The personal development and motivation of an individual is an underrated aspect of the modern manager’s job function.

Employees may have the skills and abilities to do their job, they may have great resources available to them, but if their motivation is lacking, results will not be forthcoming.

It easy to be dismissive about motivation; what happened to the good old days when people were grateful for their job, and happy with the salary that came with it? Aren’t motivational techniques about pampering to people’s sensitivities and worrying about their psychological state?

Well, the fast paced competitive environment of today’s business world means that if the modern manager wants to get the most from their team, they need to invest more in effort in their personnel than just deciding their pay grade.

The advantages of good motivational systems are rich; a reduction in absenteeism, increase in punctuality, attention and responsibility, to name just a few beneficial examples that ultimately improve the bottom line.

Engendering a culture of positivity and personal investment in your staff has another knock on benefit. If the individuals in a team are all motivated, you will see the synergy effect; the combined performance of the team exceeds the sum of each individual’s contribution.