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Motivate Your Team

iiMotivate Your Team | Mind Tools

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Motivate Your Team

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iiiMotivate Your Team | Mind Tools

No matter how talented people are, they will only perform well if they’re sufficiently motivated.

Motivated people also enjoy their jobs – they have a positive outlook, they’re excited about what they do, and they know that they’re putting effort into something that’s truly worthwhile.

Put simply, high motivation is crucial if you and your team are to perform at its best.

This is why having good motivation skills is vitally important, whether you’re a CEO of a large corporation, you’re a manager responsible for a small team, or you’re simply thinking about moving into a management position as the next step in your career.

However, motivation is a complex subject, littered with myths and misconceptions. This is why many managers find it difficult to motivate people, and why so many well-meaning attempts at motivation fail.

This workbook helps you cut through this complexity. In it, we’ve interlaced motivational theory with simple, practical exercises, so that you can directly apply

Motivate Your Team WorkbookIntroduced by Mind Tools CEO, James Manktelow

ivMotivate Your Team | Mind Tools

your learning to your current situation. In just a few hours, you’ll learn about the most important motivational theories, tools, and techniques, which you can then apply immediately to get the very best from your team members, as well as from other people around you.

Once you’ve completed this workbook, you’ll have a solid understanding of motivation, as well as a coherent action plan for improving motivation within your team and workplace.

We’ve split this workbook into three modules:

• MotivationBasics–SettingtheStageforHighMotivation. • MotivationTheories–ExploringtheNutsandBoltsofMotivation. • YourMotivationalActionPlan–CreatingaMotivatingWorkEnvironment.

Bydevelopingyourskillsusingthisworkbook,you’llhavetheknowledgeandskills needed to build a high-performing team – this is good for you, your people, and your organization.

Enjoy using this workbook!

James ManktelowCEOMindTools.com

vMotivate Your Team | Mind Tools

1. Motivation Basics 1 1.1. TheBenefitsofaHigh-MotivationWorkplace 1 1.2. Motivation and Performance 2 1.3. A Flexible Approach to Motivation 3 1.4. Concluding This Module 5

2. Motivation Theories 6 2.1. Early Motivation Theories 6 2.2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 6 2.3. McGregor’s X/Y Theory 10 2.4. Herzberg’s Motivation/Hygiene Theory 14 2.5. Sirota’s Three-Factor Theory 18 2.6. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory 22 2.7. McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory 27 2.8. Concluding This Module 30

3. Your Motivational Action Plan 31 3.1. Creating Your Motivational Action Plan 31 3.2. Speaking to Team Members 32

4. Moving On... 34

Contents

1Motivate Your Team | Mind Tools

What is motivation, and why is it so important in the workplace?

Put simply, motivation is what causes a person to take action. When you’re working with other people, motivation provides the link between you wanting someone to do something, and him or her

actually doing it.

The reality is that, in a 21st century workplace, you can’t really make anyone do anything that they don’t want to do. If you try to coerce someone into doing something, you’re more likely to cause problems than you are to achieve positive results. For instance, you might upset people, so that they disengage from their jobs. You may drive away key members of your team; and, perhaps, the people who are left will quietly undermine you behind your back. What’s more, if you do force people to do what you want, it will likely be done poorly.

This is why you need to create a motivating environment, where people do what you want because they want to do it themselves.

1.1. The Benefits of a High-Motivation WorkplaceWhen people are motivated to do things, organizational and team performance improve,ofteninaspectacularway.Bycreatinganappealingandmotivatingwork environment, you significantly increase the likelihood that people will work hard for you.

There are many other benefits too. These include:

• Lessemployeeturnover. • Lessabsenteeism. • Lessstress. • Betterproductivity. • Morecreativity. • Bettercustomerservice. • Improvedquality. • Moretrust. • Moreprofessionalism. • Highermorale.

Motivation is not coercion or manipulation – it’s not something that comes from the outside. To “be motivating” means to enlighten people, and to help them discover energy and enthusiasm within themselves. So, when we look at how we can motivate others, we’re really looking at how we can set the stage for excellent performance.

1. Motivation BasicsSetting the Stage for High Motivation

“Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do, because they want

to do it.”– Dwight D. Eisenhower,

U.S. President.

How does this fit with your own, personal experience in the workplace? Do you naturally want to do your best in your job? And what, within the job, reduces your natural enthusiasm?

How could you apply the principles behind the Lou Holtz quote to improve motivation within your team and organization?


Action:Reflect on the following quote, then answer the questions below.

“It’s not my job to motivate players. They bring extraordinary motivation to our program. It’s my job not to de-motivate them.”

– Lou Holtz, American Football Coach.

You now know how important it is to motivate people, and you know that the key to this is creating an environment where people can be motivated.

Next, let’s look at how high motivation leads to high performance.

1.2. Motivation and Performance Job Performance = Ability x Motivation

This simple equation shows the connection between how well people perform, in relation to their ability and their motivation.

Ability depends, to some degree, on education, experience, and training. Improving in this area is a continual, lengthy process.

Bycontrast,youcanimprovemotivation quite quickly, and there are a handful of very basic, common-sense strategies that you can use to do this. These include:

• Positivereinforcement. • Effectivediscipline. • Treatingpeoplefairly. • Satisfyingemployeeneeds.


• Settingattainablework-relatedgoals. • Restructuringjobswhennecessary. • Givingrewardsthatarebasedonperformance.

