Motivate your
people right
Find out what stirs your employees and
channel
their energies in the right
way
“I just can’t seem to motivate my employees” is
a common complaint among corporate leaders.
My response to them
is: “Stop trying. You’ll never be able to motivate
them.”
Are these the words
of a quitter?
Not at all. Following
that piece of advice, I say: “They’re already motivated. Find out
what motivates them, and use this knowledge to channel their
energies in the direction you want them to go.”
Some people are like
water in a tap. It is already motivated to flow, but it does not
have the opportunity until you turn the tap on. Your people may be
bursting with energy and waiting for you to provide them with the
opportunity to use it constructively.
Others are like
mountain streams, which flow swiftly but follow their own courses.
If you want them to turn your wheel, you have to provide them with
a channel.
Your organization may
be full of people who are moving energetically towards their own
goals. Your challenge is to open up channels that will focus their
energy on corporate goals.
Remember, people are
motivated by their own goals and rationale. You have to provide
them with reasons to do what you want them to do.
These reasons may
involve either pain or gain. When the pain of remaining in the same
way outweighs the discomfort of leaving the rut, or when the gain
from making behavioural changes outweighs the comfort of remaining
in a rut, a person will alter his behaviour.
Pride is a
powerful motivator. Everybody has something to be proud of. When
you know what makes your employees proud, you can use that
knowledge to channel their motivation in the right
direction.
But remember: You
can’t change people. You can only alter their behaviours. To change
their behaviours, you must change their feelings and
beliefs.
You may think that
what they feel and believe in is preposterous. But to them,
perception is reality. What they perceive is perfectly reasonable
and rational. When you understand this notion and respect their
perceptions, you will be in a better position to motivate
them.
Good behaviours can
be reinforced. Look for ways to reward employees for doing the
things you want them to do.
Conversely, use
disincentives to discourage unfavourable behaviours that are not
aligned to the organization’s goals.
By doing so, you will
find yourself leading an organization of motivated employees with
energies focused on the things you want to
accomplish.
Article by Nido Qubein, an international
trainer, speaker and consultant. Website:
www.nidoqubein.com