Is Your Staff Motivated?

Staff motivation is an important driver of firm productivity, therefore, motivation is a highly relevant topic for an accounting practice. Understanding the dynamics of motivation at the staff level is critical. Motivation is defined as "those factors which cause an individual to behave in a manner that will assist them to achieve a particular desired goal". Motivation is "the tool by which we move individuals out of their comfort zones...it's the secret weapon for achieving firm goals". Here are some tips to increase staff motivation in your firm:

• Always try to understand what you are asking your staff member to give up or change. For instance, if you are asking them to acquire a new skill in order for them to move up in the firm, you are asking them to give up time that would be spent on other activities. If the staff member feels that they are already at full capacity with their client load, the prospect of more responsibility will not be motivating, but rather demotivating. Be careful of competing motivations.


• Be very clear about the goals that you want to achieve. It is wise to break longer-term or complex goals down into short-term or simple segments that are more easily understood and are more readily attainable. Goals that are too complex or too far in the future can be demotivating and discouraging. In order for you to manage the outcome (and this is what you want to do), the outcome must be very well defined and seen as attainable.


• Make sure that you provide sufficient support for the change that you are trying to motivate. If staff believe that the partner supports the change and that there are sufficient resources available for them to make the change, they will be more motivated to change.


• Collaboration with the affected staff members will generally increase motivation. Staff members who feel they have had some input in the planning of the desired change will be more motivated to carry it out.


• Reinforce, on a timely basis, incremental movement towards the goal you wish the staff member to achieve. Recognition of incremental goals met will keep motivation at a high level.

From "Think Through Ways to Motivate Staff" by Mort Shapiro, FCA, CMC, The Bottom Line December 2007 issue