Motivation, then, isn’t something that comes from a person or a department. It encompasses the entire scope of workplace activities. To create a motivating environment, you need to look at the type of work, who is doing it, how it’s managed, and a whole lot more.

1.3. A Flexible Approach to MotivationWhen many people start a new job, they’re bursting with energy and enthusiasm, wanting to make the very best of their new role. And, even when settled in their roles, most people are naturally motivated to do a good job – there aren’t many people who decide to do terrible work! Factors around them have a strong influence on their behavior, however, and that’s where you make a difference.

So, when we ask, “How do you motivate people?” we’re missing the fact that many people are already motivated; they just might not be motivated to move in the “right” direction, or they might not have the “right” motivators.

This type of broad question assumes that there is a one-size-fits-all solution for motivating people. The reality is, though, that motivation is very personal, and there is no secret formula for achieving it.

For instance, factors such as job enrichment, incentive programs, more autonomy, and performance-based pay, often support a motivating environment. However, not all will work in all organizations, or for all people.

A better approach is to ask the question like this:

“How should person X manage person Y to do Z?”

This question acknowledges the four main contributors to workplace motivation and performance. These are:

1. The Manager (“person X”): This relates to the beliefs, values, personality, capabilities, and so on, that influence the actions that the manager takes.

2. Management Methods (“manage”): These are the managerial practices and processes that the manager can use.

3. The Managed (“person Y”): This relates to the beliefs, values, personality, capabilities, and so on, that influence the way that the person wants to be managed, as well as his reactions to current management methods.

4. The Work (“Z”): This is the actual work that the person needs to do to achieve the organization’s objectives.

To build a high-motivation workplace, all four of these factors must be aligned for every employee within the company. This is no small task!

Do managers in your organization currently take a flexible approach to motivation, based on the four contributors that we highlighted on the last page? What could managers in your organization do better to make sure that these four factors are aligned?

What impact do you see managers and executives having on motivation in your organization? List two managers who are best at motivation, and write down what they do that makes them successful.

Now list the worst two managers in terms of employee motivation, and write down what you think they need to improve on. (Obviously, don’t leave this page lying around!)


Action:To think about this further, answer the questions below.


1.4. Concluding this ModuleYou now know what motivation is, and why it's so important to create a motivating environment if you want your team and organization to reach peak performance.

You also know why it's important to take a flexible approach to motivation; an approach that depends on the situation, as well as the needs of the people involved.

In the next module, we're going to look at the core motivation theories that help you do this.


2. Motivation TheoriesExploring the Nuts and Bolts of Motivation

Now that we’ve looked at the basics of motivation, and why it’s important to take a flexible approach to motivating people, we’re going to look in more detail at the best-known motivation theories.

Bylearningmoreaboutthese,you’llgainanunderstandingofhowthecurrent views on motivation have developed. This will help you separate out-of-date motivational approaches from those that are effective in today's workplace. Bylearningaboutthesetheories,you’llalsobeabletousethemtocreateamotivating work environment for your people, so that you reap the benefits we highlighted in the last module.

2.1. Early Motivation TheoriesEarly ideas on motivation came from animal research. In one type of study, for example, researchers saw that rats would learn certain behaviors when rewarded with food, and would avoid other behaviors when punished. These experiments, and the success of this approach in animal training, led psychologists to extend these ideas to humans. This is why so much traditional motivational practice focuses on reward and punishment.

However, humans are more sophisticated than this, and if you reflect on what has been true for yourself in the past, you’ll probably find that such approaches often seemed crude and sterile. Yes, money’s important, and we want to be well-rewarded. And yes, peopledon'tliketobepunished.Butmanyofusareultimatelymoremotivatedbyother factors, such as achievement, self-growth, and a passion for our work.

This old-fashioned “carrot and stick” approach to motivation became less respected from the 1940s onwards, as other, more modern, approaches to motivation became more prominent. Let’s look at some of these theories in more detail, starting with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

2.2. Maslow's Hierarchy of NeedsPsychologist Abraham Maslow developed his Hierarchy of Needs in1943. The theory was significant, because it established that humans have a range of different needs that they seek to satisfy.

Importantly, Maslow grouped these needs together into levels. The most basic level starts with the physiological need for food, water, and shelter. This is followed by security and social needs. Maslow believed that we can only meet higher-level needs – self-esteem and self-fulfillment – after we’ve satisfied lower-level needs.

Note:As we take a closer look at these theories, bear in mind that some of them may conflict with one another, yet they all have some element of truth – the extent to which they are “right” varies according to the situation.


Maslow’s theory is often represented as a pyramid, as in figure 1 below, with the lower levels representing the more fundamental needs, and the upper levels representing higher needs.

Figure 1 – Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Let’s look at each level in more detail:

• Level1–Physiology/Body

This level represents the basic things that we need to stay alive. It includes things like having enough food, water, and shelter to survive. These are the foundations of human needs, and we must meet these needs before we can move on to higher levels.

• Level2–Security

Security needs represent the need to be safe from physical and psychological harm, in the present and in the future. To help people meet these needs in the workplace, you can give people a safe place to work, and help them feel secure in their jobs.

• Level3–Belonging/Social

These needs compel us to look for a sense of belonging. If people are to meet these needs in the workplace, they need to enjoy good relationships with the people around them, and feel that they are an important part of a team.

