David J.
Pollay
Read David's bio and previous columns
March 24, 2008
Don’t Waste Your
Money! Find Out What Motivates People
The first time it happened, I was totally surprised. I followed the same
ritual as I had in the past. I called out to my three- and four-year-old
girls, “Papi has a present for you!” And they squealed as usual, “Yayyyyyyy!”
And then they ran to the couch, closed their eyes and opened their
hands. And I said, “Are you ready? Keep your eyes closed. Here it is!”
And this is what happened. Eliana and Ariela’s faces went blank and they
said, “That’s not a present.” I said, “What? That’s not very nice. I
just gave you a gift!” And they said, “But, that’s not what we wanted.”
If
you are a leader, does this happen to you in your organization? The
answer is probably, “Yes, every day.” Leaders and managers are
constantly trying to “motivate” employees with incentives, awards and
public recognition. And they have little idea if the money and time
invested is really making a difference.
Why?
Because their employees are older than my little daughters, they learned
a lesson years ago that I continue to teach my girls: “Be polite.”
Adults have learned not to complain about someone’s gift when it’s
presented to them. Leaders and managers rarely get direct feedback when
their incentives, awards or recognition efforts are off the mark.
So
what do adults do? They complain to other people about your gifts. They
tell everyone else how unfair your program is. They tell their family
and friends that you don’t really appreciate them. Or they simply forget
about or ignore your effort. Your overtures do not influence them.
How does this happen? Because shortcuts are taken. Leaders and managers
implement programs without really knowing what motivates their
employees. They do not do their homework. They assume that people only
want money, public recognition or a new title. And they’re often
wrong.
People want different things. One’s motivation to achieve is not
influenced by the same factors. We have to learn what our employees
value in life. Do they want to learn more? Do they want a bigger
challenge? Do they want a promotion? Do they want more time off? Do they
only focus on money? Do they like to be left alone? Do they like you to
constantly pat them on the back? Do they like public recognition? Do
they prefer that you quietly acknowledge their work?
The Gallup Organization has found in its research that employees who
reported that they had received recognition every seven days were more
engaged than the employees who did not receive recognition. The
challenge is that the measurement of recognition is based on what your
employees feel that they have received from you, not on what you think
you have given to them. Your efforts to recognize and award your
employees only count if they say they do.
Your opportunity then is to ask your employees what matters to them. Ask
them what they care about. Find out what they value in life. After you
set and communicate the outcomes they must achieve in their roles, find
out what inspires them to do their best, and what forms of recognition
are meaningful to them. Here are three questions you can ask your
employees that will help give you the insight you need.
-
When you do a “good
job,” how do you like to be acknowledged?
-
When you do
something “special,” how do you like to be recognized?
-
Tell me about a
time when you were recognized in a way that meant a lot to you. What
about it was meaningful?
Before you invest your time and money in a whole new incentive, award or
recognition program in your organization, make sure that you know what
motivates each of your employees. You don’t want them to come to you one
day and say, “That’s not a present.”
© 2008
David J. Pollay. Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be
republished without permission.
Click here to talk to our writers and
editors about this column and others in our discussion forum.
To e-mail feedback
about this column,
click here. If you enjoy this writer's
work, please contact your local newspapers editors and ask them to carry
it.
This
is Column # DJP052.
Request permission to publish here. |