You don’t have to invoke fear in others to be an effective motivator. Motivation has little to do with power or charisma. It is about expectations, information and communication.
As long as people are breathing, they are motivated to do something. People also choose their behaviour and understand that actions have consequences. With that in mind, people want to know ‘what’s in it for them’ before they lift a finger.
Three of the more popular methods of motivation don’t work particularly well. They are charisma, power and perks. They are also rarely sustainable over time.
CHARISMA
This sells movie tickets but has very little to do with leadership. You don’t need this to be enormously influential.
POWER
Hearts and minds are changed through expanded understanding, rather than bitter compliance. While this appears to be the easiest method of getting people to act, the negative consequences are many. In fact, the more we feel the need to apply force, the greater the evidence that our own thoughts are the problem.
A healthy relationship is based on mutual respect and trust. Every time we make others bend to our will, we move further away from this model and it is us who pays the price. Safety and respect are the casualties.
PERKS
If you continually use perks to encourage employees for what should be a routine part of their job, you might undermine the satisfaction that comes from doing it in the first place.
Extrinsic rewards confuse people. They should be reserved for exemplary performance.
Your job is to help make the invisible visible. Concentrate on people’s core values. Your greatest point of leverage will be what they care about the most.
Help the other person to see how their values will be better realised by the course of action you are suggesting. You might be able to describe the unintended and potentially invisible effects their actions are having on others.
Others can be helped if they see that living up to expectations can advance their career, increase their influence or their bank balance..
These articulated consequences are not intended to be threats. Your intention must be to solve a problem in a way that benefits you both.
The reason others aren’t motivated to change occurs as a result of a misuse of power or withholding honest feedback.
Motivation isn’t something you do to someone,they’re motivated by the consequences they anticipate.
If you would like to find out how to bring out the best in yourself and others, contact us on +61 2 9661 5667 or info@leadershipnouveau.com.au