• Level4–Self-Esteem/Ego

Self-esteem corresponds to a feeling of self-respect and self-acceptance. It includes the need for recognition and the desire to feel important. You can boost people’s self-esteem by helping them feel valued and respected, and by praising them.


• Level5–“Self-Actualization”

“Self-actualization” is a term Maslow used to describe doing what we feel we were born to do. It represents the need for self-fulfillment, and the desire to realize our full potential and become the best we can be. This need for self-actualization develops only after the needs on the previous four levels are satisfied.

It’s important to help team members find this sense of self, otherwise they may become dissatisfied, restless, and unproductive. They may even look for this need elsewhere.

You can help team members here by helping them identify their career goals, and by linking these to the mission of the organization.

Remember that the idea with Maslow’s Hierarchy is that people progress from level to level: once someone’s needs for security are met, they are then motivated by the search for belonging. Once they feel that they belong, they are motivated by self-esteem, and so on.

Maslow’s Hierarchy has strong intuitive appeal, and some element of truth within it. And, as a general approach, it reminds us that, if we want to motivate people, we have to address all of these different needs.

This theory also tells us that people’s needs are not just met by hard cash (which arguably addresses levels one and two) – while people may be very well paid, they can still be unsatisfied if their higher-level needs aren’t met. So this theory helps us think about how we can motivate people, even if we cannot provide people with high monetary rewards.

For instance, it usually doesn’t cost much to provide a safe working environment (level two), and it’s often inexpensive to have team socials – for example, around a barbecue – where team members can get to know each other outside the work environment (level three). It also costs nothing to compliment people on a job well done (level four).

In general, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is not so much a technique or process to use, but an idea to have in mind when you’re thinking about how you meet a team member’s needs (for example, during a quarterly review). As such, Maslow’s Hierarchy gives us “permission” to be good bosses, knowing that we’re doing our best to build highly effective, highly productive teams.

Tip:See our articles on Management by Objectives and Mission Statements and Vision Statements for more on helping your people identify how their work contributes to the goals of your team and organization.

Action:Now, using Maslow’s Hierarchy, think about how you and your organization (or your team) currently meets team members’ needs. Write your thoughts in the table on the next page.

(We’ll assume that your team members have met all relevant “level one” needs – in other words, that they have enough to eat, that they have shelter, and that they’re reasonably healthy.)

http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/newTMM_94.php


http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/newLDR_90.php



Need How Your Organization Currently Meets This Need

Security

Belonging

Self-Esteem

Self-Actualization

Need What Your Organization Could do to Meet This Need

Security

Belonging

Self-Esteem

Self-Actualization


Action:Now, think about what more you could be doing to meet people’s needs on levels two, three, four, and five.


Action:Next, in the box below, list specific actions that you could take to improve people’s motivation, based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

2.3. McGregor's X/Y TheoryDouglas McGregor, a social psychologist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published his Factor X/Y Theory in the 1960s. Rather than looking at how to motivate individuals, he looked at managers’ assumptions about worker motivation, and how those assumptions impacted productivity and satisfaction.

Specifically, he highlighted that managers generally hold one of two beliefs about employees and their attitudes toward their jobs. He labeled these opposing views “Theory X” and “Theory Y”:

• Theory X assumes that people see work as a burden, and that they do it because they have to.

• Theory Y assumes that people get great satisfaction from their work, and that they take pride in it.

McGregor concluded that if you believe team members dislike work (Theory X), you will tend to use an authoritarian style of management. On the other hand, if you assume that employees take pride in doing a good job (Theory Y), you will tend to adopt a more participative style of management.

So, by understanding how your assumptions about motivation influence your management style, you can use McGregor’s theory to adapt your approach appropriately, and manage people in a way that motivates them to do their best work.

McGregor promoted Theory Y as the basis of good management practice, pioneering the argument that workers are not merely cogs in the company machine, as Theory X-type managers seemed to believe.

Let’s look at Theory X and Theory Y, and the management practices associated with each approach.


Theory X

Theory X assumes that people are naturally unmotivated, and that mangers must adopt an authoritarian style of management to get things done.

It also assumes that people:

• Dislikeworking. • Avoidresponsibilityandneedtobedirected. • Havetobecontrolled,forced,andeventhreatenedtodeliver

what's needed. • Needtobesupervisedconstantly. • Needtobeenticedtoproducegoodresults,otherwisetheywillhaveno

ambition or incentive to work.

X-type organizations tend to be “top heavy,” with managers and supervisors required at every level to control workers. There is little delegation of authority, and control remains firmly centralized.

Note:Although many of us probably wouldn’t like to work in a Theory X-type environment, it’s worth remembering that this management style may be effective in some workplaces. For instance, this may be true in some large-scale production operations, and in unskilled production-line work.

Theory Y

Theory Y promotes a participative style of management that is de-centralized. It assumes that employees are happy to work, that they’re self-motivated, and that they like having responsibility.

It also assumes that people:

• Takeresponsibilityfortheirbehaviorandactions,andaremotivatedtoachieve the goals and objectives that they’re given.

• Donotneedmuchdirection. • Considerworktobeanaturalpartoflife. • Usetheirinitiativetosolveworkproblemscreatively.

In Y-type organizations, people at lower levels of the organization are involved in decision-making, and they have more responsibility.

Therefore, this approach is most suited to knowledge work and professional services, and many professional service organizations naturally evolve Theory Y-type practices by the nature of their work. Even highly-structured knowledge work, such as call center operations, can benefit from Theory Y principles to encourage knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Theory X implies that... Theory Y implies that...People’sMotivation

People dislike work; they want to avoid it, and they don’t want to take responsibility.

