WHY MOTIVATING PEOPLE DOESN'T WORK - PART 1

SHORT NOTES FROM:

WHY MOTIVATING PEOPLE DOESN'T WORK

SUSAN FOWLER

Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco

218 pages

1. STOP BEATING YOUR PEOPLE WITH CARROTS

Motivation that comes from choosing to do something is different from motivation that comes from having to do it.  One of the primary reasons motivating people doesn't work is the assumption that motivation is something a person has or doesn't have.  This leads to the erraneous conclusion that the more motivation a person has, the more likely they will achieve the goals and be successful.

Rewards and punishments can only buy temporary compliance.  Leaders need to question traditional beliefs and common practices.  We need leaders who want to cultivate a workplace where people flourish.  Great leaders must yearn for a practical yet honourable way to achieve and sustain results that brings out the best in and for people.

2. THE MOTIVATION DILEMMA

People are always motivated.  The question is not IF a person is motivated but WHY.  The dilemma is that leaders are being held accountable to motivate others.  Our well-being determines the intention, which ultimately lead to your behaviour.  A positive appraisal that results in a positive sense of well-being leads to positive intentions and behaviours that generate employee engagement.

The appraisal process is at the heart of employee engagement - and disengagement.  To improve the engagement scores, researches find what they call as employee work passion.  They found that individuals with employee work passion demonstrate these five positives intentions:

1. perform above standard expectations
2. uses discretionary effort on behalf of the organisation
3. endorses the organisation and it's leadership to others outside the organisation
4. uses altruistic citizenship behaviours towards all stakeholders
5. stay with the organisation

Leaders today need to help facilitate people's appraisal process so they are more likely to experience day-to-day optimal motivation.  Optimal motivation means having the positive energy vitality, end sense of well-being required to sustain the pursuit and achievement of meaningful goals while thriving and flourishing.

Motivation is a skill.  People can learn to choose and create optimal motivational experiences anytime and anywhere.

Motivating people does not work because they are already motivated.  The motivation dilemmas is that even tough motivating people doesn't work, leaders are held accountable for doing it.

Employees experience autonomy when they feel some control and choice about the work they do.  If people don't have a sense of empowerment, their sense of autonomy suffers and so do their productivity.

The role as a leader is helping people experience relatedness at work: caring about and feeling cared about, feeling connected without ulterior motives, and contributing to something greater than oneself.  This means a leader has to pay attention to how your people feel, gaining the skill to deal with their emotions, and also means getting personal.

cont.......Part 2