Spanish
Motivation
Employee motivation is a highly important factor that is consequently linked to the level of engagement employees show with the company.
Unmotivated employees have poorer performance and productivity; they jeopardize their ability to carry out their duties properly and they are a detrimental influence on the working environment in any company. Besides, high employee turnover in companies is not conducive to achieving corporate objectives, since the rhythm of work is lost as all new hires understandably need a period of adaptation to their new jobs to bring greater value. That’s why it’s very important for companies to be able to rely on motivated workers who are comfortable with their responsibilities and their role in the company.
In the modern working world, every employee has his or her own personal and work goals. The key is for managers to be able to identify the job or projects that suit each employee profile. Matching a worker according to their skills and responsibilities, without overdoing it or falling short, is hard and largely subjective. However, if it is done well, it can lead the company to great success in the form of employee productivity and engagement. An employee needs to feel valued in the company, to participate to some degree in decision making, and to see that he or she can achieve specific personal goals through the company. It is the company’s responsibility to provide employees with such options so that they feel happy in their jobs.
Other tools for achieving motivated work teams are growth and development prospects. A company that provides opportunities for achieving personal goals is the right way forward.
Leader
However, for teams to function properly, not only is great motivation required, but also a leadership figure (or several) who is capable of guiding the collaborators through goals.
It’s worth underscoring that the role of the modern leader must be analysed from the perspective of objectivity and reality. There are no perfect leaders nor gods. Therefore, it is indispensable not to demand that this leader be capable of guiding in all fields. We must make the most of people’s strengths; a leader may be good at something, but for something different we might need to put the spotlight on at someone else who does it better. In a collaborative environment there should be no difficulty in using this technique, since a leader is not a dictator, but rather a figure who can guide others in areas where they can perform more easily with fewer qualms. A leader is defined by the circumstances, their strengths and the context in which this person is found. Impetus is what raises a person to the leadership class, when peers see that person as someone who is capable of showing the way in such circumstances. It would be a huge mistake for the executive board to impose a leader artificially, since one of the main traits of a good leader is the skill to get others to identify with him and follow him voluntarily.
Therefore, to sum up the main characteristics of the difficult process of finding a leader, we can highlight three major ones:
- There is no single, true leader, but several people who can be raised to become key figures at specific moments and using casuistic reasoning.
- A leader must be aware of his leadership and have a transformational spirit and mindset. Such a leader must know that he or she is the one who must lead change in that specific moment.
- The team defines the leader. Imposing a leader, with whom the rest of the team does not strongly identify, is deeply counterproductive for the company’s interests and for a good work environment. Respect for a leader must come voluntarily.
