Why learn about motivation in the workplace?

The 2017 “State of the American Workplace Survey,” conducted by Gallup, showed us some enlightening information. That is: ^[1]

• 33% of employees in the workforce were engaged
• 51% of employees were disengaged
• 16% of employees were actively disengaged

You read that right! A full 67% of our American workforce is disengaged in their work. They aren’t feeling motivated to do their best work. And because of that, productivity and profitability are probably lower than they could be for organizations.

Motivation for employees is key for organizations that want to maximize productivity and profit. Luckily, research provides us with a number of insights into how to improve employee motivation.

The manager who has a clear understanding of motivation, including its components and basic theories, can begin to pull the right levers within an organization to create rewards for employees that stimulate engagement.

Think about your workplace, and how much more successful your company—and you—would be if that other 67% were engaged and motivated.