Encouraging the Heart, Research Paper Example

Introduction

From a leadership perspective, it is of critical importance to develop strategies that will have a lasting impact on outcomes, including the need for purposeful leadership and celebrations of success and achievement as warranted by employees’ performance and professional growth. This is an ongoing process that requires leaders to be cognizant of their own roles and responsibilities to employees and the continuous development of their employees in order to drive the organization and its people to the next level. Therefore, it is important to promote a number of different strategies and emotions throughout the organization that will encourage employees to perform at the highest possible level on a consistent basis. Although it is clear that employees have specific jobs to perform, they should also be recognized for the positive work and role that they play within the organization, as this supports a greater understanding of the primary objectives that are in place and that require further development. It is expected that leaders must play a role in encouraging employees to perform at an optimal level and to reward them for a job well done in order to promote loyalty, commitment, motivation, and professional growth on a consistent basis.

Analysis

In the leadership role, it is important to identify specific areas that will have a lasting impact on the organization and in driving employees to make a difference with respect to their own performance and their role in advancing the organization to an even higher level. This process requires leaders to be cognizant of how employees respond to their roles and to change within the surrounding environment in order to accomplish the intended objectives as best as possible. In addition, this process requires leaders to possess sound and reasonable judgment in order to identify areas where employees will have the greatest level of impact and will effectively contribute to the organization at an optimal level. Organizational leaders must be able to recognize when employees have performed well and how they are able to interact with their constituents as a gauge in developing new ideas to improve their roles and alignment within the organization (Gao, Janssen, & Shi, 2011). It is believed that when leaders are able to demonstrate a high level of empowering behavior, their employees will follow suit and will improve their own performance accordingly (Gao et.al, 2011).

Leaders must be able to work in a transformative capacity in order to motivate their employees to perform and to be effective in meeting the needs of the organization at a high level (Cheung & Wong, 2011). This requires leaders to be proactive in their efforts to lead at or above the expected level and to be effective in communicating their vision to other employees so that there is a cohesive strategy in place to meet organizational needs effectively (Cheung & Wong, 2011). In addition, employees must respond to the call to perform at the highest possible level and to exercise self-determination in their efforts to produce effective results (Graves & Luciano, 2013). This process aims to support a framework that will encourage employees to take risks and to be creative in their efforts while working with leaders in order to achieve optimal performance and to be successful in meeting the intended objectives as best as possible (Graves & Luciano, 2013). It is believed that this process will facilitate an effective set of performance measures upon which the team is able to build and develop its dynamic and camaraderie, which should be celebrated once the rewards are achieved (Gross, Bundy, & Johnson, 2011). This process requires an organization to make the success of its employees a critical priority so that there are opportunities to achieve greater growth and to be effective in meeting the needs of the organization at the best possible level (Gross et.al, 2011).Celebrating their accomplishments should be part of this process and will likely encourage them to perform to the best of their ability on a continuous basis (Gross et.al, 2011). It is expected that these efforts will drive the team towards a higher level of success and accomplishment when rewards are earned and received as warranted, thereby enabling employees to achieve a greater degree of consistency in their efforts and in meeting their needs to facilitate a successful organization on many different levels (Gross et.al, 2011).

The benefits of achieving a high level of performance within an organization that is appreciative of these efforts are significant when employees respond to the call to perform to the best of their ability. This is best achieved through a combination of developments and opportunities that enable employees to perform in a manner that supports organizational growth and success, while also considering the impact of employee engagement, or buy-in, within the organization (Majernik & Patrnchak, 2014). This process requires employees to gain the trust of their leaders in order to achieve a mutually beneficial arrangement that will have a lasting impact on outcomes (Majernik & Patrnchak, 2014). These efforts will also support a greater understanding of the intent of the leadership team to motivate employees and to encourage them to perform at a high level on a regular basis, and when this is achieved, their work is recognized and they are able to be successful in these roles over time (Majernik & Patrnchak, 2014). It is only natural that after these events have occurred, the rewards of a job well done will be achieved in an organization where these pursuits are appreciated and encouraged on a continuous basis (Majernik & Patrnchak, 2014).

