Speech strategy and communication effectiveness

21st century worker: Keeping employees motivated in a global economy

Employee motivation is critical in today's hyper-competitive, global business world; as such it is an appropriate topic for the speech to be presented to Hongkong Electric Holdings. Please find following the brief for this presentation. In this brief you will find the many factors that were taken into consideration, in its preparation. These include the best approach for this specific audience, how the topic had to be developed and limited to again fit with this specific audience's needs, what cultural adaptations were made for this presentation, and what aspects of the speech will connect with the company.

The 21st century worker: Keeping employees motivated in a global economy

Introduction:

Employee motivation is critical in today's hyper-competitive, global business world; as such it is an appropriate topic for the speech to be presented to Hongkong Electric Holdings. Please find following the brief for this presentation. In this brief you will find the many factors that were taken into consideration, in its preparation. These include the best approach for this specific audience, how the topic had to be developed and limited to again fit with this specific audience's needs, what cultural adaptations were made for this presentation, and what aspects of the speech will connect with the company.

Audience/Topic Assessment:

According to Terrence Doyle (1997), to analyze and assess the audience, one must consider the demographics of the audience, including age, sex, religion, family status, sexual orientation, educational level, and socio-economic class, the psychographics of the audience, and the credibility that the speaker will have with the audience. The demographic study of this audience begins with the fact that it will be comprised of engineers. Hongkong Electric is a technical-oriented group, that primarily employees technical staff which includes "many disciplines, including architecture, civil, electrical, mechanical and electronic engineering." ("Recruitment," n.d.) Obviously, it will be an adult audience, and most will have attained a higher education degree. It can be surmised that a majority of members will be male, and of a higher socio-economic class on average, than if the speech was being presented to the general public.

The approach for this audience that will be most effective is one that is straightforward. Being an audience of engineers, they will also appreciate concrete plans they can implement for motivating their employees, as opposed to theoretical advice. This topic will be of particular interest to this group, as many are involved in the direct or indirect management of other employees, they are certain to find the topic of how to motivate their employees of value.

Development:

The topic of employee motivation has been well researched, and as such there is a plethora of information available. What will be of most interest to this audience will be the motivation of Asian employees. In addition, as they will typically be managing junior engineers, drafting staff, and other junior level professionals, discussion of higher-level motivators is most relevant. These factors were utilized to limit and develop the topic.

Speech Outline:

Thesis

Employee motivation is critical to your business' success due to increased global competition

Money is not the only motivator, higher levels of motivation are much more effective

Qualifications

The speaker's unique qualifications that allow her to speak expertly on this topic

How Important Employee Motivation is to Hongkong Electric

Their business is technical, they need to hire and retain the best employees possible to remain competitive

The fields their employees are typically in are civil, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineering. These are skilled workers that are not easily replaced if they are lost.

In addition, their individual productivity directly affects the company's competitiveness and profitability

Competition for top talent is not only local, or even national, but rather on an international scale. (Earle, 2003, p. 244)

Maslow's five levels of needs as motivators (Simmons & Drinnien, 1987)

Basic biological needs - food and shelter

Safety needs - both physical and mentally

Sense of belonging

Need for self-esteem

Need for self-actualization - doing what one was born to do

How to apply these motivators

Give consistent, sincere appreciation and recognition

Fills sense of belonging, need for self-esteem, and need for self-actualization

Emphasize organizational goals and the commitment to these goals

Have employees submit input and utilize this input in organizational goals

Develops a sense of ownership and causes the employee to be vested in the success

Utilize each employee's strengths

Know your employee's goals and help them achieve them Foster teamwork

Lead by example - be a good team member

Utilize cross-functional teams to enhance employees' work experience

Rotate teams to build a sense of team throughout Be flexible

When challenges occur demonstrate how they can be turned into a positive attribute

Conclusion

Employee motivation is critical to Hongkong Electric's success

Their employees are of high value to competitors, so it's important to retain them Utilize Maslow's five levels of needs to motivate your employees

If all levels are being met, you will have happy and productive employees and gain a competitive advantage

By having motivated employees, productivity will increase, costs will go down, and profitability will increase.