Practical Tips to Motivating Employees

Some employees are true self-starters and seem to motivate
themselves to excel. But even with your highest flyers, there
could be times where he or she hits a funk and needs some
positive motivation. Look to these tips to help you through the
trial:

Make sure the goal is crystal clear - The first step in
motivating an employee is ensuring he very clearly understands
the goal and when it needs to be met. If goals aren't clear or
if you can't articulate the goal yourself, spend time getting
clarity with both yourself and the employee. 

Put them on the same side of the table as you - Design your
rewards (financial, prestige, etc.) around attainment of the
goal and get them working with you as opposed to against you.
Putting some tangible rewards around goal attainment will allow
the employees to see the fruits of their labor. 

Don't be afraid to expose poor performance - If progress isn't
being made against the goal, be very explicit and deliberate
about showing objective performance measures and progress
against the measure. Objectivity is very important here; if you
are concerned about being objective, use a trusted colleague or
HR representative to cross-check you. 

Clearly articulate the consequences of continued poor
performance - Ensure the employee knows what can happen if
performance doesn't improve. It could be loss of financial
reward, a lower job title, or in extreme cases, termination.
Again, be objective and use a trusted colleague or HR rep if
necessary. 

Follow through - Don't make idle threats or statements that the
employee knows you won't follow through on. If you set a goal to
be achieved by a certain date and both your reward and
consequence are clear; be prepared to follow through on either
the reward or consequence.