Dan Schneider

How to Harness the Ultimate Motivation
October 24, 2008

Fear and Incentive Motivators are extrinsic, which means they come from sources outside the individual. The ultimate motivator is intrinsic – it comes from inside the individual. We understand how this works with our customers, but we often miss the point with employees, family members, and friends.

There is only one way to gain access to that form of motivation. To know how to tap into the currently dominant individual motivators, it is necessary to take the time to ask the individual what is important to him or her. While that sounds simple enough, it has proven to be quite difficult.

The Emotional Basis of Relationships

Most people are emotional decision makers who use reason to justify their decision or commitment. From an employer’s perspective, that means that the only way to really know what will motivate employees is to ask them.

We do this all the time in establishing a company brand that builds customer loyalty. For example, market research shows that a few key emotions, not often experience, have a strong positive motivational impact on customers: empowered, relieved, important, fulfilled, and special.

Somehow, we just don’t transfer the need to market to customers to the need to market to employees. If most organizations marketed to their customer base the way they market to their employees, they would be out of business. We simply cannot afford to take anyone in our lives for granted, even if only for selfish reasons related to personal gain.

The steps for building a culture of self-referrant motivation℠ (the technical term we’ve coined to describe the ultimate motivational organization) are relatively few; but they are important. Here they are:

1. Use surveys to assess the current level of satisfaction within the business, partnership, or family. The surveys can be data driven or anecdotal. Include yourself in the process so that you can measure your responses to the other participants’.
2. Conduct a gap analysis.
3. Discuss with the participants how the gap(s) can be closed.
4. Meet with your direct reports, family members, partners, to discuss what’s important and really get to know them as individuals. During these meetings, it is vital to LISTEN to what they have to say.
5. Use clarifying and confirming communications techniques to make sure you understand what has been said.
6. If a dissatisfier isn’t going to change, say “This isn’t going to change, and here’s why” or something along those lines.
7. If something can be changed, change it.

Fear motivation leaves something on the table. Incentive motivation usually costs. Really getting to know the people around you is priceless.

Posted by Dan Schneider on October 24, 2008 | Comments (0)