Can I Motivate You?

Whether you are leading a group of little league baseball players, a high school girls' soccer team, or adults making six figures, leaders are constantly trying to assess how best to motivate those under their care. Many theories exist on how to improve people's performance. Carrots or sticks? What if I told you that neither will actually motivate people in the long run or enhance performance? You might think I've lost my mind in the summer heat.

Let me give you an alternative way of looking at motivation.

I am reading Susan Fowler’s “Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work and What Does.” I have not yet gotten to the part that answers the best alternatives to our current carrots-or-sticks premise, but some of her ideas have already resonated with me.

Let’s start with carrots and sticks. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, let me give you a brief explanation. We can motivate people by carrots or giving them a prize or treat when they achieve something. For workers, it is usually money or more time off work; for kids, it may literally be a tasty summer treat. Sticks, on the other hand, refer to the threat of punishment or some form of discipline when a goal is not reached. Come late to baseball practice and you get to run some laps. Don’t make your sales quota and we take away one of your vacation days.

Carrots and sticks may have modest results in the short term. There is some truth in the axiom that we are all motivated by fear or love. I work hard because what I do makes the lives of others better (love). I work hard because I don’t want to get fired and be unable to pay my bills (fear).

Fowler asserts that every time we use these outdated ways of thinking, we are undermining people's motivation and thus decreasing their performance. She believes that companies give people monetary raises because it is more work to give them what they deeply desire. Huh?

She postulates that we all desire choice, connection, and competence in our vocations.  My performance will increase when these three are present.

Briefly, choice is having some autonomy over our work and working conditions. Must I work in the office every day when I am more productive at home? Everyone wants autonomy. When we have choices, we take ownership of the results and invest ourselves deeply in our work. Bosses and leaders who micromanage have workers who may end up just going through the motions. They are on the proverbial assembly line. Lack of choices leads to lack of buy-in and lower performance over time. You can see people’s motivation slip away in these circumstances.

We all want connections at work, at play, and in our personal relationships. People who feel connected will go beyond what is required because they care about their team. Most of us will spend 40 hours a week at work, often more. What are the benefits of feeling connected at work? Less absenteeism, improved teamwork, and a feeling of being valued. Connecting is not difficult. It takes time and curiosity about the people under your direction. You need to spend time with them. You need to get to know about their families. Most importantly, you need to understand what they truly value in life.  These insights will allow you to better motivate them.

Lastly, we all want to feel competent. We need to know that someone appreciates our contributions to the team. Often, employees may do great work and we forget to let them know how much we value them. “Thank you for getting me that report on Friday instead of Monday morning when it was due. That really took some of my stress away.” To help build competence, we need to help people hone their skills so they can be more successful. Don’t be afraid to invest a few dollars in allowing people to attend a conference or purchase some books to help them learn and improve their skillset.  There are many ways to help people be and feel more competent. Again, it takes time.

In summary, there may be times when the traditional “carrots and sticks” approach may work. Don’t plan on it having positive long-term success. These outdated methods of motivation may be detrimental to the performance of people over time.

I profess that most of us would work for less money if the company valued us, our boss really got to know what makes us tick, they invested in our growth, and we were recognized for our contributions to the team. Our productivity would also improve because we enjoy the team, and the belief that we do good work at our organization. If you are a bottom-line type of organization and leader, it will also make you more money!

Did I motivate you to think differently about motivation? Choices, connections, and competence may be the keys!