Leadership Skills
Part 3: Focus on the Followers
Chapter 9: Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance
Summary
Key Learning Points
Introduction
Because a fundamental aspect of leadership is getting results through others, follower motivation, satisfaction, and performance are vitally important topics for leaders. Research has shown that the best followers often perform at a level 20-50 percent higher than average followers, and much of this difference in performance is due to motivation. Leaders who have dissatisfied followers or cannot motivate followers will have difficulty building teams and getting results. Therefore, the more leaders know about motivation, satisfaction, and performance, the more likely they will be successful
Defining Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance
Motivation can be defined as anything that provides direction, intensity, and persistence to behavior. Performance consists of those behaviors directed towards the accomplishment of team or organizational goals, or the products or services resulting from these behaviors. Performance is different than effectiveness, which concerns judgments about the adequacy of these behaviors, products, or services. Job satisfaction can be defined as the degree to which a person likes to do a certain job or work activity. Motivation, performance, effectiveness, and satisfaction are highly interrelated concepts, and research has shown that leaders using proper motivating techniques have more satisfied followers who also perform at a high level. This in turn helps to reduce follower turnover and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. These effects on customers often result in increased unit or team performance, such as store revenues and profitability. Therefore a leader’s behavior is related to unit or team performance, but the relationship is mediated by follower performance and satisfaction.
Chapter 9: Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance
Summary
Key Learning Points
Introduction
Because a fundamental aspect of leadership is getting results through others, follower motivation, satisfaction, and performance are vitally important topics for leaders. Research has shown that the best followers often perform at a level 20-50 percent higher than average followers, and much of this difference in performance is due to motivation. Leaders who have dissatisfied followers or cannot motivate followers will have difficulty building teams and getting results. Therefore, the more leaders know about motivation, satisfaction, and performance, the more likely they will be successful
Defining Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance
Motivation can be defined as anything that provides direction, intensity, and persistence to behavior. Performance consists of those behaviors directed towards the accomplishment of team or organizational goals, or the products or services resulting from these behaviors. Performance is different than effectiveness, which concerns judgments about the adequacy of these behaviors, products, or services. Job satisfaction can be defined as the degree to which a person likes to do a certain job or work activity. Motivation, performance, effectiveness, and satisfaction are highly interrelated concepts, and research has shown that leaders using proper motivating techniques have more satisfied followers who also perform at a high level. This in turn helps to reduce follower turnover and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. These effects on customers often result in increased unit or team performance, such as store revenues and profitability. Therefore a leader’s behavior is related to unit or team performance, but the relationship is mediated by follower performance and satisfaction.