Manage the Process
Wendy Mack’s fall newsletter asks: which of the following tools is the most powerful for motivating employees?
- Support for making progress
- Recognition for good work
- Incentives
- Interpersonal support
- Clear goals
If you’re like ninety-five percent of managers, you believe recognition for good work has the most impact on employee motivation. But Harvard University has proven that support for making progress is the greatest motivator, particularly for scientists, engineers, programmers, marketers, and other knowledge workers. Managing by objectives, which puts the focus on outcome, misses the opportunities of managing by means (Profit Beyond Measure, Thomas Johnson). Focusing on progress motivates – but requires skill and comes with a warning… continued
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