While there are many definitions of management, for practical purposes it can be reduced to the simple definition advanced by Mary Parker Follet back during the latter part of the 19th century of getting things done though people. The essential role of a manager then, whether he or she be a line supervisor, mid-level executive or a CEO, is to motivate subordinates to do what the manager wants them to do on behalf of the organization. There are essentially two management styles for doing this: making people perform in a certain way because they have to (directing) or getting them to voluntarily perform because they want to (leadership).

 

Both directors and leaders influence others to act, but they do so in different ways. The basic distinction is that directing makes use of the power of one's position while leading utilizes the power of one's personal style and attributes. The director's power is usually authority-based while a leader's power is derived mostly from his or her personality. Directors motivate through the use of rewards and consequences and leaders generally motivate through non-authoritarian means to move people to action.

 

Understanding Motivation

 

Motivation is the force that drives all human behavior. It represents the degree of initiative, persistence and intensity of effort expended by an individual to achieve a specific outcome. Motivation is goal-directed and essentially derives from people's desires to satisfy basic common physiological and psychological human needs. This idea forms the basis for the psychological concept of needs theory which attempts to explain what motivates humans to act. Abraham Maslow, a noted American psychologist postulated that all basic human needs can be categorized into what he described as a hierarchy of needs composed of five basic need categories: physiological, safety & security, social, self-esteem and self-actualization which is another way of characterizing self-fulfillment. These broadly-defined needs are present in varying degrees in everyone, but the relative importance of each need varies from person to person.

 

It is important to recognize that every person is a unique individual who adopts certain behaviors to meet his or her specific perceived needs. Humans typically seek first to satisfy physical and safety/security needs before progressing to social and self-esteem needs, and usually only strive for self-actualization, the highest level, after all the other needs have been at least moderately satisfied. Learn more about Maslow's Needs Theory >> 

 

Internal vs. External Motivation

 

Internal or intrinsic motivation is motivation that arises from within the person himself or herself whereas external motivation is motivation that is stimulated or prompted by people, events or circumstances that exist in a person's environment. A person's internally-generated desire to achieve personal power to satisfy one or more levels of the hierarchy of needs would be characterized as personal motivation. It is action driven by a person's relentless, inherent desire to achieve a certain goal. External motivation on the other hand, is driven by forces stemming from factors in a person's environment such as the influence of an economic recession on spending habits, the threat of an impending hurricane on vacation plans or the impact of a manager's words and actions.

 

There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not a manager can have an impact on an employee's internal motivation; however, it is clear that external motivation initiatives are commonplace management strategies.

 

Manager Approaches to External Motivation

 

Fear Motivation

 

One form of external motivation is motivation through fear. We have all experienced in one way or another, the influence of fear on our behaviors. Externally derived fear generally motivates a person to act in a certain way because of the consequences that may result if the person does not act accordingly. As a management strategy, fear is of very little value in today's work environment. Although fear tactics can prevent people from demonstrating undesirable behaviors, they generally have little impact on motivating people to demonstrate desirable behaviors. Furthermore, attempts to motivate through fear generally wear off either because those subjected to it develop a tolerance or because they come to see it as an empty threat since the specified punishment is rarely if ever delivered. At best, a fear approach to motivation can only be effective in getting people to do the bare minimum expected of them; it does nothing to inspire people to contribute to their full potential.

 

Incentive Motivation

 

The opposite of fear motivation is incentive motivation. Incentive motivation involves the promise of a reward for performing desired behaviors and moves people to act in a certain way because the satisfaction of a particular need is linked to a specified desired behavior. Rewards can be aligned with any level of needs, but to be effective, they must be closely connected to the individual desires of the target population. The incentive of a pay bonus, for example, is only effective if the targeted individuals have a desire for increased earnings.

 

Furthermore, every person's current needs depend entirely on what that person already has. As soon as a person's need becomes satisfied, it ceases to be factor, and any incentive associated with that particular need is no longer a motivator of behavior. Another drawback to incentive motivation is that over time, rewards may become commonplace and expected which can lead to a sense of entitlement that causes their motivational value to decline. Only continually increasing the level of incentive may be effective, but the costs involved may become prohibitive.

