Give them a place to park it. Reserve the best parking spot for employees who’ve done something worthwhile.

15. Publicize their successes. Publicly recognize employees so the whole company can share in their accomplishments

16. Remember the secret words. “The two most underused words in corporate America that get the highest ROI (return on
investment) and ROT (return on your time) are the simple words ‘thank you.’

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