Best Practices for Motivating 21st Century Workers I think the biggest concern most people have in their jobs today is the fear of downsizing in businesses. People realize that no matter how hard they work, their employer can come in any day and tell them they're laying off workers and you're the one leaving today. It's hard to motivate someone if it's weighing on them. Most people feel that if there are problems within the company, whether it is because of the way upper management acts or because of the grapevine. Previously, employers and employees agreed that they had job security, but the 21st century has brought layoffs and better job opportunities. Employers may say their employees are important, but they continue to act as if everyone can be thrown away. In the 21st century, they will have to motivate employees to meet their needs. By doing this, they can keep their employees and be lucrative (Longnecker, 2010). In today's business environment, employees look to their leader for the motivation to do their best. By motivating them, you will get their best performance. People are looking for more than a salary. Employees want to know that they are part of something, they want to make good choices about their careers and take steps to improve themselves. “Leaders and managers must make motivation an integral part of their daily work if they hope to build the type of workforce needed to succeed in the 21st century” (Brusman, n.d.). I feel like the hardest part of motivation is the different people and personalities you have to work with. I've worked in many different offices and the personalities run from one extreme to the other. It's wonderful when you have these people... in the middle of paper... you never know when you walk in the door what your day will be. Since it's a small office, they dictate the mood. Because I'm motivated and I also discovered from reading this week that I have selective perception, I can go to my desk and do my work without it affecting my work. Different personalities act in different ways because someone else in the office gets very frustrated when the mood is bad and she lets her mood dictate her day. Leaders must realize that as leaders, their behavior sets the tone.ReferencesBrusman, M. (nd). Once again, how do you motivate people? Retrieved from www.workingresources.com/nss-folder/pdffolders/howdoyoumotivatepeople.pdfLongnecker, B. (August 2, 2010). Motivating a multigenerational workforce in the 21st century. Retrieved from http://houstonbusinessdaily.com/advisor/brent_longnecker/?p=7