People are self-motivated, and thrive on responsibility.

ManagementStyleandControl Management is authoritarian, and control is centralized.

Management style is participative: managers involve employees in decision-making, but retain the power to make decisions.

Work Organization Employees tend to have specialized and often repetitive work.

Work tends to be organized around wider areas of skill or knowledge. Employees are also encouraged to develop expertise, and improve work processes.

Rewards and Appraisals Organizations work on a “carrot and stick” basis. Performance appraisal is part of the overall mechanism of control and remuneration.

Appraisal is important and done regularly; however, it’s usually separate from organizational controls. Employees have frequent opportunities for promotion and for developing new skills.

Choosethreeteammembersorco-workers.Whichthetwoapproaches(TheoryXorTheoryY)wouldyou use to manage each one?Team Member Approach

1.

2.

3.


Comparing Theory X and Theory Y

Action:Reflect on what you’ve learned about McGregor’s X/Y Theory by answering the questions below.

Now think about how you like to be managed. Describe your experiences of being on the receiving end of Theory X management. Was it effective? How did it impact your motivation or the motivation of people around you?

Now, do the same with your experiences of Theory Y management.

What do you conclude from this about the management style and motivation approaches at your workplacerightnow?Whatwouldyouliketoseedonedifferently/better?


Action:Now, think about specific actions that you could take to improve people’s motivation, based on what you’ve learned about McGregor’s X/Y Theory. List these in the box below, and don’t worry if you repeat any of the actions that you identified from the exercise you did on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

FactorsforSatisfaction(Motivators)

Factors for Dissatisfaction (Hygiene Factors)

Achievement. Company policies.

Recognition. Supervision.

The work itself. Relationship with supervisor and peers.

Responsibility. Work conditions.

Advancement. Salary.

Growth. Status.

Security.


2.4. Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene TheoryMaslow’s Hierarchy of Needs highlights how we can motivate people by meeting their most important needs, and McGregor’s X/Y Theory looks at how our assumptions about worker motivation influence the way that we motivate people.

Frederick Herzberg took a different approach to Maslow and McGregor: by asking people to describe situations where they felt really good and really bad about their jobs, he found that people who felt good about their jobs gave very different – not opposite – responses from the people who felt bad.

From this, he concluded that there are certain factors that provide satisfaction at work, and certain factors that cause dissatisfaction at work. This forms the basis of his Motivation-Hygiene Theory (sometimes also known as “Herzberg's Two Factor Theory”).

The theory says that certain characteristics of a job are consistently related to job satisfaction, while different factors are consistently associated with job dissatisfaction. The theory also says that the factors that determine job satisfaction, and thus motivation, are separate and distinct from the factors that lead to job dissatisfaction.

Therefore, according to the theory, job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are not opposites. Instead:

• Theoppositeofsatisfactionisno satisfaction. • Theoppositeofdissatisfactionisno dissatisfaction.

We can see how this is true by looking at the factors that he identified:

Motivators are the primary causes of satisfaction in the workplace, and hygiene factors are the primary causes of dissatisfaction in the workplace. And, because job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are not opposites, you cannot create satisfaction until you’ve dealt with causes of dissatisfaction. Nor can you eliminate job dissatisfaction by only adding the factors of job satisfaction.

For example, you won’t be able to motivate people by giving them more responsibility, if they have poor working conditions. And you won’t be able to motivate people by creating a healthy work environment, unless you provide them with factors for satisfaction, too.


Applying Herzberg's Theory

To apply Herzberg's theory when motivating your team, you must adopt a two-stage process: first, you must eliminate the dissatisfactions that they're experiencing, and, second, you must help them find satisfaction.

StepOne:EliminatingJobDissatisfaction

Herzberg called the causes of dissatisfaction “hygiene factors.” To get rid of them, you need to:

• Fixpoorandobstructivecompanypolicies. • Provideeffective,supportive,positive,andnon-intrusivesupervision. • Createandsupportacultureofrespectanddignityforallteammembers. • Ensurethatsalariesarecompetitive. • Providemeaningfulworkforallpositions. • Providereasonablejobsecurity.

All of these actions help you eliminate job dissatisfaction in your organization. And there's no point trying to motivate people until you’ve done this.

Action:On the next page, list five sources of dissatisfaction in your workplace. Think about them in terms of what makes you and members of your team unhappy.Besideeach,thinkofwaysthatyoucoulddealwitheachsourceof dissatisfaction.

Use these questions as starting points in identifying sources of dissatisfaction:

• Aretherepoliciesinyourorganizationthatcouldcausepeopledissatisfaction? What are these? What do people not like about company policies? What don’t you like?

• Dopeoplegettherightamountofsupervisioninyourteam?Doyouavoid micromanagement where possible? Do people get the right support from you, and from other people, so that they can do their jobs well?

• Isthereacultureofrespectinyourteam?Dopeoplegetrecognitionfor their hard work? Do people treat each other well?

• Arepeople’ssalariescompetitive?Dotheygetpaidfairly?Doteammembers with similar experience get paid a comparable salary?

• Dopeopleknowhowtheirworkcontributestothegoalsoftheteamand organization? Does everyone do meaningful work as part of their role?

• Dopeoplethinkthattheyhavejobsecurity?Doyoureportbackon organizational successes that will help people feel a sense of security?

