Motiveaction -
How are people motivated? A question that has inspired many modern industrial psychologists for decades. Like me if you have studied leadership and human psychology you will know most of the theories and models for motivation;
- Elton Mayo's, The Hawthorne effect 1927-32.
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs 1954.
- Herzberg's Motivation and Hygiene factors 1959
- McGregors's XY Theory 1960
- McKinsey 7-S model elements
- The eight themes - in search of excellence 1982
From studying them we discover the many simiar traits each have found that motivate us as human beings.
All great knowing the theory but what about in practice. Having built, led and managed high performance teams across 4 cultures (Malay [Chinese, Indian] Hispanic, North American and British) I can uniquely share with you my personal experience of motivating teams...
In order to motivate a business team or organisation you must begin with a stable fundamental platform... A clearly defined business vision, and the alignment of common goals, core purpose and values between staff, teams and the organization. The better the alignment and personal association with organizational vision, values, and purpose, the better the platform for motivation. Thereafter communication, empowerment and emotional intelligence are also common elements.
At an inter-personal level motivation is very complex as each of us are different and self-motivation is not permanent, it's something that needs to be re-inforced regularly. Like eating, sleeping or reading it comes and goes.
To help you motivate your staff, try using the three A's:
1. Awareness. Be sure you understand why we do the things
we do. Take a look at the word "motivation" and you'll see two words coming together to form that one word. "Motive" and "action" make up "motivation". So, it's fair to say motivation means a motive to take action. People always have a reason for doing what they do. To properly motivate them, you have to get to know them. What's most important to them?
As you become more aware, you'll notice that motives usually come in three forms. Fear, incentive or growth.
People are motivated by Fear, but the result is short-term motivation.
People are motivated by Incentive, which is a step up from Fear, but not everyone gets excited by the same incentives.
People are also motivated by Growth and this is by far the best and longest lasting motivator.
4. Analysis. As a leader, you must educate yourself about the attitudes and perceptions of your staff. What are they thinking? What's happening to them? You've got to know this information. Don't allow assumptions to guide your management decisions. Base your decisions on education. To do so, analyse every situation so that you know what's going on.
3. Action. Get involved in motivating your staff. Find out what they need, be sure you understand their experiences, and then do something about it. Provide the "growth" opportunities that will motivate your staff. Also, get your staff involved in the work. Don't do the job yourself. Empower your staff to get involved. That's motivating!
Successful leaders who motivate people are aware, they analyze, and they take action. Now you know how to master motivation - so go out there and motivate some people today.