Employees are required to perform effectively and consistently as much as possible, but this also requires the leadership team to take a stand and to be included in the team dynamic, rather than to be observed as an outsider (Hirak, Peng, Carmeli, & Schaubroeck, 2012). This process provides an important opportunity for leaders to gel with their employees and to communicate their needs and expectations effectively in order to accomplish the intended objectives, while also considering the role of supporting an environment that recognizes setbacks or failures as learning experiences for the present and future (Hirak et.al, 2012). These practices will encourage the team to bounce back and to achieve their desired expectations, perhaps in a different way, yet cognizant of the realities of change in order to accomplish the intended objectives (Hirak et.al, 2012). In essence, leaders must be part of the team and must embrace the team dynamic because their employees are likely to recognize that this supports a successful strategy to meet the needs of the organization as a whole, while also considering the possibilities related to achieving a creative environment that embraces change and progress for the team over time (Hirak et.al, 2012). When the team dynamic includes leadership as a fully supportive entity, the potential exists to achieve greater than expected recognition and identity that will support a successful strategy over the long term (Hirak et.al, 2012).

When determining how to provide rewards for employees who have performed at or above the desired level, it is also necessary to exercise a high degree of fairness in this process in order to promote a positive level of morale and encouragement that will drive and sustain employee motivation over the long term for the betterment of the organization and its people (Jackson, Rossi, Hoover, & Johnson, 2012). This process enables leaders to recognize a high level of performance but to also exercise discretion in their efforts to reward employees so that other employees remain motivated and engaged in the process so that they are able to perform effectively and continuously for the organization at a level that will strengthen the unit in a profound manner (Jackson et.al, 2012). This practice also encourages the growth and development of a successful framework to accomplish as many objectives as possible and to be cognizant of the needs of the organization so that it is able to recognize talent and motivation for what it is and to reward employees accordingly, but also in a fair and equitable manner that also encourages others to expand their potential as much as possible in order to improve the organization on a continuous basis (Jackson et.al, 2012).

Conclusion

Celebrating the work that employees perform provides a greater level of reassurance and success in order to demonstrate that leaders are appreciative of this work and that they are able to recognize a job well done in promoting successful results. In order to achieve this objective, it is important for leaders to pay close attention to their employees and to be effective in supporting a successful framework for achieving the desired outcomes in a timely manner. There are significant issues related to the development of a core framework to encourage and motivate employees to perform to the best of their ability, while also considering other factors that may have an impact on their overall enthusiasm for the organization and its objectives. This process requires an effective understanding of the roles and expectations that influence outcomes and the creation of an environment in which employees are able to provide input and support the organization in an optimal fashion. These factors provide a basis for examining the different areas where leaders are able to address any deficiencies within the organization without difficulty and are able to demonstrate a high level understanding of their expectations in achieving their goals and objectives effectively to facilitate positive outcomes for the organization. This practice also encourages employees to gain inspiration and creativity from the surrounding environment and to be cognizant of the challenges that they face in daily work activities so that they are able to minimize any distractions and achieve the anticipated outcomes as best as possible.

References

Cheung, M. F., & Wong, C. S. (2011). Transformational leadership, leader support, and employee creativity. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 32(7), 656.

Gao, L., Janssen, O., & Shi, K. (2011). Leader trust and employee voice: The moderating role of empowering leader behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(4), 787-798.

Graves, L. M., & Luciano, M. M. (2013). Self-determination at work: Understanding the role of leader-member exchange. Motivation and Emotion, 37(3), 518-536.

Gross, S., Bundy, K., & Johnson, R. (2011). The ongoing integration of total rewards. Employment Relations Today, 37(4), 11-17.

Hirak, R., Peng, A. C., Carmeli, A., & Schaubroeck, J. M. (2012). Linking leader inclusiveness to work unit performance: The importance of psychological safety and learning from failures. The Leadership Quarterly, 23(1), 107-117.

Jackson, E. M., Rossi, M. E., Hoover, E. R., & Johnson, R. E. (2012). Relationships of leader reward behavior with employee behavior: Fairness and morale as key mediators. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 33(7), 646-661.

Majernik, M. E., & Patrnchak, J. M. (2014). Rewards, recognition, and caregiver engagement at Cleveland Clinic. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 6, 29-37.