How Inward Motivation Leads to Outward Results

As a manager, when considering how to motivate others, understanding the internal nature of motivation is critical. Motivation, like attitude, cannot be worn on the outside like a raincoat- it has to come from within. As everything we accomplish is related to how we feel, our attitudes towards work, life and our goals are something we should be checking on the hour rather than by the year. Just how critical is motivation? One manager joked that he would rather have a stupid motivated person than a smart unmotivated person! Why? Because motivation creates momentum and momentum is the force that makes money, unifies strong teams and builds businesses up to their true potential. First and foremost, good managers must cause motivation to happen internally, rather than causing employees merely to produce the desired external results. When properly motivated, those results will flow naturally. If you want an employee to increase productivity on a certain task, for example, but you micromanage the task until it is done to your satisfaction, you will have put so much of your own effort into the process that you will not be able to focus as successfully on your own work, not to mention other employees or colleagues. In addition, the employee is not really able to feel proud of his or her accomplishments and is thus not as motivated to work harder at the next opportunity. When managers simply cause results, the end effect is exhaustion for the manager, inferior performance from the employee, and a decreasing sense of motivation for all in question. In order to feel motivated, people need to take pride in what they are doing. That pride extends to all levels and all participants of any given job. No matter how many things are on the to-do list, do one thing at a time and make sure each one is completed. There is nothing more un-motivating than feeling like you’re simply running on a treadmill, with too many tasks to ever successfully finish and/or with ever-incomplete tasks that are a standard part of the operating procedure. If you consistently promote the expectation of success throughout every project, employees are more likely to feel motivated at each step, expecting subsequent successes. In this vein, remember that it is always better to have one thing completely done than many simply hanging in the balance. Listen and listen well. One of the biggest de-motivating factors for an employee is an employer who does not listen. Listening is often a difficult skill to learn but an incredibly important component of promoting self-accountability in all members of a team. Tune in before you turn on and remember to listen first, and talk second. Be available and approachable. Employers can significantly affect the driving force of their employee’s inner motivation by having an approachable management style. While letting the employee do the job, also let them give you feedback on the project. When everyone is involved in the planning stage, everyone understands and appreciates how he or she contributes to the final outcome. Lead by example. You may have heard it before but it’s true. Successful managers agree that the best way to get excellent performance is to set a stellar example. Your own motivation—as evidenced by your actions—in leadership and your hard work speak volumes more than anything that your words could say to a member of your team. Have your expectations in place. Starting with the hiring process, keep in mind that a person lacking enthusiasm and motivation from the start will be much more difficult to motivate than someone who comes in with these innate qualities. Keep track! In order to track motivation, have managers and employees set goals for themselves. Write those goals down, keep them in a visible place and make sure to verbalize them. Once a week, discuss with your team how close you are to reaching your target. Let them know. As a project progresses, give everyone involved sincere feedback. With a positive but honest bent, let people know how they are doing and give them the space and time to adjust their actions and working plan to reflect the feedback received. Positive reinforcement should be given for results! It could be anything from a special parking spot, a badge, a cash bonus, a plaque, or a gift certificate for dinner. Remember this: people like recognition and recognition helps drive motivation. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to let people know when they are under-performing. Confrontation in the form of sincerely addressing the issue instead of attacking the person takes finesse. It’s truly an art and it leads to enhanced motivation. Begin by appreciating what the person you are confronting brings to the table. Feed the person’s ego a bit while reinstating your commitment to that person. Create a performance agreement that relies on accountability. Track the performance, show the person their improvement and reward them. The simple knowledge that one is becoming increasingly successful at his or her job after previously struggling is a great motivator in and of itself. Lastly, make sure to tell employees every day that you appreciate what they do. Feeling listened to and cared about helps to create a motivated team that gets results that benefit everyone!

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