Thousands of books have been written about motivation. It's a popular subject for seminar presenters, talk-show hosts and magazine columnists. Researchers study and publish scholarly articles on the subject.

So what's the big deal? Why does the subject of motivation merit this amount of attention?

Because it's crucial to a successful organization. Motivation spurs your staff to action (motivating yourself is another topic entirely). It inspires them to perform above minimum expectations. It encourages them to take the initiative in pointing out areas for improvement and suggesting more efficient and effective processes from their unique vantage point.

When your staff is motivated, they will have an investment in your company's success. Motivation also fosters a sense of togetherness between management and staff, not an "us vs them" mentality.

What manager wouldn't want a motivated staff? But what is the best way to achieve it?

Let's start by noting what is not motivating: threatening, intimidating, bullying, denigrating, comparing, humiliating or bribing. In fact, quite the opposite. These tactics breed resentment, anger and a desire to "get even."

I once heard a manager berate an employee — in front of customers no less — by telling him that he was "dumber than a box of bricks." Another manager insulted her subordinate, when called for help with an unfamiliar procedure, with the words, "You've been here 10 days, and you don't know how to do this yet?"

Another manager, when asked how to perform a new procedure, ridiculed her employee by informing her, "Jennifer just started and she knows how to do this, why don't you?" Or how about, "If you can’t figure out how to do this, I'll just hire someone who can."

Mockings, insults, jeers and public humiliations do not motivate. They result in inwardly-seething staffers who will start sending out resumes to a company where they can feel valued. Or if constantly berated employees feel they're stuck working for such a manager and have no other work options, they might turn to petty theft or sabotage to compensate for continually bruised egos.

Managers who insist on these belittling tactics are less interested in motivating staff than they are keen on puffing themselves up by putting others down. A disconnect between a company's alleged communications policy and reality is not lost on employees.

I once worked at a company that prominently displayed signs about honoring the integrity and contributions of each employee. Ironically, one of the most tenured managers there was easily the rudest bully I've encountered. And the fact that his bullying was well known and tolerated made the company’s purported commitment to dignity all the more ludicrous and malignant.

So, what can managers do to motivate their staff? Perhaps surprisingly, money is not a motivator. Herzberg's Two-Factor Theorem explains that a lack of adequate pay contributes to dissatisfaction, but more money doesn't contribute to motivation.

So what does? Managers can encourage, inspire, invest, solicit feedback and advice, and build on their staff's strengths.

One of the most critical needs humans have is the need to be heard. In other words, they need to know that their ideas are heard, that their complaints are heard, that their worries are heard, that their suggestions are heard.

Listening to your employees — really listening and acknowledging — demonstrates that their contributions are valid and meaningful. Recognizing their unique skill sets tells employees that they are individually valued for who and what they are.

In a department I used to lead some years ago, we used panel interviews to screen prospective employees. One subordinate in particular always asked the most astute questions, which elicited insightful feedback from candidates. I asked her to share her interviewing skills and tips with the rest of our staff; she felt honored to be recognized for what came easily to her, and the rest of the staff benefited from her knowledge. A true win all around.

When an employee is struggling with a particular aspect of job performance, you can invite the person to share what he considers the obstacles to success and what resources he would need to excel. Instead of a top-down approach to problem-solving (the manager telling the employee what he needs), it's a horizontal, shared collaboration. Inviting this kind of collaboration is empowering and ultimately motivating.

As a manager, you can work cheerfully alongside your staff with no task "beneath" you. Role-modeling excellence to your staff is motivating. Sincerely recognizing that each employee plays a critical role in the company's success — that one job or one person is not more important than another — instills a sense of teamwork and motivation.