Goals that are tied to rewards can provide the necessary motivation to build a productive workforce. According to Reference for Business, motivation can be either an internal or external force that drives behavior. The external motivation you provide in the form of rewards should be tied to the needs of the workforce as determined by the workers, who also should participate in the goal-setting process.
Significance
You need to tap into your workers' needs for survival, security and belonging for goals to work successfully. According to Abraham Maslow, the psychologist who pioneered the self-actualization movement in the early 1900s, humans are motivated to fulfill their basic needs for food, water and clothing before higher-order needs can be achieved. By providing monetary rewards, you can help workers satisfy those basic needs and provide the basis for goals that deliver less tangible rewards such as praise, self-esteem and feelings of achievement.
Function
Goal setting is one of the most recognized and accepted forms of motivation in the workplace, according to Mind Tools. Goal setting functions well as a tool to help you improve organizational management, employee morale and worker retention. To work effectively, goals must be specific and understandable. You must make them measurable, relevant to employees and attainable within a set period of time. Write down goals to avoid confusion.
Specifics
Those participating in the process should be able to easily recognize specific goals. For example, setting a goal of increasing sales is vague, while a goal that requires sales people to increase sales by 10 percent within six months is specific. You need to make goals clear and leave no room for interpretation for them to be effective. You also should clearly spell out the specific bonus or other reward employees will earn.
Alternatives
Not all of your employees will be able to attain the goals set forth in your plans. According to a July 2010 article in "Psychology Today," worker motivation can be improved in increments. Provide workers with smaller rewards that acknowledge their efforts without discouraging them from trying to reach the ultimate goals. Increase employee motivation by providing incentives for progress based on specific percentages and levels of achievement. For example, sales people who increase sales by seven percent may receive a smaller bonus than those who meet the 10-percent goal.
Warning
To achieve organizational goals, managers and workers must be in agreement as to the terms of the contract, particularly when a team effort is required. Goal setting is an opportunity for you to practice consensus building within your organization. Without buy-in, the goal setting process can backfire and create animosity and resentment in the workplace.
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