 

When the appropriate elements are present and the conditions are right, there's no question that incentive motivation can work for a manager. However, there is a significant body of evidence that suggests that under certain conditions, not only does incentive motivation not work, but it may actually result in decreased worker productivity. This is especially true in situations in which the tasks involved are complex, and require considerable thought and creativity. If a task involves performing a relatively simple, straightforward activity faster or more frequently (e.g., processing an order) incentivizing a worker through a reward can be effective.

 

But if a task involves creativity or inductive reasoning (e.g., solving a manufacturing problem) incentives not only do not work, but they can actually hinder task accomplishment because of the additional stress they can bring to a situation. Nonetheless, many organizations today still try to use incentive motivation in such situations in spite of the evidence that such approaches simply do not work. Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, maintains that this fact is one of the biggest examples of dichotomy between "what science knows and what business does."

 

Inspiration Motivation

 

Inspiration motivation is motivation derived from the words, emotions and actions of others. It is the kind of motivation resulting from observing a momentous act or listening to a powerful speech. At its core, inspirational motivation is almost totally feelings-driven and is often lacking in lasting meaningful substance. Inspirational motivation can appear powerful at the moment, but its impact on behavior usually dissipates rapidly with little or no residual effect. In order to have any ongoing impact at all, inspirational motivation must be continually reinforced. An example of inspirational motivation is the stereotypical motivational speaker employed at sales and management meetings. Most attendees at such meetings, while moved by the moment, retain almost nothing after only a few days of attending such events.

 

Clearly, a manager who can demonstrate the ability to inspire others has an important motivational tool at his or her disposal, and like incentive motivation,inspirational motivation can work under the right conditions. However, used by itself it ultimately does not provide sustainable motivational impact and long-term individual satisfaction to produce enhanced results.

 

Gratification Motivation

 

Gratification motivation involves providing workers with the personal gratification and satisfaction they seek through their work. It seeks to tap into a worker's intrinsic motivational needs. Certainly, appropriate monetary compensation is essential, but many other aspects pertaining to worker rewards and satisfaction can be as important as or even more important than the pay employees receive. These include the trust and autonomy afforded to a worker, employee development and career growth opportunities, and appreciation and recognition for a worker's accomplishments. Gratification motivation leads to optimal employee engagement which results in optimal employee productivity.

 

Gratification motivation is usually demonstrated in subtle ways but it can be very powerful. Examples of gratification motivation techniques a manager can employ include:

• Allowing workers greater freedom to solve problems on their own
• Providing less direct supervision and more self-directed work opportunities
• Recognizing workers' progress on a task
• Making workers more aware of the organization's overall goals and purpose
• Making workers more aware of the reasons behind important decisions
• Making work more interesting and personally fulfilling

See Making Sense of Management >> 

 

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Simply put, self-awareness is knowing who you really are. If focuses attention on the degree to which people recognize and appreciate their natural aptitudes and abilities as well as the extent of their awareness of those areas in which they lack natural talents. Self-awareness is a way for us to explore our individual personalities, value systems, beliefs, desires, natural inclinations, and tendencies. Because we are all different in the way we react to things and learn and synthesize information, it's helpful to occasionally spend time in self-reflection to gain a better insight into ourselves.

 

People often make the common mistake of thinking that self-awareness is automatic. They think, "Certainly if you have some natural ability, you must be aware of it right?" Unfortunately, this is often not the case. To be truly self-aware, a person must develop a deeper understanding for the ways in which he or she thinks and makes decisions, and work to recognize and leverage the natural talents that are created as a result. By becoming aware of their inherent abilities, people can come to better understand and appreciate the potential that lies within them. 

 

Self awareness is important because when we have a better understanding of ourselves, we are empowered to make changes and to build on our areas of strength as well as identify areas where we would like to make improvements. Self-awareness is a critical step in the goal setting process.

