Leading Self and Others
Motivating Others
"To truly motivate others 1) discover what their motives, desires & drivers are 2) genuinely connect with and support them from the heart"
- Rasheed Ogunlaru -
Motivated people go above and beyond their job descriptions to get things done. They're committed to the organization's success, and they're willing to do what's necessary to reach goals.
It's important to understand that while many "average" employees are not quite fully motivated, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're completely demotivated. To reach a level of full motivation, you must build a people-focused workplace, one that recognizes that your people genuinely are your most important resource.
To achieve this, you need to meet people's expectations and provide a great work environment. By providing these workplace conditions and continuously reinforcing their practice throughout the company, you can re-motivate people who have fallen out of step with your purpose and vision.
Every team member is different and will likely have different motivators. So, it's important to get to know your people, discover what motivates them, and find a good mixture of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators, so that you can motivate them successfully.
Extrinsic motivation is when you use external factors to encourage your team to do what you want. Pay raises, time off, bonus checks, and the threat of job loss are all extrinsic motivators – some positive, some less so.
Intrinsic motivation is internal. It's about having a personal desire to overcome a challenge, to produce high-quality work, or to interact with team members you like and trust. Intrinsically motivated people get a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment from what they do.
How to engage others
- Check your Assumptions
- Eliminate dissatisfaction and create satisfaction
- Personalize your approach
- Use transformational leadership
Step 1: Check Your Assumptions
You may not realize it, but your management style is strongly influenced by what you believe about your people.
For example, do you think your team members dislike working, and need continuous supervision? Or do you believe that they're happy to do their jobs, and are likely to enjoy greater responsibility and freedom?
Your beliefs about your team members' motivation affect the way you behave toward them. It is important to think carefully about how you view your people, and to explore what you believe truly motivates them.
Step 2: Eliminate Dissatisfaction and Create Satisfaction
Psychologist Fredrick Herzberg said that you can motivate your team by eliminating elements of job dissatisfaction, and then creating conditions for job satisfaction.
In his Motivation-Hygiene Theory, he noted how causes of dissatisfaction often arise from irritating company policies, intrusive supervision, or lack of job security, among others. If you don't address these issues, people won't be satisfied at work, and motivating them will prove difficult, if not impossible.
Once you've removed the elements of job dissatisfaction, you can look at providing satisfaction. Sources of job satisfaction include clear opportunities for advancement/promotion, an increased sense of responsibility, ongoing training and development programs, or simply a feeling of working with purpose.
Step 3: Personalize Your Approach
Remember, your team is made up of individuals who have their own unique circumstances, backgrounds and experiences. Consequently, each person may be driven by different motivating factors, and be more or less adept at self-motivation. When you make an effort to understand each team member, you can help them stay motivated.
There are a number of tools and strategies that you can use to tailor your approach to motivation – and not all are completely consistent with one another. However, it's important to remember that every individual and situation is different, so make sure that you choose an approach that best fits your circumstances.
Step 4: Use Transformational Leadership
Once you've used the motivational approaches we've discussed above, you need to take the next step towards becoming an inspirational, transformational leader.
When you adopt this leadership style, you can motivate and lift your team to new heights and help it to achieve extraordinary things. Transformational leaders expect great things from their team members, and they spark feelings of trust and loyalty in return.
You need to create an attractive, inspiring vision of a meaningful future, encourage people to buy into this vision, manage its delivery, and continue to build trusting relationships with your team members. Working through the areas you need development in is taking the first step towards becoming an inspirational and transformational leader.
The bottom line is that people need to feel wanted. Show them how much they're needed and why. Be honest and trustworthy – and acknowledge, with everything you do, that your people truly are the company's most valuable resource.