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Motivation
Ben Franklin, the
well-known statesman, inventor, and author, once stated that in
his estimation, the average human being used ten-percent of his
or her human potential. Franklin stated that extraordinary people,
used 15-percent of their human potential. Our drive (motivation)
determines a large part of our successes.
A good manager
is one who achieves maximum results from those he/she manages. We
need to recognize in our attempts to motivate others that motivation
is based on personal needs, and each person has different needs.
The Key to
Motivation
The key to individual motivation is to create the feeling of
contribution by satisfying the basic needs we all share:
•
Recognition
- All of us need to know that others accept and approve of our
work. The amount and kind of approval differs for each person.
Some may relish public recognition, while some may be embarrassed
by public recognition. Some simple types of recognition are; "thank
you" or "you did a great job" or "that's a good idea." Two of
the most powerful tools for recognition are helping other people
achieve their goals and asking others' advice. When you offer
your help, do so in a supportive rather than interfering manner.
When you ask others' advice, try to use at least part of it. When
you choose to applaud individual efforts, make sure the recognition
is sincere and appropriate in amount and kind.
•
Affection
- We all need to know that others care. Actively listen to your
group, to their problems and successes. Recognize what is occurring
within people's families. We don't live in a vacuum that allows
us to be angry and frustrated at home and happy and energetic
elsewhere. When we recognize this in others we can be more understanding
of their behavior and show them we care about them.
•
Power - We all need to be challenged to do something well
and to master new skills. Accomplishing what we set out to do
builds self-confidence. Through asking and listening, find out
what people would like to do. What level of challenge do different
people enjoy? What support might they need to accomplish a task?
Allow people the option to say no. The newcomer who feels pressured
to take charge of a project may not succeed. Match individual
interests, experience and skills with tasks.
•
Security - Knowing that we belong to a group reinforces our
sense of security. Secure individuals are open minded. Statements
like; "We've never done it that way" or "We're not ready for that
yet," can destroy a member's sense of security. Try statements
like; "It's different, so let me see if I understand it" or "Let's
discuss it, what do we need to do to make it work?" Ask for opinions
and ideas in group discussion. Give each person the opportunity
to contribute. Support shy members with statements like; "You
and I talked about this earlier, I think the group would be interested
in your ideas."
Let me in on
the secret:
Many managers disperse information on the "need to know" basis.
While this seems logical, employees may grow suspicious and critical
if they are not informed of things that may affect them indirectly.
A sense of security, power, trust, and teamwork can be cultivated
by a manager's honesty and directness. If closed door meetings are
happening, employees may feel like they are not trustworthy or important
enough to know what the secrets are, or even worse may feel that
he or she is being talked about by others. While budget cutbacks,
policy changes, and personnel decisions may not affect some employees
directly, there may be an indirect affect from the mood of the office
or boss. It is usually best when the matter does not need to be
confidential, that it is shared with all employees.
Summarizing
Motivation Factors:
Personal needs are powerful motivators. Group members must
feel comfortable expressing their needs as well as their interests
and talents. Satisfying basic human needs for security and acceptance
builds trust. In turn, building trust contributes to the expression
of needs.
More employers want
to hire "good attitudes."
A recent trend in hiring shows that more employers are stressing
attitude in their hiring decisions. Work skills can be learned,
but a good attitude is difficult to develop if it is not already
present. While experience and education continue to be important
criteria, it has been observed that attitude is most important in
dealing with clients and co-workers, and is also a key to learning
new skills.
About learning...
"Only one thing will train the human mind and that is the
voluntary use of the mind by the person. You may aid, guide,
suggest, and above all else you may inspire him or her; but the
only thing worth having is that which the person gets by his or
her own efforts, and what is attained is in direct proportion to
what is put into it."
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