How Leadership Helps Motivate Lower Cadre Employees
- The challenge for company leaders regarding lower cadre employees lies in their motivation. This employee group tends to be motivated by extrinsic factors including wages and benefits, making it difficult to inspire workers to produce more, work more efficiently or set high personal standards for success in the workplace. Effective leadership can help employees see beyond their immediate financial rewards.
- One way that leadership helps motivate lower cadre employees is by providing direction. Lower cadre workers may be involved in more routine or mundane tasks that provide less motivation for maintaining high standards for excellence. When effective leaders can frame tasks and responsibilities as part of the company's larger direction, lower cadre workers can get a better sense of how their contributions positively affect the bigger picture.
- Another way leaders can motivate lower cadre employees is by making opportunities available to workers who go above and beyond minimum job responsibilities. Lower-level workers may see themselves working the same job for years with little chance of promotion, increased responsibility or recognition. By providing these workers with examples of employees who have excelled and moved into positions with greater pay, authority or responsibility, leaders are better able to motivate them.
- Companies don't want a stagnant work force. Well-trained, knowledgeable and skilled employees are highly valued. Rather than keep lower cadre employees in the dark about industry innovations and changing expectations, leaders can educate these workers to become more efficient and expert in their responsibilities. Demonstrating an investment in employee development, even for lower cadre employees, will motivate workers to take advantage of training opportunities and information resources.
- Leadership can also help motivate lower cadre employees by establishing rapport. Lower-rung workers may feel left out of the camaraderie and privileges enjoyed by upper echelon employees. Effective leadership establishes a crucial rapport between management and employees by emphasizing personal and professional relationships. This includes serving as a "voice" or liaison between this worker group and management so that workers feel that their ideas, opinions or concerns are heard and respected. When lower cadre employees feel involved and respected, they may be motivated to higher standards of excellence.