SourceofDissatisfaction Potential Remedy


Tip:As a manager, you may not know about these sources of dissatisfaction. (Indeed, without knowing it, you may have caused some of them!) This is why you need to talk with your people often, and provide an open, safe environment within which they can raise issues.

StepTwo:CreatingConditionsforJobSatisfaction

The next step in using Herzberg’s Hygiene Motivation Theory is to create conditions that help people be satisfied in their jobs.

To do this, you need to address the motivating factors associated with people’s work. Herzberg called this “job enrichment.” Examine every job to determine how it could be made better and more satisfying for the person doing the work.

Things to consider here include:

• Providingopportunitiesforachievementandadvancement. • Recognizingworkers’contributions. • Creatingworkthat’srewarding,andthatmatchestheskillsandabilitiesof

the worker. • Givingasmuchresponsibilitytoeachteammemberaspossible. • Offeringtraininganddevelopmentopportunities,sothatpeoplecan

pursue the positions they want within the company, and achieve their career goals.

Motivating Factor Potential Actions


Action:Now, using the bullet points on the last page as prompts, list five possible sources of satisfaction (motivation) in your workplace. Then, for each factor, identify actions that you could take to enrich people’s jobs, and make their roles more satisfying.

Action:Now, look back over your answers to the last two exercises, and list the specific actions that you need to take to eliminate job dissatisfaction, and create conditions for job satisfaction. Write these actions in the box below.

As before, don’t worry about repeating any of the actions that you identified in previous sections of this workbook.


2.5. Sirota's Three-Factor TheoryA more recent approach to worker motivation was developed by organizational researcher and consultant, David Sirota. After surveying more than four million workers around the world, Sirota concluded that the way to motivate people is to give them what they want in three key areas. This idea forms the basis of his Three-Factor Theory, which he published in the 2005 book, “The Enthusiastic Employee.”

The Three-Factor Theory assumes that most people start out wanting to do a good job – but then other things happen, or don't happen, that reduce this natural motivation. Therefore, to keep people motivated, managers must create a work environment that promotes:

1. Equity/fairness – people want to be treated fairly at work. 2. Achievement – people want to do important, useful work, and be

recognized for this. 3. Camaraderie – people want to enjoy good relationships with

their co-workers.

Together, these three factors boost enthusiasm, morale, and productivity. Let’s look at each factor in more detail.

1. Equity/Fairness

With this factor, people are motivated by fair treatment, and they want their company to provide working conditions that respect their physiological, economic, and psychological needs. Sirota believes that equity elements are most important, and you must address these before adding other enthusiasm factors.

To promote equity and fairness, you can do the following, in each of these three areas:

i. PhysiologicalSafety

• Createsafeworkingconditions,andensurethephysicalsafetyofworkers. • Establishexpectationsthatpeopleshouldhaveareasonablelifebalance. • Meetallworkplacesafetyrequirements. • Providesafetytrainingonaregularbasis.

ii. Psychological Health

• Createanenvironmentofrespect. • Treatallpeoplesimilarly,regardlessofhowmuchpowertheyhave. • Usepowerfairly. • Minimizestatusdistinctionsintheworkplace–forexample,byavoiding

separate parking lots and eating areas. • Givepeoplesufficientandappropriatelevelsofautonomy

and independence. • Payattentiontowhatpeoplesaytheywantandneed. • Providepositivefeedbackandrecognition. • Showaninterestinpeople,andinsistoncommoncourtesy.


iii. EconomicSecurity

• Paycompetitivewagesthatkeepupwithinflation. • Offervariablepay(bonuses)forperformance. • Allowworkerstoshareincompanysuccessthroughstockownershipor

other profit-sharing programs. • Provideareasonablelevelofjobsecurity. • Considerallpossiblealternativesbeforelayingworkersoff. • Askforvoluntarylayoffswhenalayoffisinevitable. • Communicateopenlyandhonestlyaboutlayoffs. • Providesupportforpeoplewholosetheirjobs. • Lookafterthefairnessneedsoftheworkerswhoremainafterlayoffs.

Note:Unlike Herzberg, Sirota believes that compensation is a motivating factor. His theory says that pay represents respect and achievement, not just the ability to purchase life’s necessities.

Action:What is your belief about compensation as a factor of motivation? Do you see it as a hygiene factor like Herzberg, or an equity/fairness (motivating) factor like Sirota? Why?

Write your thoughts in the box below.

2. Achievement

With this factor, people want to be proud of their work, and they want their achievements to be acknowledged. They also want to feel proud of what the organization, as a whole, does.

To help people feel this sense of achievement, do the following:

i. ProvideanEnablingWorkEnvironment

• Givepeoplewhattheyneedtodothejobwell. • Useteamseffectively. • Useparticipativeleadershippractices. • Eliminatebureaucracyandhierarchywherethisisappropriate. • Delegateeffectively,andavoidmicromanagement.

ii. Provide Challenging Work

• Allowpeopletodointerestingworkthatusestheirskillsandabilities. • Hirepeoplebasedonfitwiththeroleandwiththeorganization. • Designenrichingandsatisfyingjobs. • Communicatehoweachpersoncontributestothecompanyasawhole. • Provideopportunitiesforpeopletolearnnewskills.

