This Matter of Motivation

you are about to see a film about people people of all sizes colors backgrounds personalities interests education and intelligence but they all have one thing in common they all work for a living and this is what we are concerned with in this film with workers and how to understand them better so that they and we will have a happy and successful relationship this film is based on principles developed and defined by a man who many say knows more about worker motivation than anyone in the world he is Dr Frederick Herzberg professor of industrial psychology at Case Western Reserve University his books are regarded as Classics in the field of worker motivation he is sought after as teacher lecturer and consultant both here and abroad this film you should therefore understand is based on Dr herzberg's principles we believe that our firm knowledge of these principles will help you to work more effectively with those who work for you because of your understanding of what makes them want to do their jobs better [Music] thank you his title may be Foreman department head supervisor vice president he may have his name above his door he may have a shop desk or just that indefinable air of authority that says I'm in charge whichever it is he's a manager a manager is someone who directs the work of others to produce effective results his role in setting goals may be comprehensive or relatively Limited but he is the one to whom people look for leadership whether they call him hey Charlie or Mr Abernathy or even that cigar smoking so and so on her front office the authority to get things done can be used by a manager in a variety of ways he can apply pressure listen if we don't get this job out on time it's going to be somewhat's Nick and it's sure not going to be mine a lot of people think of obtaining results only through pressure and threats well they do have their place they're useful and sometimes necessary means of achieving short-term goals but their temporary measures they will not accomplish a consistent long-range Improvement in work performance modern management Concepts applying what has been learned by psychological studies on-the-job surveys the experience of many companies have produced a new look at this matter of motivation motivation [Applause] [Music] why do people do things more importantly why do they want to do them better give the extra ounce of effort go beyond the routine requirements of the job well in a minute we'll look at some of the things that motivate people but first let's think about why motivation is important why does industry need employee motivation well the aim of motivation is Improvement and Improvement means change doing the job better inevitably means changing present attitudes and work habits it's a general theory in Industry that employees resist change look you know I can't let you have these parts and just the yellow slip where's the form 320. look at the front office they said save time this is the new routine oh those Geniuses up front are the smart boys why do they always have to upset the whole system just to try out their stupid new ideas part of industrial folklore is that employees don't like change the facts are however that employees do like change that's why they buy new cars new clothes try different hairdos take Improvement courses and want better jobs the changes they don't like are those that are forced upon them what's this mean to my job you know some guy comes in and he wants not change that people resent it's being changed without being consulted and without any explanation of how their own jobs will be affected there is not likely to be resentment if the employee makes the changes voluntarily and on his own or has contributed to the decision for change well Ed you don't have to worry about the operation on that next machine anymore they're going to combine it with the turning and facing you're doing it'll save time and reduce that that's just what I've been saying for the last six months what you've been saying for the past six months I know they've finally seen it your way you should hear what the boss is saying about the great crew he's got over here wow this interest of the employee in doing his job better and striving for advancement is at the heart of motivation which is why motivation is so valuable a management principle without motivation there may be a passive willingness to do a job look John I told you we'd run a test on this sample as soon as we could well the thing is I've got to have those specifications I'm the first thing tomorrow morning not this afternoon that's always an emergency we we got two guys off sick you know that uh well I'll do the best I can thanks be great help thank you willingness to do the best I can is an adequate response but it's the response of the unmotivated employee motivation creates the active desire not just to do the job but to do it better it's always the last minute with you on John seems that way or short-handed you know let's see let me check this order on the job I'm working on now well they don't need this until The Foundry work is done so I guess I can get started on this right away and get it over to you about 3 3 15. boy that's great thanks a lot by the way John they're doing a great job of predicting hurricanes and tornadoes have you heard about it what well that just seems to me if if they can get an advanced tip on something like that you know the vast upheavals of nature couldn't it be possible for you to give us just a little warning on these last minute Panic [ __ ] jobs of yours that come along every week or so now you could give us a call well you know we can't always oh well the weather bureau fumbles one once in a while too okay okay I get your point in other words if we could see this thing coming it would save time yeah and it might make you and me live a little longer too that is an example of motivation it's not a magic pill or an instant attitude it's an attitude toward the job which looks beyond passable performance to see how it can be done better we can make a neat chart all very orderly employees all in a row beside each a column which represents his contribution to the company's total effort we can subdivide each column to show some differences inability in physical dexterity and so on but we can say that the major difference is that some men are adequately motivated and others under motivated and if motivation were some sort of magic formula we could just apply it to each employee in the proper amount and get uniform results like this but employees are not all the same are not faceless symbols on a chart they are all different things that motivate some individuals have little influence on others motivational factors differ from job to job they vary in different types of work indeed no two employees are motivated in precisely the same way to the same degree by the same conditions but after that has been said we can go ahead to State this principle that there are certain management attitudes which influence to some degree the motivation of every employee on every job we all reveal our motivation or lack of it in the Casual things we say too bad no trumpets no trombones this calls for a real fanfare hey guess what I found in the chicken soup sure I know Ned