"One More Time" - Summary

Imagine overseeing a workforce so motivated that employees relish more hours of work, shoulder more responsibility themselves, and favor challenging jobs over paychecks or bonuses. "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" by Frederick Herzberg shows managers how to shift from relying on extrinsic incentives to activating the real drivers of high performance: interesting, challenging work and the opportunity to continually achieve and grow into greater responsibility. The results? An ultramotivated workforce. Since 1922, Harvard Business Review has been a leading source of breakthrough management ideas—many of which still speak to and influence us today. The Harvard Business Review Classics series now offers readers the opportunity to make these seminal pieces a part of your permanent management library. Each highly readable volume contains a groundbreaking idea that continues to shape best practices and inspire countless managers around the world—and will have a direct impact on you today and for years to come.

Key Ideas

1. Intrinsic Motivation Over Extrinsic Rewards: Herzberg emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation, which comes from within the individual, such as the satisfaction of doing a job well. He argues that while extrinsic rewards like pay and bonuses can provide short-term motivation, they do not lead to long-term job satisfaction or high performance. Instead, managers should focus on creating work that is interesting and challenging to truly engage employees.

2. Job Enrichment: One of the central themes of the book is the concept of job enrichment. Herzberg suggests that to motivate employees, jobs should be designed to provide opportunities for personal growth and achievement. This can be done by increasing the level of responsibility, providing opportunities for advancement, and ensuring that the work itself is meaningful and fulfilling.

3. The Role of Management: Herzberg also discusses the critical role that management plays in motivating employees. He believes that managers should act as facilitators, creating an environment where employees can thrive. This involves understanding the individual needs and motivations of employees and providing the necessary support and resources to help them succeed. By doing so, managers can foster a motivated and high-performing workforce.

FAQs

1. What is the main focus of "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" The main focus of "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" is to shift from relying on extrinsic incentives like pay and bonuses to activating intrinsic motivation through interesting and challenging work, leading to a highly motivated workforce.
2. How does Frederick Herzberg suggest managers can motivate employees? Frederick Herzberg suggests that managers can motivate employees by focusing on job enrichment, which includes increasing responsibility, providing opportunities for advancement, and ensuring that the work is meaningful and fulfilling.
3. What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation according to Herzberg? According to Herzberg, intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual and is driven by the satisfaction of doing a job well, while extrinsic motivation is driven by external rewards like pay and bonuses. Intrinsic motivation leads to long-term job satisfaction and high performance, whereas extrinsic motivation only provides short-term motivation.
4. What role does management play in employee motivation according to "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" In "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?", management plays a critical role in motivating employees by acting as facilitators. Managers should create an environment where employees can thrive by understanding their individual needs and motivations and providing the necessary support and resources.
5. Why is "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" considered a significant work in management literature? "One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?" is considered significant because it offers groundbreaking ideas on employee motivation that continue to shape best practices and inspire managers worldwide. Its emphasis on intrinsic motivation and job enrichment has had a lasting impact on management strategies.