How my organization promotes achievement currently:

How we could promote achievement further in the team and organization:


iii. Use Feedback, Recognition, and Reward

• Letpeopleknowhowwellthey’reperforming. • Communicateclearexpectations. • Establishandagreeonprioritiesandobjectives. • Usetangiblerewardstoacknowledgeachievement. • Balancecriticismwithplentyofpraise. • Promotefromwithintheorganizationwherepossible.

iv. BeanOrganizationofPurposeandPrinciples

• Developanorganizationthatpeoplecanbeproudtoworkfor. • Createavisionthatmakesworkersproud. • Communicatetheprinciplesofthecompany. • Setagoodexample–managersandleadersshould“walkthetalk.” • Adoptandapplyethicalleadership. • Provideahigh-qualityproductorservice,andusehigh-quality

management practices.

Action:Reflect on how your organization promotes achievement and uses it as a motivating factor. Then, think of ways that this could be improved upon within your team or the company as a whole. Write your thoughts in the box below.

List three people you work with right now whose camaraderie you value. How does each relationship impact your personal motivation and enthusiasm?

Nowthinkofthreepeople(currentorpast)whohavede-motivatedyouthroughthewaythattheyhave behaved. What organizational systems would have helped alleviate the dissatisfaction this caused you? And how could you avoid a similar issue in your own team?


3. Camaraderie

The third factor in Sirota’s theory highlights that, when people go to work, they want to enjoy themselves – this makes interpersonal relationships very important.

A culture that supports and encourages cooperation, communication, friendliness, acceptance, and teamwork is critical for maintaining enthusiasm. As such, Sirota concluded that “partnership” needs to be an important part of company culture.

You can build camaraderie in the following ways:

• Make“peopleskills”apriorityintheorganization–demonstrateempathy,consideration, and respect, and expect the same from every worker.

• Encourageinteractionsbetweenemployees,andprovideopportunitiesfor people to socialize.

• Rewardpositiveteambehaviors. • Encouragecross-functionalinteractionandteamwork. • Reviewdepartmentpoliciesandpracticesregularlytomakesurethatthe

approaches and messages used are consistent across the organization. • Useteam charters to develop ground rules for team interaction. • Usecollaborativeconflict resolution and win-win negotiation techniques

to resolve differences.

Action:Reflect on your own experiences of camaraderie in the workplace, by answering the questions in the box below.



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Finally, how have you contributed to someone else’s lack of enthusiasm or motivation at work? What will you do differently from now on?


Action:Now, in the box below, list the actions that you could take to improve people’s motivation, based on what you’ve learned about Sirota’s Three-Factor Theory. Include any actions that you have identified in previous sections, if applicable.

2.6. Vroom's Expectancy TheoryMany of us are familiar with the idea that working hard leads to favorable results. After all, we all want to feel that the harder we work, the more of our needs we meet, and the more satisfied we are.

Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (see figure 2, on the next page) takes a deeper look at the link between effort and the achievement of personal objectives. The theory is based on the idea that we will do what’s required to maximize positive outcomes, and minimize negative ones.

BecauseExpectancyTheoryisbasedonanintuitive,instinctiveunderstandingofmotivation, it’s one of the most comprehensive explanations of motivation that we have. Let’s take a closer look at the theory.


Figure2–Vroom'sExpectancyTheory

About the Theory

Vroom introduced Expectancy Theory in his 1964 book, “Work and Motivation.” The theory says that the strength of your motivation to act in a certain way depends on two things:

1. Your expectation that a given level of activity will cause a given outcome. 2. For a high level of activity, the outcome will be attractive.

Put simply, if people expect a positive and desirable outcome when they do something, they'll usually work hard to perform at the level expected of them. Therefore, to motivate people using this idea, you need to create links between:

1. High effort and high performance. 2. High performance and a positive outcome.

The theory also says that, if you establish these two links, you'll automatically create a third link – the link between high effort and a positive outcome. This is a fundamental source of high motivation: when people feel like this, they’re confident that if they work hard, they'll be rewarded well, whether this is with job satisfaction, money, recognition, or a promotion.

If you use this relationship between expectation and outcome, then motivating people should come down to three things:

• Effort–encouragingthebeliefthatmakingmoreeffortwillimprove performance.

• Performance–encouragingthebeliefthatahighlevelofperformancewillbring a good reward.

• Outcome–makingsurethattherewardisattractive.

When these variables are high, we expect motivation to be high. The difficult part is creating – and maintaining – a strong link between high effort and high performance.

Do different, individual team members value the rewards you offer?

How can you make existing rewards more valuable to team members?

What other rewards can you offer that may have a high value to some? (Don’t just think of monetary rewards – think of the many other things that we’ve already talked about.)


Creating Expectancy Theory Links

With this in mind, let’s look at a step-by-step approach to using Expectancy Theory.

1. ProvideValuableRewardsandOutcomes

The first step is to provide valuable rewards and outcomes for people. These could include:

• Praise. • Goodpay. • Jobsecurity. • Greatrelationships. • Opportunitiesfordevelopment. • Agoodmatchbetweenthejobandpeople’sskills.

You need to think regularly about the outcomes and rewards that people experience, and bear in mind that negative outcomes, such as boredom, frustration, and anxiety, can also exist.

Also remember that different people have different perceptions, and the only way you’ll know what people on your team value is to talk to them on an individual basis. For example, some team members may be motivated by monetary rewards, but many will be motivated by the factors that Herzberg and Sirota highlighted, such as recognition, promotion, camaraderie, responsibility, and interesting work.

