Page 35 - How to Motivate Every Employee

Have low expectations

Always expect the
best from employees

I t’s actually pretty natural, and almost unavoidable, for managers to
form expectations of their workers. Research has found that in an
organization, our expectations of others can be tied directly to pro-
ductivity, profitability, and yes—motivation! If you have high expecta-
tions of your employees, you will possess a powerful and effective tool
for improving performance and motivation within your organization.
Performance is often a matter of expectations. Managers and
supervisors form expectations of others, which then influence how
they interact with those people. If you don’t expect much from your
employees, they will sense that and perform poorly. Why? Because
your expectations of them affect their desire to do well. The point is
that people naturally try to live up to our expectations of them, or
live down to them, whatever the case may be. So expect the best from
your employees and don’t be surprised if that’s exactly what you get!
Here are some ideas on how managers can get the best from their
people:
Get what you ask for: Expectations influence behavior. Simply put,
if you expect the best from your employees, you will more than like-
ly get it—over and over again. This is especially true if you treat
employees as if they can perform and you give them the information
and tools they need. That makes it easy for them to feel motivated
and deliver what you (and now they) expect.
Take advantage of the Pygmalion Effect: That’s the tendency of peo-

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