 

Michael Crichton's Story

 

Michael Crichton is the best-selling author of The Andromeda Strain, The Terminal Man, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, The Great Train Robbery and several other books as wells as the hit TV series ER. Because he received poor grades when studying writing in college, he switched to study medicine instead. He did well in his premed studies and was accepted into medical school. Although he was proficient in his medical studies, he didn't really like what he was doing, and in each of his first three years in medical school he tried to quit, but was talked out of it every time by his advisor.

 

By the beginning of his fourth year it didn't seem to make much sense for him to quit, so he finished medical school and became a doctor. Then he quit. While in medical school, he had once again turned to writing to take his mind off his medical studies. He eventually developed a following, and by the time he graduated, he had rediscovered his real calling and committed himself to pursue it. Michael Crichton might have been a pretty good doctor, but instead he became a great writer when he decided to follow his true passion and apply his natural talents and inclination.

 

All Personal Growth Begins with Self-Awareness

 

Personal growth can be described as the process of transitioning from a lower or simpler condition to one that is higher or more complex. To develop or grow, an individual must not only have a clear vision of what he or she wants to become but also a clear understanding of who he or she currently is. It is much like planning to travel to a physical destination. If you want to go to a particular place, it is important for you to know where you are at present. This knowledge of your present location helps you in making some important decisions like the mode of transportation, the starting time etc. Similarly, developing self-awareness is the first step in any personal or professional development plan.

 

As you grow in self-awareness, you will better understand why you feel what you feel and behave as you behave. That understanding then gives you the opportunity and freedom to change those things you'd like to change about yourself and create the life you want. Without fully knowing who you are, self-acceptance and change become impossible. Only through self-awareness can you gain the clarity and freedom to change all those characteristics you want to change in order to achieve the personal growth and success you desire.

 

Developing Self-Awareness

 

The following are some of the aspect of your specific personality make-up that should be explored in focusing on your personal unique self-awareness:

• Preferred learning styles
• Aptitude for specific career fields
• Natural abilities (athletics, mathematics, English, etc.)
• Personality traits (introvert, extrovert, sensitive, judgmental, etc.)
• Thinking/decision-making style (empathetic, practical, systematic)
• Preferred interpersonal communication style
• Spiritual beliefs
• Political viewpoints
• Values (ethical, with integrity, scrupulous, etc.)

So how do we learn about ourselves? There are two principle ways: introspection and feedback.

 

Introspection involves our asking ourselves a series of self-examination questions focusing on the principle priority areas of our lives (see life wheel) the answers to which can give us insights into the various aspects (such as those listed above) of our personalities. An example of such a question would be "How important is it for me to know everything I possible can about my profession?" Some other questions you might ask yourself are:

• What are my strengths and what are my weaknesses?
• How would my friends describe me?
• How would my clients describe me?
• Whom do I want to become?
• What would make me feel really happy and fulfilled?
• What make me comfortable and what makes me anxious?

Feedback involves the use of psychometric assessments that are designed to provide useful insights with regard to a person's preferred personal interaction style, thinking style, learning style, values and many other dimensions. Having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions allows you to understand other people, how they perceive you and your responses to them.

 

Learn about the Attribute Index personal assessment >> 

 

"The more you know yourself, the more you accept yourself.  

The more you accept yourself the more you accept others.  

Self acceptance is the key to personal maturity. Acceptance  

of others is the key to social maturity."  

~ Jim Cathcart, speaker and author

 

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People often associate the topic of persuasion primarily with the concept of selling, but the importance of effective persuasion skills really pertains to every one of us regardless of our individual vocation. Every day each of us is involved to some degree in influencing the thoughts and actions of others. In fact, the path to success in life lies to a very large extent in gaining the cooperation of others. In this edition of Insights, we continue with our ongoing segment dedicated to the topic of persuasion.

