Mastering the Art of Motivation

New employees usually come into a job highly motivated, but this motivation tends to wane after a few months on the job. Whose fault is this? This article from the Harvard Business School says it's management's doing. But all hope is not lost. This easy-to-read article has eight tips for managers on how to understand what kills enthusiasm in the workplace.

Can you imagine going into work on September 11 if part of your company's offices were destroyed in the attacks? The employees at Barron's magazine did. In fact, they never even considered not publishing that month. This article-a summary of "The Enthusiastic Employee" by David Sirota, Louis A. Mischkind, and Michael Irwin Meltzer-discusses the top three motivators for this type of eagerness and teamwork: equity, achievement, and camaraderie.

What do a Greek general named Xenophon and a textile factory owner from Massachusetts have in common? Both were great leaders who knew the importance of motivated team work. And when things got tough, the warriors and the textile workers stuck by their leaders and were willing to make sacrifices for them. This article, an excerpt from John Baldoni's book "Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders," spells out how motivation worked for two leaders under extremely different circumstances.

Here's a great article showing how to use counseling and employee appraisals as tools for motivation. The highlights include a look at how employee appraisals work for Trader Joe's and tips on motivation straight from the U.S. Army training handbook.

It's always easier to prevent poor performance than it is to treat it. But managers often contribute to the problem by ignoring contributing factors, setting vague objectives, and not addressing poor execution early enough. This article explains how to take preventative measures against poor performance and how and when to help underachievers.