Action:Think about the rewards you currently offer at your workplace. Then answer the questions in the box below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.


2. LinkEffortandPerformance

The second step is to help team members understand that high effort will result in high performance. Make sure that they know the kinds of behavior they need to exhibit to achieve a positive outcome.

When you do this, remember that the final outcome may not motivate people unless they know clearly what they need to do to achieve high performance. These questions help you think about this:

• Whatisthedefinitionof“doingwell”? • Whatbehaviorsdopeopleneedtoshowtoperformwell? • Doyouhaveaperformanceappraisalsystem?Doesitsupportworkers'

efforts? Does it give people the tools and direction that they need to perform well?

• Doyoumonitorandrecognizegoodperformanceconsistentlyandfairly?

Action: Think about how well you link performance and effort currently. Ask yourself the questions above, and note five actions that you can take to highlight this link further, in the box below.

Do all of your people have the equipment, supplies, and tools that they need to do their jobs effectively? This includes things like computers, chairs, desks, and monitors, as well as office supplies, books, and cell phones.

Do they get the support they need from their colleagues, and from you?

Do all of your team members have the skills and knowledge that they need to do their jobs effectively?

Basedonyourfindingsfromthequestionsabove,listtheactionsyouneedtotaketogivepeopletheresources needed to do their jobs effectively:


3. LinkPerformanceandOutcomes

Finally, you need to ensure that, when people perform well, they experience good outcomes (rewards).

Here, you must make sure that each person has the skills and resources needed to do a good job, so that you create a situation where high effort can lead to high performance. (If people don't have the right tools or the right skills, then, no matter how hard they work, they may never achieve great results.)

Once people have the resources and knowledge required for high performance, remind them regularly that they control the factors that determine success. This is what creates people's expectations that performing well leads to the outcomes they want.

Action:To evaluate whether or not your people have the resources they need to perform well, answer the questions below, asking people for their input where you can.


Managing People's Perceptions

In some situations, the challenge of applying Expectancy Theory is to manage people's perceptions.

For instance, if members of your team have worked hard but good outcomes haven't resulted, you may need to recognize their hard work, but then explain why there has been a lack of success.

On the other hand, if an outcome was good but performance has been poor, you may need to highlight that poor performance, and then attribute the good outcome to luck, or highlight how much more people could have achieved if they had performed better.

Action:Now list specific actions that you could take to create a more motivating environment, based on the ideas behind Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. Again, don’t worry if you’ve already listed some of these actions previously.

2.7. McClelland's Human Motivation TheoryIn this workbook, we’ve already discussed that different people are motivated by different things, and that what motivates one person might not motivate another.

David McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory is a useful way of thinking about this further. It says that, regardless of our gender, culture, or age, we all have three motivating drivers, and that one of these will be our dominant motivating driver. This dominant motivator is largely dependent on our culture and our life experiences.

The three motivating drivers are achievement, affiliation, and power. Once you know people’s dominant motivating driver, you can structure your rewards and praise more effectively, so that your appreciation really “hits home” with them.

McClelland said that people will have different characteristics depending on their dominant motivator. These characteristics are as follows:

Dominant Driver CharacteristicsAchievement • Hasastrongneedtosetandaccomplish

challenging goals. • Takescalculatedriskstoaccomplishgoals. • Likestoreceiveregularfeedbackon

progress and achievements. • Oftenlikestoworkalone.

Affiliation • Wantstobelongtoagroup. • Wantstobeliked,andwilloftengoalong

with whatever the rest of the group wants. • Favorscollaborationovercompetition. • Doesn’tlikeriskoruncertainty.

Power • Wantstocontrolandinfluenceothers. • Likestowinarguments. • Enjoyscompetitionandwinning. • Enjoysstatusandrecognition.


Tip:People with a strong power motivator are often divided into two groups: personal and institutional. People with a personal power drive want to control others, while people with an institutional power drive like to organize the efforts of a team to further the organization’s objectives. Clearly, those with an institutional power need are more desirable as team members.

Motivating People Using Human Motivation Theory

So, how can you motivate people more effectively using this theory?

First, you examine each team member to determine which of the three motivators is dominant for each person. You can probably identify drivers based on personality and past actions, but you can also ask people directly, if you do this sensitively.

Then, based on your findings, use a motivational approach that corresponds with their dominant motivator. Let’s take a close look at some strategies you can use for each motivator.

Achievement

Team members motivated by achievement need challenging, but not impossible, projects. They thrive on overcoming difficult problems or situations, so make sure that you keep them engaged this way. People motivated by achievement work very effectively with other high achievers.

Affiliation

People motivated by affiliation work best in a group environment, so try to integrate them with a team whenever possible. They also don't like uncertainty and risk. Therefore, when assigning projects or tasks, save the risky ones for other people.

These people often don't like to be the center of attention, so it may be best to praise them in private.

Team Member Dominant Motivator MotivationalStrategies/Approaches


Power

Those with a high need for power work best when they're in charge. They do well with goal-oriented projects or tasks because they enjoy competition.

They may also be very effective in negotiations, or in situations where another party must be convinced of an idea.

When providing feedback, be direct with these team members. Keep them motivated by helping them further their career goals.

Action:Choosethreepeoplewhoyou’veworkedwith.Basedontheirbehaviorandachievements, write down what you think their dominant driver is in the table below. Then, using the approaches listed above, write down how you could have motivated them more effectively.

