In an ideal world, managers would motivate employees by showering them with fancy perks: cash bonuses, paid time off, lavish gifts. But the pressure to control costs leaves many supervisors struggling with a dilemma: how to balance expense control with the need to dangle expensive carrots and then celebrate staffers’ achievements in a big way. 
Some managers just give up. They conclude that “there’s no money” for carrots—so they absolve themselves of having to motivate their team.
Why any manager would think that the only thing that motivates others is financial confounds me. Sure, money and perques are great. But they are NOT the ‘be all to end all!’
People quit high paying jobs every day for reasons other than money.
The key is motivate people in as many ways as possible.
You know that you can motivate your staff WITHOUT money. While you may lack the resources to approve generous merit-based pay raises, you can still devise no- or low-cost incentives that are creative, unique and sure to fire up your crew.
Here are three to consider:
1. Appreciation. Give private, sincere, heart-felt appreciation for a job well done. It’s amazing what transpires.
2. Recognition. This is the public form of appreciation. And there are some many ways to do it. Just be sure it is both specific and sincere.
3. Challenging. Give your people challenging work. Encourage them to raise the bar. Assign new and interesting tasks.
All of these exude one word – RESPECT. And they work.
What non-monetary motivators have worked for you?