 

The Power of Enthusiasm

"Enthusiasm is literally the gateway of approach to your spiritual qualities. It not only gives deep conviction to the words you speak, but it projects its influence into the inner recesses of the soul of anyone whom it touches." ~ Napoleon Hill

Enthusiasm is an emotional state characterized by heightened interest, passion and excitement. It's about possessing a combination of mental and physical energy reflecting a drive and eagerness about an idea, issue or cause. Demonstrating enthusiasm about something conveys a deep sense of belief and commitment toward it.

 

Enthusiasm is an important communication skill. When attempting to persuade others to accept your ideas and/or take action on something you propose, your level of enthusiasm can be a critical success factor. The reason is that because a person's enthusiasm level can serve as a reflection of one's belief and commitment, others may perceive your level of enthusiasm in interpersonal communications as a gauge of your credibility and draw conclusions accordingly.

 

People are usually persuaded more by your feelings than by your words. The depth of your conviction can be more powerful than the strength of your logic, and people are generally influenced more by the level of your enthusiasm than any proof you can offer. Your belief and conviction in what you are saying is what persuades. Your feelings and emotions relative to your ideas and your attitude toward your listeners are what influence others to think and act as you want them to. Enthusiasm when combined with knowledge of what you are saying, enjoyment of what you are doing, and sincerity in what you believe helps create an unseen persuasive force which can be irresistible.

 

Enthusiasm, Like Optimism, Is Contagious.

 

Anything worthwhile requires more than one person to accomplish. If we want to achieve something memorable, we need to inspire others. It is no good having a vision if we cannot spread that vision to other people who can help us along. Change is created by inspired people not by people who are half-hearted about life. Look around at the people who inspire and persuade you. Are they not usually enthusiastic, dynamic people who motivate you to become involved with them and their goals? It is such people who encourage us to listen to and accept their ideas.  

 

Similarly, if we are enthusiastic and totally committed to a goal or purpose, others will subconsciously be encouraged to follow our lead. If a leader has no enthusiasm for a cause, how can he or she influence others to join in? Being enthusiastic about your goals and ideas will instantly make people gravitate to you and listen to you, and as a result, be persuaded by you.

 

Enthusiasm is contagious. When people encounter enthusiasm, it is usually welcomed with open arms because enthusiasm can arouse positive emotions. Activating your listener's emotions is critical to effective persuasion because the majority of all decisions, especially in buying a product or service are emotionally based. If you can appeal to the emotions of your listeners in a sincere, purposeful and credible way, you break down barriers to acceptance of your position. When you believe in your ideas and can communicate that belief through your enthusiasm, others will believe in your ideas as well.

 

Becoming a More Enthusiastic Persuader

 

Here are some ways to enhance your persuasive ability by increasing you enthusiasm:

1. Develop a strong belief in what you want to say.
   
   Imagine that you are on the listening end of what you are planning to say to an individual or group. Pre-play the anticipated dialog in your mind. Would your words and demeanor project enthusiasm? Would you be persuaded? If the answer is no or you are unsure, then ask yourself "why would anyone else be persuaded?" To quote the American philosopher Will Rogers, "You must believe in what you are saying." Develop your belief by gaining a thorough understanding of the focus of your discussion. Concentrate on the positives. If you don't believe what you say, either develop the belief or don't say it.



2. Develop a strong desire for what you are pursuing.
   
   If you have run out of interest and desire for what you are pursuing, then you need to find a new pursuit as soon as possible. While there is a common saying that goes "Fake it until you make it," it is very hard to fake enthusiasm for very long. You can't be persuasive about anything related to what you are doing if you don't like what you are doing. Focus on the big picture of you actions and behaviors; find something to love about them and cultivate that love. Set goals whose attainment will bring into your life those things that you deeply desire.



3. Develop an enthusiastic demeanor.
   
   Develop a style of talking a little faster and a little bit more loudly. Increase your use of gestures and facial expressions and develop a little more intensity in your eye-contact. Lean forward a little more when talking and move about a little more quickly. In other words, convey an increased sense of visual and auditory energy

As with developing any interpersonal communication skill, it can be very helpful to record a video of your speaking style to identify areas in which you can improve the degree of enthusiasm you project.

 

Ask us a question about persuasiveness.