A frustrated people manager who faced the umpteenth instance of absenteeism at a crucial phase in the project was grappling with a dilemma: how do you motivate an employee who does not want to get motivated? “You can take a horse to the water but how do you make it drink?”
He had tried everything – a sympathetic one-on-one discussion, nomination to an external training program, suggested an incentive; yet nothing seemed to work. This technical genius was just not motivated to produce his best in the constraints of the given project. Yet his rare skills made him temporarily indispensable. Sounds familiar?
Psychologists distinguish between Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: they believe that external factors can motivate someone to a limited extent – be it an employee or a teen who is reluctant to go to school. An external motivator can at best be a short-term medicine. So how does one solve the puzzle of motivation?
The carrot or the stick? Which works better? While facing a war-like crisis, an authoritarian approach might work. After all the ability to brainstorm, be democratic, and take multiple perspectives is too much of a luxury in a crisis. However, in a normal situation, dictators would face a revolt. Very often in the pursuit of productivity and quick results managers fail to understand human psychology and do more harm than good when they seek to motivate their employees. Strict rules or a penalty for not following rules have a limited shelf life. Indeed, a delicate balance seems to be required.
Sustained motivation needs to take a multi-pronged approach. There are five factors to keep in mind if one wants to motivate employees for a sustained duration:
Autonomy*
At the very core, any human being seeks to have control over the approach, method, and timelines of what they do – hence the more autonomy you offer the person, the more creativity and ownership are unleashed; the more ownership the employee takes up and the more motivated the employee is.
Mastery*
Performing dull, monotonous tasks without an opportunity to gain mastery over a subject, art or domain will lead to unmotivated employees. The excitement of getting better and better and eventually becoming an expert in the field is a sure-shot boost to motivation.
Hence arranging work and career paths in a way that shows how repetitive efforts lead to progress in one’s career or becoming a recognized expert in one’s field would help to motivate a large section of employees. Internal certifications and external programs all help to boost the sense of fulfilment and serve as a source of motivation.
Purpose*
Most humans need a larger, greater purpose towards which they channel their efforts. Without this large mission or goal, they will be restless and question why they need to give it their best.
Articulating that purpose is the role of the leader. The better an employee can articulate their team’s vision, the greater the chances he can see the connection between what he does and how it makes a difference to the larger mission. This sense of connection helps to spur them to greater effort and excellence.
One Size Does Not Fit All
What excites Sunita might dampen the enthusiasm for Anita. Knowing the individual employee’s aspirations, stage in life, preferences, personal journeys, goals, and key motivators is critical if one wants to motivate her.
What worked last year when the employee was striving to earn a promotion might not work this year when he became a father and consciously chose to slow down.
Adopt the approach of a Coach
If you decide to adopt the approach of a coach you choose to be a neutral facilitator who seeks to bring out the true potential of the employee. Giving choice to the employee to pick up meaningful goals that truly inspire action might be worthwhile even though it might be more time-consuming in the short term.
If you make it your mission to provide constant motivation you might be setting yourself up for failure. Instead adopting the role of a coach who can be a sounding board, and provide occasional course correction and direction is a far more effective way to be a leader who motivates.
Motivating an employee or a team is not a short-term goal. It is truly the work of a lifetime and can yield results in the long term. Being patient helps one reap the rewards of being an effective leader without getting burnt out in attempting to ignite a healthy dose of motivation in lukewarm souls.
*These concepts are derived from the book ‘Drive’ by Dan Pink. It is a well-researched book that explains these concepts in detail and is highly recommended for anyone with people management responsibilities.
