Starting & Running a Business All-in-One For Dummies, 4th Edition (UK)

Chapter 5

Inspiring Employees to Better Performance

IN THIS CHAPTER

Starting with the Greatest Management Principle in the World

Finding out what motivates employees

Deciding what behaviours to reward

Beginning with the positive

Rewarding the little things

Using nonmonetary rewards

The question of how to motivate employees has loomed large over managers ever since management was first invented. Most of management comes down to mastering skills and techniques for motivating people – to make them better, more productive employees who love their jobs more than anything else in the world. Well, perhaps not quite that much, but you do want them to turn up and be as happy, effective and productive as possible.

You have two ways to motivate employees – rewards and punishments. If employees do what you want them to do, reward them with incentives that they desire – awards, recognition, important ...