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Motivating People

Written by Mitch McCrimmon

It's important to use a motivational approach that suits your style.
No point trying to be a cheerleader if you are a quiet person.
The essence of motivation is to give people what they want for doing what you want - effectively this is pay for performance.
But ''pay'' could be a lot of things other than money - it depends what each person on your team really wants most.
The first step, therefore, is to find out what everyone wants.
This might not be so easy - they might say they want more money.
Often people complain about working conditions or pay because they don't feel valued or a sense of achievement.
Fixing symptoms, therefore, won't necessarily change anything.
Different people find different things rewarding. Here are a few:

money	personal growth	recognition
achievement	challenge	responsibility
change/variety	social contact	advancement

The key is to make the reward contingent on performance - like recognition.
For example, offer a development opportunity only when your performance expectations are met rather than just because they want it.
To find out what people want, use a combination of approaches:
- ask them.
- observe them on the job.
- get them to rank order the items on the above list.
- ask them what tasks they find most/least satisfying and why.
- see what works through trial and error.
Also, set clear and stretching targets.
Communicate progress.
Give postive feedback regularly.
Celebrate success.
Set a committed, enthusiastic example yourself.
Conduct regular performance reviews.
Remove motivational blockages - factors that turn people off.