Action:Basedonwhatyouknowalreadyaboutyourteammembers’dominantmotivators, identify specific actions that you can take to motivate them more effectively. Write these below.


2.8. Concluding This ModuleIn this module, we’ve examined some of the most important motivation theories, and we’ve looked at specific strategies that you can use to apply each one with your team.

In the next module, we’ll pull this together into a Motivational Action Plan that you can use to start building a more motivating environment.

Action:As you’ve worked through this module, you’ve been writing down the actions that you could take to motivate your team more effectively.

Now, go back through your answers to the exercises at the end of each section, and list all of the actions you identified in the box below. Make sure that one of these actions is to speak to team members about what motivates (and de-motivates) them.

Then work through your list and delete any duplicate actions, if appropriate.


3. Your Motivational Action PlanCreating a Motivating Work Environment

In the previous module, we looked at the key theories behind motivation. Among other factors, we’ve highlighted why it’s important to treat people fairly, why it’s important to provide a good working environment, and why it’s important to recognize achievement and help people grow in their roles.

However, getting this right is no simple task!

We’ve also seen that both the psychology of motivation and the history of motivational ideas are quite complex and varied. This makes it challenging to bring them all together.

Despite this, you’re unlikely to create a motivating environment by applying just one theory or just one approach – as we saw in the first module, different people, in different situations, and in different cultures think and behave in different ways. All of the theories that we’ve looked at can help you boost your people’s motivation, if your apply them appropriately.

The good news is that this final module of the workbook helps you prioritize the actions that you’ve identified, so that you can use them to start making a difference to your team’s motivation, right away.

3.1. Creating Your Motivational Action PlanYou likely have a long list of actions to work on. So the next stage is to prioritize these, based on the effort needed to complete them, and the impact that they’ll have on your team’s motivation.

Action:To do this, list all actions you identified at the end of the previous module on the Action Priority Worksheet on page 35. Then rate each action on its potential positive impact on motivation (1 = small impact, 5 = big impact) and by how easy it is to implement (1 = hard, 5 = easy).

Next, score each action by multiplying the impact rating with the ease of implementation rating. Then, rank each action based on its final score.

Then, add these to your To-Do List or Action Program, to make sure that they actually happen.

Finally, carry out these actions, and watch your team’s levels of motivation – and productivity – soar!

Tip:If you don’t currently use a To-Do List or Action Program to organize your time, we strongly recommend that you start now!

To-Do Lists are great starting points for self-organization. Action Programs are exceptionally effective when your To-Do Lists get overwhelmed.

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3.2. Speaking to Team MembersOne of your most important actions over the next few weeks will be to meet with members of your team.

This is an important task: if you don’t make a point of listening to people within your team, you can miss huge opportunities, both for removing de-motivators and for motivating them better.

For instance, team members may be upset by tiny points of bureaucracy that you’re not aware of, or there may be further simple actions that you could take that would have a huge impact on people’s morale.

Questions to Ask

When you do this, ask questions that will help you learn more about people’s individual goals and their views in terms of their job. (For large groups, consider distributing a questionnaire that asks these questions in the simplest, most direct way possible.)

Keep in mind that achievement, recognition, growth, meaningful work, equity and camaraderie are likely to be high on most people’s list. This, of course, is aside from the obvious, which is that employees must have a safe working environment, a practical workload, comfortable working conditions, a reasonable degree of job security, satisfactory compensation and benefits, respectful treatment, credible and consistent management, and the opportunity to voice their concerns, if you’re to achieve even minimal motivation.

As we’ve seen in the previous module, these are the basics, and you should consider things like this not so much as motivational factors, but as necessities.

You should also ask team members if they feel challenged at work, and if they feel that they’re able to use their skills and apply their knowledge.

Questions to consider might include:

• Doyouhavetheopportunitytoexpandyourknowledge,andlearnnew skills?

• Doyouperceiveyourjobtobeimportant? • Doyoureceiverecognitionforyourperformance? • Areyouproudtoworkforthecompanyandproudofyour

individual contribution? • Doyouhavethetraining,support,andresourcestodoagoodjob?

Better Relationships

As well as this, strive to learn more about people’s relationships within the workplace, and do your best to ensure that your employees have consistently positive interactions with you, as well as with other members of the team.

Byhavingregularone-to-onechatswithteammembers,youcanquicklypickup and resolve issues before they become significant. You can also take the opportunity to praise them.



Remember, your goal here is to learn what will build higher morale, generate enthusiasm, and increase productivity.

Action:Over the next two weeks, schedule a time to talk to each of your team members and determine what motivates him or her.

As you have your conversations, revisit your Action Priority Worksheet and Motivational Action Plan, and update these if required.


4. Moving On

I hope you’ve found this workbook useful!

Enjoy using what you’ve learned, and keep working on the skills and knowledge that you’ll need to motivate your team members in the days, months, and years ahead.

Remember, motivation isn’t something you develop a one-time formula for. It’s a continuous process of discovery, and of trial and error. In the end your success will depend on how committed you are to the process. When you make the effort to provide a motivating work environment, everyone wins!

As a final point, we’ve put a great deal of effort into developing this workbook and our other material. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve it for the future, then please let us know at [email protected].

Bestwishes,andthankyou!

James ManktelowCEOMindTools.comEssential skills for an excellent career!

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Action Impact (1 = small impact, 5 = big impact)

EaseofImplementation(1 = hard, 5 = easy)

Ranking


Action Priority Worksheet

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