How to use motivation to improve performance and happiness by Carole Gaskell. According to Benefits of Engagement & Motivation Hay group research done in 2015 that highly engaged employees are 50% more likely to exceed their performance targets. And the best companies at engaging people achieve 4.5 times the revenue growth.
WHAT IS MOTIVATION?
Motivation is energy, it derives from the Anglo- Norman term, ‘motif’, which means ‘drive.’ Our motivations are our inner drivers, the fire in our belly, which determines how we feel and subsequently how we act. Motivation is often the secret ingredient that differentiates an ‘average’ performer, from an exceptional one; a ‘good’ team from a ‘high performing’ team; and a mediocre culture from a full potential culture.
Motivation connects your head and heart!
WHY MOTIVATION IS KEY TO PERFORMANCE?
High Performance = What is possible (growing) – What is stopping me (reducing)
What is possible is about growing which is fuelled by high motivation within.
The primarily role of all individuals is to motivate self. Leaders’ role is to trigger by pushing the right hot buttons, stimulate motivation in their people and work on removing possible barriers, saboteurs for them.
THE 3 ROOTS OF MOTIVATION
- Our personality (which tends to be fairly fixed, difficult to change and more past orientated).
- Our self-concept (how we see and feel about ourselves, our beliefs about ourselves and our internal world, tends to be less innate, more variable and present orientated).
- Our expectations (our beliefs about future outcomes. These again are more variable and future orientated).
The unique mixture of our personality with our self-concept, beliefs and expectations which creates our motivation and determines the outcomes of our life and work.
3 CLUSTERS OF MOTIVATION
Integration several motivational theories (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs with Edgar Shein’s Career Anchors and the Enneagram) there are three clusters and nine motivators, which can help profiling and measuring motivation.
THE 9 MOTIVATORS
Everyone has their own unique blend of the nine motivators and the strength of these defines how motivated we are. Each type has its own distinctive needs, wants and desires. It is important for leaders to know not only their type and their top three drivers but those of their people and then adapt their leadership style accordingly. Plus, be aware of people’s de-motivators to avoid wasting energy.
WORKING WITH THE MOTIVATORS
- What motivates you? – Have a look at the above motivators and rank them from 1 to 9, #1 is the most important motivator for you right now and #9 is the least important.
- How satisfied are you with each of the motivators? – Give a number from 1 to 10, 1 is not at all satisfied while 10 it is fully met, you are totally satisfied.
Note that interestingly a well met motivators can be less important to you right now, although it could be more important if it was not satisfied at all.
- What motivators of yours can help you to achieve your goals?
Hot buttons to motivate others by understanding what is important to them
Think of your key people:
- What would you consider their key motivators?
- What are their motivational hot buttons?
- What else could you do to trigger their motivation more?
You can read my article on the topic in Hungarian at Boom Magazin: http://www.boomonline.hu/content/kinek-feladata-belso-tuz-felszitasa
Source: Carole Gaskell, Coaching without Borders