New Motivational Techniques To Engage Employees

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As I was working with a client today, I was reminded of an old concept, that is worth revisiting. So powerful, and so easy!

What does every manager wish for…hands down? An engaged employee, right? Even better is a motivated and engaged employee.

Based on the evidence in Daniel Pink’s book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, the standard business model we use to motivate people is long over-due for an overhaul. That is, if we want to grow and thrive, whether in business or as a society. People are dis-engaging at alarming rates, and Pink’s insights are excellent.

Here are a few take-aways:

1.   Carrot/Stick motivation only works for simple, linear tasks. 

“If you do X, you’ll get Y”. Our entire economy is built on this concept of “extrinsic motivation”. Personally, I spent many years in sales, and I understand this model well. Studies show, the typical “carrot motivation” actually demotivates individuals in more creative and complex job functions because it forces short-term thinking syndrome while hyper-focusing on the reward. I get that. Studies indicate extrinsic motivators decrease our depth of thinking, diminish performance, reduce creativity, and welcome short-cuts and unethical behavior. Enron? Cheating on final exams? Finding a closet stuffed with toys motivated by the promise of TV privileges once the kids clean their room!

Carrot & Stick motivation often works in the short run, but does not motivate at the core in the long run (in my estimation, this a huge contributing factor in why sales people burn out). To drive performance in complex jobs, a more sophisticated motivation system is necessary.

2.  Type X vs. Type I:

You might be want to hire a Type A person to ensure performance, but new motivation research indicates you might be better off shifting your attention to Type I’s vs. Type X’s.

The Type X person, is motivated by the “X-trinsic” rewards, less focused on the intrinsic rewards.

The Type I person is more motivated by “Intrinsic” rewards than extrinsic—like freedom, challenge, and purpose. They enjoy the extrinsic rewards, but these are not their main drivers.

Type I’s are made not born, and in the long run, almost always outperform Type X’s. You might find that surprising. Although Type I’s care about money, fair compensation is their actual requirement. This allows them to focus on the job at hand. Studies show their behavior leads to better physical & mental health. Matter of fact, intrinsic motivation leads to better self-esteem, relationships, and overall well-being. Studies also show the Type X person focuses on money, fame, and beauty, which promotes poorer psychological health.

3.  M.A.P.

This is my own acronym using the points made in Pink’s book (it easy to remember since, after all, a map is useful in a successful Drive) and a favorite concept when working with leaders. This is what surfaced in my client meeting today. To truly motivate a person, M.A.P. is critical, especially for more complex jobs.

• M=Mastery – People need to be challenged, have the ability to grow and improve, and are able to strive toward Mastery.

• A=Autonomy – People need to have some sense of ownership, decision-making, and accountability over their jobs.

• P=Purpose – People are motivated when they are passionate or have purpose in their job …they know/understand how it fits into the bigger picture.

So how do we shift toward intrinsic motivation? One way is to tap into the Type X boss who is in control, modify their Type X ways, and move into the Type I model. For instance, involve people in goal setting, use non-controlling language, and hold “open office” hours.

Personally, this research gives me a moment to reflect on my own career. As a reformed Type A, who was focused on Type X rewards, I can see M.A.P. components were sorely missing from my work. That was then. As I am now in my 18th year of working for myself, I have plenty of M.A.P. in my day-to-day, and LOL, this is the best job ever (with the best boss ever ;)).

Now, as a reformed Type I, using M.A.P. has helped me find my way.