What Really Motivates People to Perform? It's not What you Think...

I was reminded in the past few weeks (please don't ask me to recall where!) about the three motivators that move people to give their best effort.  Because so much of what I deal with day-to-day revolves around inspiring groups of people to work together and achieve great things, these motivators are constantly at play.  Most business owners and managers struggle to get their staff to perform at the highest level (or even a mediocre level), and leveraging motivating factors that really work can be powerful.

Autonomy
Although we're 'herd animals' at heart, people want to do their own thing.  Being micromanaged, forced to constantly answer to someone, or never given a moment's peace are nightmares for your average worker - this especially applies to Americans who are more independent than some other cultures.  Most managers and entrepreneurs are terrified of giving their employees too much autonomy.  While it is true that you have to provide clear boundaries, support, and occasionally intervention, it's been proven repeatedly that people perform better when they accept full ownership of a task and are allowed to make decisions and get the job done in their own unique way.  Autonomy is also a great motivator to access because there are benefits for the organization and management too!  By fostering personal responsibility in your staff you gain more time to focus on upper level tasks and business development without hovering over your team constantly.

Mastery
It really feels good to know that you are EXCELLENT at something - doesn't it?  We all love to feel accomplished and to be recognized for the things we do well.  Expert stature or mastery of a subject are fantastic motivators for your team.  Continuing education, new certifications and other programs can give companies a structured way to leverage mastery in the workplace.  Simple 'thank yous', surprise events and public recognition can also work wonders.  There are several reasons why this motivator is so effective:

1. Higher education typically equals higher pay.
2. Learning new skills keeps employees engaged in their work and prevents apathy.
3. Companies gain employees who are better at their job and who deliver for customers at a higher level.
4. Happy employees who feel that their job is a true specialty make fewer errors and stay longer.

Purpose
Everybody wants to feel that their life is making a difference.  We all would like to think that we are impacting the world and the people in it as we go about our daily business. Managers and corporations can tap into this innate human need for destiny to boost performance.  Be clear about your company's purpose and make conscious efforts to connect your staff with your mission statement.  Encourage volunteerism and community service.  Find ways for your company to engage in corporate philanthropy or holiday giving campaigns.  Make sure that each staff member (even the ones at the bottom) see how their job fits into the grand vision and makes a difference for customers.  All of these things will help your staff be more motivated and creative at work, which will equal higher profits and great innovations.

Lastly, I want to address the 800 pound gorilla in the room... money.  The single motivator that most businesses build into their HR plan is cash.  'Do X and you'll get a raise.'  'Achieve Y and you'll get a bonus.'  'Hit target Z and earn a higher commission rate.'  But it has been proven in studies that money motivators actually make people perform the worst!

Why?  Because money alone as a goal is very cold and shallow.  As much as we all WANT more money, we desire cash to improve our quality of life and feed our soul - not to sit in a vault.  As you consider the three motivators above, notice that each one will translate into more money naturally. 

For example... accepting personal responsibility for your work and getting tasks done independently will encourage you to be meticulous and will free your boss up to focus on the big picture, taking the whole organization forward. Getting better training, more professional designations and higher education will make you more marketable and improve your earning potential.  You will get raises due to merit and knowledge - not tenure or hitting a random goal one time. Feeling emotionally and spiritually connected to your work, and gaining personal satisfaction from your job, will improve performance every time.  All of a sudden you aren't just going to work - you are living your destiny, and that makes you a powerful force.

If you're in a supervisory position and you're tempted to offer people money to reach organizational objectives, I urge you to reconsider.  Find creative ways turn your attention away from money and use the three motivators that really work to take your team to the next level.

Emotional Quotient: Measuring Decision Making Ability

Thanks to Paul Cattermole for this insightful interpretation of the impact EI and EQ have on our leadership ability and earning potential! Visit http://www.catt-alyst.com/ to learn more!

Research has shown that high performance in any field is driven by good decision-making. Of course, high performance also requires other attributes such as general intelligence, technical skills, and training or experience. However, what separates sporadic high performance from consistent and sustained high performance is Emotional Intelligence (EI). EI when measured, gives one a score known as one's Emotional Quotient (EQ).

Dr. Daniel Goleman, one of the pioneering researchers on EI, notes the following:

1. CEOs are hired for their intellect and business expertise - and fired for a lack of emotional intelligence.
2. Those with high EQ are 127 times more productive than those with low EQ.
3. The key differentiator between star and average performers is their EQ.

Just think of that remark for a moment. Have you ever been managed by, or lead by, an individual who may be intelligent and skilled, yet "missed the boat" on how to get the best out of the people working for him or her? They did not make good decisions about how to lead or manage, nor were they skilled at building good rapport.

Decision-making has a significant impact on how successful, efficient and effective individuals are on the job. Not surprisingly, this ability is becoming more important for both employers and employees, and the pressure is on to deliver!

Our EQ indicates how well we can sense, understand and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions to facilitate high levels of collaboration and productivity. The higher our EQ, the more we can leverage our awareness of emotions (both ours' and others') for being effective in decision-making and overall performance.

Whether we are aware of it or not, we make decisions based on emotions. Sometimes they are the right decisions to make, sometimes not. Wouldn't it be better for us to be able to make decisions from the head, as well as from the heart? At least then we would have a choice. Well, the good news is, we can - if we use our EI.