Edwards he started with the company same year I did say honey you might just possibly be interested in what the boss said yesterday we've always done it that way no use asking the town leaves over you know I ought to punch you in the nose gee Mrs Simpson you really been here for 25 years [Music] those were a few snapshots of men and women in their daily lives now if we consider them in detail we'll see that they illustrate the basic principles of on-the-job motivation principles which are not classroom theories but facts of human behavior facts of business and Industrial life developed through years of intensive study and research these are principles which modern management has accepted and is learning to utilize in examining these principles we must make a very important distinction between motivators and what we may call satisfiers or maintenance factors they both involve the various wants and needs that affect a man's attitude toward his work and the way he performs it but this is the difference motivators are factors that cause an employee to do a better job maintenance factors are those that simply maintain present work levels factors in other words that help prevent an employee from doing a poor job we might illustrate it this way motivators are what hoists the sale so that the vote will move as rapidly as possible maintenance factors pull up the anchor so that the boat will move at all for efficient operation of the boat or the company we must have both of them but we must also realize that they are separate functions another difference motivators are factors or conditions that relate to the job a person is doing not to the surroundings in which he is doing it maintenance factors on the other hand relate to the conditions under which the job is being done the environment rather than the job itself now let us be as specific as we can about these motivators and maintenance factors just what are they first the four basic motivation factors the first of these is achievement ah too bad no trumpets no trombones this calls for a real Fanfare feeling pretty proud of yourself are you nothing that any red-blooded Young American genius couldn't have done take a look at this you've really done it haven't you in spite of what you know who said it's a great job this isn't a job this is my baby they'll like it it'll save a lot of work time yeah whether they like it or not I like it with your permission I will play just one more brief salute to my baby achievement the feeling of satisfaction the sense of personal accomplishment that comes with the knowledge that a challenge has been met but a job has been well done now for most employees achievement is very much its own reward it is a basic motivator that makes the achiever want to go on to even better work and greater accomplishments how does the manager make use of achievement as a motivator well obviously an employee must know that he has accomplished something he must first understand what is expected of him if he is later to know that he has exceeded expectations this means that supervisors must clearly outline goals if achievement is to Be an Effective motivator the second basic motivating factor is recognition say dear you just might possibly be interested in something the boss said yesterday he said that nobody else could I end of man who had a future in the company right I'm sorry a bright future let's not forget it well I've only heard it at dinner last night and breakfast this morning that is no excuse me well anyway I don't know what's so great about it I could have told you the same thing somehow dear no offense it seemed to mean more coming from the boss recognition is closely related to achievement it is meaningless unless it has been earned in general recognition is an expression of approval or appreciation by others whose opinion on judgment are valued recognition may take several forms there may be personal Commendation from superiors pay increases or promotion notice in company Publications recognition may be extended outside the company Awards or citations may receive notice in trade or general news media recognition is the external expression of the inner sense of satisfaction a person derives from Achievement the third major motivating force is participation it has to do with an employee's personal involvement and his work it is the degree of Freedom he is allowed to do his job his own way the amount of responsibilities given in setting up and accomplishing his work objectives we've always done it that way the old refrain yeah but this time I got him to change the lyrics I said let me assemble the whole thing if it works it's going to save a lot of time if it doesn't well it's my fault and I'll take the blame oh I got to admit it Frank smoothest operation we've ever had but it um it kind of puts an extra load on you doesn't it so I got an extra headache or two at least it's me pushing me not somebody else and I'm not getting that same old routine the way we've always done it most employees are far more strongly motivated if they feel they are making a personal contribution toward the performance of the job rather than simply taking orders and the employee should have this feeling of participation not only about his own individual tasks but about overall Department effort as well the fourth motivating factor is growth obviously the employee who feels he's at a dead end that his job offers no interest or opportunity may not be strongly motivated to perform in more than a routine manner he must feel that the opportunity exists for a more interesting job or more challenging assignments on his present job he must have the feeling that he is growing in experience skill knowledge and understanding of his field if he has personal experience of such growth on the job he will naturally be encouraged to exert more effort but even the fact of someone else being rewarded may serve as a valuable motivational Force for it is convincing evidence that growth opportunities exist sure I know Ned Edwards he started with the company same year I did I saw him last week he tells me he's in charge of one of the parts divisions yep I got a note from him a couple weeks ago he's moving right along well that's the way it is around here the Man shows he can do the job they give him a chance to grow I sent dead my congratulations but you can tell him something else if you happen to see him before I do what's that you can tell him I'm going to be moving up there right alongside him it may be well to remember that when this growth factor does not apply as it cannot in every job this does not mean that motivational techniques cannot be used by management the other motivating factors still may be present in actual work situations these four motivational factors are interrelated and often overlap in different cases each will assume varying degrees of importance all jobs provide the opportunity for establishing some motivational conditions but even where almost no motivational conditions exist job dissatisfaction does not automatically occur under such circumstances current levels of job performance simply do not improve perfectly adequate work levels may be maintained maintaining these satisfactory minimum levels depends not on the motivating factors but on what management experts call the maintenance factors what are they again as with the motivators we can list four principal factors first there is the element of physical conditions hey guess what I found in the chicken soup one chicken boy things are looking up around you no kidding I think the food around here is getting better this matter of eating is very important with you isn't it well the way I look at it is this the job I do isn't much so the least the company can do is make me comfortable and with you happiness is a big chicken leg well it may not seem like much but little things do add up stick around who knows what might be next with a soup maybe Playboy bunnies to Dish It Up the physical environment surrounding a job is important facilities light ventilation sanitation even the color of the walls however these are not motivating factors if these things don't measure up to basic standards the employee may be dissatisfied but providing them won't motivate them to extra effort the same is true of security thank you Mrs Simpson have you really been here for 25 years well that's longer than I think longer than you've been alive Mildred I know isn't it wonderful wonderful well I never thought the jobs here were exactly wonderful I suppose not but you know this may sound silly but I feel so at home here like I have nothing to worry about company everybody they've always treated me so well I have another piece of cake Mildred no thanks Miss Simpson things are getting just a little too sticky around here well there when you've been here as long as I have you'll see things differently different things seem important satisfaction that's what the security Factor provides it reflects the employee's attitude toward the company its stability its work rules policies the fairness of supervisory personnel important of course but not as motivators the feeling of security leads to satisfaction with a job not to any desire to do it better third among the maintenance factors is the economic Factor the dollars and cents of wages and salaries vacation pay insurance and other fringe benefits included in this maintenance Factor are automatic pay increases or any raises which come without being specifically earned no use asking the townley's over Charlie has some kind of night class it goes to on Tuesdays we were kidding him about it today why Charlie wants to get ahead if he wants to go to school forever you mean you used to say yourself you didn't want to spend all your life right where you are forget it that's when I was young and eager anyway we're doing okay got a nice little house here some money saved up in the credit union three weeks vacation a year yes but uh why take a chance on something new when all I have to do is sit right where I am and keep my nose clean we'll be okay what with the pension and all their speaks A Satisfied Man not a motivated one the fourth element in keeping employees satisfied may be called social factors these involve an employee's relations with his associates and fellow workers you know I had to punch you right in a nose a little more respect for my gray hairy young man that's a trouble I had too much respect for that gray hair and that bad shoulder you said you had that stoved up back you could hardly bend over remember and then you bowl 187 as you get older you you got to get tricky I hope you didn't mind the guys kidding you no as a matter of fact one thing's worried me since I've been at the plant everybody's so nice that's bad you know you don't figure people are really your friends if they're always polite after tonight I ought to feel right at home yeah if it's insult you're after the bowling league is the place to come I think it is well we'll see you tomorrow tom Night Eddie such things as recreational opportunities and Facilities can be decisive in keeping an employee contented social factors also involve the Congeniality of the people with whom the employee works and those he sees at lunch and so on this then is the motivation maintenance concept as developed by industrial psychologists how can it be applied by managerial personnel the manager must satisfy the maintenance needs of his employees this is in effect the floor that keeps work performance from declining and he must create conditions of motivation so that performance levels will rise it must be recognized that effective motivation conditions are sometimes difficult to establish by their very nature some jobs and the people who perform them are maintenance centered while efforts at motivation in these instances cannot be neglected the manager's emphasis may have to be on maintenance needs preventing dissatisfaction and holding the line against any deterioration in work levels but admittedly there are practical limits to how far a manager may go in making changes to satisfy all maintenance needs he simply cannot control the work environment in many cases it is precisely in such situations that he should pay added attention to motivation for the fact is that maintenance factors take on added importance for employees when conditions of motivation are not provided when there is little apparent opportunity in the job itself when the employee feels no challenge or goal Beyond The Daily minimum then the satisfaction which the job does not provide must be obtainable from Pleasant surroundings adequate wages and fringe benefits you know the one good thing about this spot it gives you about a 10 second jump so you can beat everybody out of the parking lot so long everybody where motivation is lacking maintenance factors take on more and more importance but where motivation is strong the employee tends to overlook his environment even its unpleasant elements lunch see it is late but I think we just about have this thing worked out though another few minutes should do it uh meanwhile we can eat a little more grease the effectiveness of the motivation maintenance Concept in action depends almost entirely on the individual supervisor how well he understands and how firmly he believes in this management approach more than that it depends on how much he wants to make it work how strongly in other words he is himself motivated to improve as a manager what motivates a manager exactly the things that motivate other employees the same wants and needs achievement recognition participation and growth these are the things you as a manager are seeking the purpose of this entire program is to help you develop and use your leadership abilities to the fullest behind it is the company's conviction that its goals can be achieved only if all employees are given the opportunity to reach their personal goals this process begins with you the first step is to be sure you grasp the importance of motivation that you clearly see the distinction between motivating those who look to you for leadership and merely maintaining their present levels the next step in the program is open discussion in these sessions you will take the basic principles and apply them to your own supervisory situations you will come to grips with some stubborn problems you will find that the study of motivation provides no easy answers but the program as it unfolds will lead you to re-examine your job and to determine how you can do it better by making use of this matter of motivation [Music]