Monday, 21 August 2017

So What Motivates You?


I have always been fascinated with what makes people tick! Why one manager / leader, seems to keep the team humming and on track, whilst another seems to demoralise and derail it. Whilst Personality and personal preferences can heavily influence motivation and organisational growth, intentional strategies and workplace culture is the key to long-term, sustainable growth in teams.

There is no "one size fits all" when motivating individuals. What I deem as a motivating influence, may not be important to you; however, we all require some level of motivation. Even highly motivated people need stimulus along the journey.

What and how to provide that stimulus, depends on having more than a working knowledge of your people. Good leaders have a genuine interest in each member of the team, and provide tailor-made motivation consistent with each ones needs and desires.

With over 35 years of investment into non profit organisations, I can assure you that the key factors used in motivating corporate employees, aren't always transferable. Members of none profit organisations often invest their skills, talents and labour for free. Their talents, treasure and time are invested into a vision or cause without specific recompense. Motivating such individuals are factors of a qualitative nature rather than quantitative.

The key factor in motivating others is to "influence behaviour". Achieving organisational goals are dependent on mobilising individuals to achieve pre-determined and strategic outcomes. The longevity of such, is dependent on the retention and inspiration (outworked via motivation) which team members show.

So what motivates you?


There is no right or wrong motivator, as we must keep in mind that the reason for providing motivation is to influence behaviour. These changes in behaviour serve a common purpose or organisational outcome. As mentioned earlier, none profit organisations provide an ethos, belief or objective which is central to its cause. Providing tangible evidence of advancement, positive change and outcomes are the lifeblood to motivating its people.

Here are some key motivators which influence behaviour.

Reward

Providing a means of reward or incentive is perhaps the earliest form of motivation we experience. As a child, we are exposed to the "carrot and the stick" mentality. Behave in a certain way and reward is ours. "Eat all your veggies and you can have desert". "Go straight to sleep and if you're good, I will buy you that toy". As an adult, the means are a little more refined but the methodology is the same. Hit the targets and you get a bonus, pay rise, promotion etc.

Outcomes

A key motivation to many, is the visible sign of completion. Many of us are motivated by "seeing" the end result achieved. Finalising goals and outcomes are a satisfying reward and sense of personal and corporate accomplishment. Taking a project to completion is immensely satisfying and perhaps one of my favourite motivators. Celebrating completion is reward for many, and regardless of how that is outworked, it's motivating influence is immense.

Positional - Influence

Leaders have a desire to influence, and often the position one holds provides opportunity for such. Whilst some of the greatest influences in history have done so without a recognised position, most of us still respond to title rather than function. Influence can be achieved in many ways, it is sufficient in this article to acknowledge that the need to control the behaviour of others is often achieved through the medium of position. Those who perceive such a medium as an hierarchical power base, are often motivated to progress through and by it.

Personal Growth

Training and development serves several objectives.

It ensures organisational consistency and purpose
It produces an environment for personal development and a recruitment base, which can impart organisational vision and values.
It provides a stringent measurement for quality control and strategic timeframes.
It harnesses talent and assimilates it into organisational growth and development for the foreseeable future.
Individuals with a desire to receive ongoing training in specific skills, have a passion to future proof their careers, and will often forgo other motivating factors in order to grow personally.

Belonging

Being a part of something larger than oneself, is a key factor in choosing which organisation gets out investment. Without doubt, one of the greatest motivators within none profit organisations is a sense of belonging. Being a recognisable part of the big picture and playing ones part is a significant motivator to many. It's not an issue of whether people will invest their skills and talents, but where. Providing an environment to belong goes way beyond other motivators.

Fear

As politically correct as the world is today, fear is still used to control behaviour and outcomes. I often encounter such methods, where heavy tactics are used to increase input and maximise effort from workers. Fear in itself is insufficient to control, for without the threat of consequences it is a shallow motivator. Failed objectives, poor productivity or results, outsourcing, turn down in the economy, redundancies, termination, salary reductions, and demotion are all used to motivate change in behaviour.

Love

Last but far from being least, love is powerful. The Greeks defined the term love in four ways:

Agápe, Éros, Philia, Storge

Whichever expression one experiences love, its motivation is expressed in powerful ways. Love is not limited to emotion, but action. When one "acts" with genuine concern or love for another, it motivates all manner of loyalty and behavioural change.

We are more responsive to love in action than words.

People will "go the extra mile", support, invest, uphold, protect and even fight for the family vision because of it. Loyalty that is expressed in the loving appreciation of another's efforts is a compilation of all other forms of motivation.

Genuine consideration for those around us, is the most primal yet powerful form of motivation. Those motivated by it, will inspire in others a similar motivation. When all other motivators are ineffectual, love has the capacity to build hope, confidence and assurance in the future. It may not change the company's bottom line, but it will change our greatest resource. People!


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