How do I motivate my employees? #3

 

I learned this concept from one of my students. I was conducting a training session about motivating employees when I posed this question to the class - what motivates YOU at your work? Now according to the course content, the three major intrinsic motivations are autonomy, mastery and purpose. I waited for my students to mention reasons which were related to one of these, so that I could expand on them and explain the concepts. One answer took me by surprise because I could not easily fit it to any of the three. That answer was "I am motivated because I have a good team."

Many leadership principles and frameworks being taught in leadership training are developed by authors and thinkers from the west. That is why autonomy is one of the biggest motivators. Western culture is more individualistic. Here in the east, we have a different culture. We are collective. A feeling of belonging and being supported is often more important than the freedom to do things my way. 

As leaders, do we create such environments for our people? Where people enjoy working with their colleagues. Where people respect one another. Where people are always ready to help one another. I realise that in my own past experience, several times when I had difficult periods at work, it was because of, or for, the team around me, that I was able to persist. 

How do I motivate my employees? #2

 

To understand employee motivation, the concept of intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation is important. Extrinsic motivation is when people want to do a good job because it helps them achieve something else. I want to excel in my career so that I can be rich. I want to get good grades because my parents promised a prize. Intrinsic motivation is when people want to do a good job because they want to do a good job. I find what I do meaningful. I enjoy doing what I do. 

This is not to say extrinsic motivation doesn't work. It does, and sometimes it works very well. Sales incentives, bonuses, promotions. But once it is achieved, or when it is taken away, is the employee still driven to do a good job? I have witnessed first-hand how well a profit-sharing scheme worked in boosting sales over three quarters, and how sales immediately stalled when the scheme ended. 

As leaders, we must help our people discover their intrinsic motivation. That is what lasts, and that is the stronger motivation. Taking pride in your work, finding meaning in how your work serves the world, and being part of a supportive and high-performing team. There are more. The driving force is different for different people. We cannot enforce one. There is no single answer. We help people find their own answer.