Knee deep in the challenge of leadership today, business owners and managers, can parlay the changing role of work to create and sustain an environment that helps motivate and keep employees. There’s no one right answer, there is no magic wand and don’t try to mind read how to motivate someone.

Lesson: If you think money is the answer, think again because it is not! The truth to this is in research as recent as 2006.

A straight and fast way to influence employee performance to use both the P in aptitude and the T in attitude is with the effectiveness of your rewards and recognitions.

Money is proven over and over again in research to be a short term motivator. You want to be creative with your approach. And for certain, the most effective route is in the little things: do you treat people fairly with pay and benefits? Do you stop and catch people doing the “right” thing? Do you do on the spot coaching to help someone improve their performance? For that employee who wants to move ahead, do you offer training or coaching to higher levels of productivity? Do you say, “Thank you,” when it’s least expected? The old cliché expression, “you get what you reward,” has volumes of application to your being able to create the environment to motivate employees.

One thing certain: if you ask employees what they want, and you listen, you will learn either what to give them or figure out a way for them to earn it. It’s not necessary to hand them keys to a new car or a membership in a country club. What you do have to do with your rewards and recognition process is satisfy human needs: security, meaningful work and supportive relationships.

The article Motivating Employees in the Workplace, gives you a birds eye view of the four key factors to create a motivating environment for employees.