Myths of motivation 'must be debunked'

Date: 25/06/2009

Many company leaders are firm proponents of myths regarding employee motivation which may not be conducive to performance, according to a business expert.

Writing for Entrepreneur magazine, David Javitch explained: "Everyone is motivated - but for different reasons.

"The challenge here is for the leader to discover what actually motivates that employee and match up those elements with the worker's job description."

He said that instead of believing that smart people do not need motivation or that other people cannot be motivated despite any efforts, a back-to-basics approach is needed in regards to reward and recognition.

Praising an employee is always a sure-fire success, while clear expectations and a variety of tasks being assigned to different people will allow them to fulfil goals with greater ease, Mr Javitch added.

Furthermore, by simply providing the opportunity to succeed, the expert believes that managers can win over employees with ease and boost both morale and performance.

Earlier this week, Dr Goh Chee Leong told the Star that while pep talks are a good temporary measure to help with morale, they are by no means a permanent way to fix motivational issues.

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