Since motivation comes in all shapes and sizes, everyone does not get motivated in the same way. This has its difficulties. Imagine you are a teacher handling 20 students.
These are all different students, students with different ethnic and economic backgrounds. They react to situations in different ways.
They think differently. They offer different solutions to common problems.
What can you do to motive and inspire this motley crew of people?
You have to look for the common thread that works for all. But, when you are managing a crowd of people—political leaders manage a whole nation full of people and even maintain good foreign relations
—how do you make sure that your motivation does not fall flat on some of them?
Motivating people is a highly difficult job, and in this chapter, you shall see that perhaps the best way to motivate people is to not go about it in an individualistic manner.
If you try to give a carrot to each person individually, it might take a lot of time and effort as well. But, if you keep a bag of carrots for everyone to take from, it becomes easier. Even the people who do not
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like carrots will understand that you have given them something, and will feel good about it.
There are obviously different approaches in motivating at a collective level as well. Sometimes, a highly charged speech of gratitude is all that would be needed. Sometimes, the incentives need to be more material in nature.
In this chapter, you shall see what the best ways of motivating people are, on an individual basis and in a collective manner. You will learn that catering to the lowest common denominator always works; try and find that one common element that everyone is looking for and use that as a motivational tool.
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What Can You Do to Motivate People?
The most common visual you conjure up when you think of motivation is the carrot and the stick. This means using either rewards or punishment to get the job done or to make some behavioral change.
But, today, as we learn more and more about people and human behavior we know that the task is far more complex than that. There are several things that you can do and others that are a complete no.
Let us start with the latter. You should never threaten a person with dire consequences in order to get something done. Nothing is more guaranteed to get their backs up and to achieve the exact opposite results. Here are quite a few positive and useful tips on how to motivate people.
The Emotion Factor
Appeal to their love for acquiring things by providing concrete rewards, be they in the form of cash, kind or recognition. Let them know in advance if you are going to reward performance and make it amply clear what it is that is expected out of them. Then, when they deliver the results make sure you keep your word, reward them as per your promise.
Dole Out the Right Incentives
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Performance incentives are a very powerful tool and if you treat your employees fairly they will go the extra mile for you. Make sure that your program is well structured, well communicated and well understood throughout the company.
Make the goals achievable and divide into short term (low hanging grapes) and long term (annual harvest) goals. Discuss the goals and involve the employees in the goal setting exercise. That way you ensure buy in and the employees understand their stake in accomplishing the tasks that will help them reach the agreed goals.
Lend Them an Ear… Always
Always listen to your people and treat them with respect and kindness. Being arrogant and listening only to your own voice is as good as being blind and deaf. Be fair but firm.
Deadlines need to be respected and a laissez-faire attitude will not do.
Most importantly, reward them for working in teams. One plus one literally means three, maybe even four, in the context of the corporate world, as it is through interaction and sharing of knowledge that you arrive at the best and most innovative ideas and efforts. People also enjoy working with other people and when positive energy flows, it multiplies as the load is shared and work becomes fun.
Feed Them Back
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Offer fair feedback without aiming to curtail their creativity. You need to be very sensitive when doing this or you could easily demotivate.
Always, but always recognize achievement preferably in public. Give people space to produce results. Give them the tools and the resources and support them in their endeavors in every way you can.
All these are factors that will motivate them to give you back in kind.
Best Communication at All Times
Ultimately, always keep the channels of communication open. This will enable you to learn of potential problems at an early stage and to fix them before the problem gets out of hand.
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Motivating the Most Obstinate People in Your
Group— Is It Possible?
