Stop trying to motivate people.
Motivation is simple. Bribe people or scare them. That is, offer incentives and bonuses, or impose quotas and minimum standards. Reward people for reaching established goals or threaten and punish them when they don’t make it.
And it works—up to a certain point. These motivational techniques produce predictable, expected results. Want to exceed expectations? Don’t motivate—inspire.
What’s the difference?
Motivation appeals to the head. The very word “motivation” means to provide a reason that compels action. The problem is that human beings tend to be moved more by emotion than reason. To get people to go the extra mile, commit to the team effort, and blow expectations out of the water, we’ve got to touch people’s hearts—not just their heads.
Without getting too deep into the scientific weeds, one of the key elements or characteristics of inspiration is “transcendence.” This means you invite people into a vision and sense of purpose larger than their individual needs. Example:
Someone may be motivated to get up and get to work because they need to pay the mortgage and feed their family. These are immediate and very tangible needs. They summon enough psychological energy to do their job. Many people just barely do what is required. A growing number of people will intentionally do less than what might be expected because they feel their work is only providing the bare essentials. One recent term to describe this attitude is “quiet quitting.” I prefer the good old-fashioned “disengaged.”
To get this person to transcend their immediate needs and interests and go the extra mile, you need to reach them on a different plane, a more emotional level. This is what Steve Jobs did when he stood told his people:
“Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future.”
That was not a rational appeal. It struck right to the heart. He employed one of the most powerful inspirational tactics—he clearly defined a sense of purpose. He invited his team to share this purpose, and that gave their work meaning.
So how, exactly, do we do this?
Here are some techniques shared in the “INSPIRE” segment of our workshops:
#1 Identify a clear vision, not just a mission. This is the key objective that helps people transcend their individual needs and immediate responsibilities.
I was doing a workshop with a group of leaders in a company that supplies machinery to help companies recycle and reclaim waste. At the time they were focused on two specific missions. First, to improve communication between their sales team and front-line techs which supported their overarching to increase market share. During the workshop, they developed a vision that would help them accomplish both these goals and more:
“We turn trash into cash!”
Honestly, I believe this was almost thrown out there as a joke. But it caught fire and excited everyone in the room. Before long they were talking about how this explained perfectly what they did, what their equipment did, and what they helped their customers do.
#2 Show people that you care. Identify specific “disciplines” you can embed in your leadership practice that show people you sincerely care about them.
People perform at their best when, and only when, they know their leaders care. What are you doing to genuinely show that you care? This doesn’t need to be complicated. It needs to be consistent. That’s why we choose the word “discipline.”
Again borrowing from our workshop participants, here are a few of the techniques they’ve shared. Let’s stick to disciplines that are simple and easy to implement:
- Schedule regular meetings or encounters with team members. These are NOT performance reviews. Use these meetings to learn and understand personal needs, goals, interests, concerns, and ideas. This is an opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation and to recognize specific contributions.
- Create events for social interaction. This can be especially powerful when you provide opportunities for all levels to share time. This is not just frivolous “party time” when people have the chance to get to know one another on a personal level, they organically create bonds that lead to better cooperation and collaboration, idea-sharing, innovation, and problem-solving.
- Recognize achievement publicly. Yes, people do seriously appreciate public acknowledgement for a job well-done. Studies by Gallup and others show that this simple, but often overlooked discipline improves productivity, increases loyalty, and reduces turn-over and disengagement.
#3 Lead by example.
Nothing new here! The most direct influence you have on the hearts of others is your example.
You want people to be enthusiastic? Be enthusiastic.
You want people to embrace training and growth? Show them you’re still learning and growing.
You want people to go the extra mile? You go the extra mile first.
Your example is inspiration embodied. The trouble is, you may never know how much a simple act or word might impact the lives of others. It happens whether you know it or not. And of course, a bad example can be as contagious as a good one. Make sure you model the best behavior and performance you expect from others.
This just barely scratches the surface. The “INSPIRE” segment of our workshop program is the longest, and most intense session. The power that’s unleashed when you connect with people on a genuine, emotional level is well worth the effort.
For too long, inspiration was considered something “nice to have”, but not essential. I’ve never felt this way. Thankfully, the science is finally catching up and validating the effect of inspiration on the bottom line. From an article by Scott Barry Kaufman in Harvard Business Review:
“In a culture obsessed with measuring talent and ability, we often overlook the important role of inspiration … but as recent research shows, inspiration can be activated, captured, and manipulated, and it has a major effect on important life outcomes.”
The ability to inspire others is what separates the average manager from the leader, and defines the best, most effective leaders—the type of leader you want to be.