EI is categorized into two parts: intrapersonal intelligence (the ability to understand ourselves) and interpersonal intelligence (the ability to understand others), and each can be measured.

Intrapersonal EI includes:
Self-awareness - the ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions and drives, and to understand their effect on others.
Self-regulation - the ability to control or re-direct disruptive impulses and moods and the propensity to suspend judgment and think before acting.

Interpersonal EI includes:
Motivation - a passion to work for reasons that go beyond money and status and a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.
Social skills - a proficiency in managing relationships and building networks.
Empathy - the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people.

Want to know more? Get a book to help you discover your EQ HERE.

Overcoming Fear

Last night I had a fabulous meeting with my Victory Circle, a women's group that I facilitate. (Visit www.victorycircles.com to learn all the details) So, our conversation topic was Freedom from Fear. Not a bad thing to deal with before we all go into the New Year with our big plans and rock-solid resolutions!

I wanted to share a few things from the reading that we did together. Each item is a step you can take to overcome the fears that are holding you back in life. It doesn't really matter whether a fear is big or small, personal or professional, rational or irrational - no one who lives in fear is truly free. We all feel afraid at times, that's unavoidable, but as Katherine Patterson sagely said, “To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.”

1. Take Small Steps

This is good for fear that can seem overwhelming at first. For instance the strong feeling – it can almost feel like a flight or fight response – just before public speaking or asking someone out for a date. A solution is to take small steps instead. A small step could be just saying ‘hi’ to people if you’re afraid of more vulnerable interactions. Small steps let you gradually de-sensitize yourself to whatever you are afraid of. You build courage and expand your comfort zone. So, identify your fear. Then make a plan with some smaller steps you can take to gradually lessen your discomfort.

2. Get Concrete, Positive Motivation to take Action

It can take time to get to the stage where you really feel that you need to stop waiting – or stop reading one self-help book after another. But there always comes a point for action. One way to get moving is to replace some of your negative thoughts with clear, positive reasons to move past your fear. Take 5 minutes and take out a piece of paper and a pen. Write down all the wonderful ways that overcoming a fear will improve your life. Lack of motivation can keep you stuck. Writing down all the amazing things you will gain by conquering this fear can be empowering. Focus on those positive things to get motivated and inspired. “A cheerful frame of mind, reinforced by relaxation... is the medicine that puts all ghosts of fear on the run.” George Matthew Adams. Wise words indeed.

3. See Failure and Rejection in a New Light

Often it’s easy to avoid something difficult because we fear failure and rejection. We may fear failure when starting in a new career. Or rejection from friends and family if we fail at a task. The definition of failure we are brought up with in society might not be the best and most useful to have. If you look at the most successful people you quickly notice that they have a different response to failure than most of us. They don’t take failure or rejection that seriously. They know it’s not the end of the world if they fail. Instead they look at each failure and see the good part about it: what they can learn from it and improve upon next time. Winners have an abundance mentality. They know that if their first business venture fails they can try again. Don’t be afraid! Listen to the advice that failure gives you - and you will improve… And success will come.

4. Practice living in the now

Don’t let your thoughts and emotions constantly run away to the future or the past. Being in the now means not getting your mind stuck in a psychological headspace that is focused on things you have no control over. It means not dwelling on what has gone wrong before - and what could go wrong tonight or tomorrow. Such thinking will only ramp up your fear to the point where you feel unable to do anything. Make your plans. Cover all the bases. Then just be. Focus on the now and what needs to be done in the moment. The future will be the present soon enough. And when you arrive there, it will be much easier to get things done with a minimal amount of stress and fear in your mind. Mark Twain said “I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened!” So, focus on the present moment. Enjoy life. Love people. Build a legacy. And strive for peace of mind.

5. Stop Fighting Fear and Understand It

We can’t truly overcome something we don’t understand. Without getting into ‘analysis paralysis’, try to understand where your fears come from and what they take away from the richness of life. When you are faced with fear, observe the feeling of panic or dismay in your mind and body without labeling or judging it. Acceptance, and the ability to understand your fear instead of fighting it, will allow your body to process and release it. Madame Curie wisely stated, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”

6. Redefine your Reality

To overcome fear, you have to be prepared and willing to redefine yourself. Try new things and practice until you push past your fears. No one can do it for you. By reframing your feelings and environment you may be able to make something that seems big and scary come back into focus. Everyone is addicted to their own personality and their way of seeing the world. Evolving from rigidity to being flexible and positive can lessen your fear of what might happen in a new, unfamiliar situation. Remember that your world is really a mirror of you. Change will be hard if you deep down still think, “I am a shy, awkward, unsuccessful, negative, scared person.” An old story tells of a man imprisoned in the dark who feared a snake in the corner of his room. One time – for a brief moment – light came in and he saw that what he feared was only a rope. After that, although his situation remained the same, he could never again fear the rope. His reality did not change, but his perception did. If you are prepared and ready to change, you can rewrite what you perceive as the truth about yourself and your personality, thoughts, actions and emotions.

I LOVE this quote by Marianne Williamson and it sums up my feelings about what's at stake when you let fear get the best of you:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson