Many companies today are faced with existential issues. Productivity and sales are down. Companies are being forced to defer expansion plans and lay off staff. In a grim scenario like this motivation of staff has become a big challenge.
Organizations have the option to wallow in their circumstances or motivate themselves to bravely face the downturn and work towards a better future. So what can they do? To understand that, we need to understand what motivation is.
What is motivation?
It is a stimulus or a force that influences behavior and gives direction. We all need a motivation in life. The motivation to succeed could be internal (Intrinsic) or external (Extrinsic). I will relate an example of one method of external motivation, when a whole country was facing existential problems.
It was the dead of winter in November 1942. The German Armies were at the point of over-running the Russian army at Stalingrad. With Stalingrad gone to the Nazi’s; Hitler’s dream of World Domination could have come true. Nikita Khrushchev (later to become the Premier of the USSR), was the Political Commissar for Stalingrad and responsible for its defense. He needed to motivate his troops to stand fast against all odds. He asked for suggestions from his advisors.
“We need heroes”, a suggestion given by one advisor was picked up and thus the legend of “Vasily Grigorevich Zaytsev” was born. The film “Enemy at the Gates” is loosely based on this episode from the 2nd World War. Whether actions like this actually saved Stalingrad, may be debatable, however there is no doubt in the efficacy of the use of “positivity” in motivation.
A hero is a term which comes from the ancient Greeks. According to them a hero was person who did something beyond what a normal human would do and thus left an immortal memory of greatness.
Organizations need to look at their operations and find the areas where they have positive results, their success stories, in getting new deals, or in cost reduction, or in new inventions or processes. Organizations need to create heroes. Employees need communication in the form of hope and of people, their own colleagues who are doing well, and who are successful.
In the words of Mark Twain, “Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
Believe in the power of “Good Begets Good”. Create heroes and you will be successful.
Organizations have the option to wallow in their circumstances or motivate themselves to bravely face the downturn and work towards a better future. So what can they do? To understand that, we need to understand what motivation is.
What is motivation?
It is a stimulus or a force that influences behavior and gives direction. We all need a motivation in life. The motivation to succeed could be internal (Intrinsic) or external (Extrinsic). I will relate an example of one method of external motivation, when a whole country was facing existential problems.
It was the dead of winter in November 1942. The German Armies were at the point of over-running the Russian army at Stalingrad. With Stalingrad gone to the Nazi’s; Hitler’s dream of World Domination could have come true. Nikita Khrushchev (later to become the Premier of the USSR), was the Political Commissar for Stalingrad and responsible for its defense. He needed to motivate his troops to stand fast against all odds. He asked for suggestions from his advisors.
“We need heroes”, a suggestion given by one advisor was picked up and thus the legend of “Vasily Grigorevich Zaytsev” was born. The film “Enemy at the Gates” is loosely based on this episode from the 2nd World War. Whether actions like this actually saved Stalingrad, may be debatable, however there is no doubt in the efficacy of the use of “positivity” in motivation.
A hero is a term which comes from the ancient Greeks. According to them a hero was person who did something beyond what a normal human would do and thus left an immortal memory of greatness.
Organizations need to look at their operations and find the areas where they have positive results, their success stories, in getting new deals, or in cost reduction, or in new inventions or processes. Organizations need to create heroes. Employees need communication in the form of hope and of people, their own colleagues who are doing well, and who are successful.
In the words of Mark Twain, “Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
Believe in the power of “Good Begets Good”. Create heroes and you will be successful.
4 comments:
Reading your post has made me think of all the homework I did for my sister in law - she's great with numbers and I'm great with words...
This is my "original" comment to your linkedin article:
"Heroes... :-)
I found that you don't really have to build legends - they kind of get born all by themselves.
For instance, my emails to my experts were considered good practice and Coordinators used to tell the other employees in the HR department to take a look at them. I also became sort of a legend for being what my experts called a "cheap bitch" when it came to negotiating their fees. :-)
I think it is important that one realizes that they're not alone in the universe, much less in their organizational environment... If they do, then the hero is right there, inside them...
M"
Truth is, when I go into a new job assignment, I try to find a person I can laugh with and a person I can curse with. It helps with motivation... :-)
Then I try to find the person everyone turns to when they are sad, lonely, unhappy - I call them the joker.
Then the village wise guy... And the sarcastic witch from the West.
And so on.
These are the heroes. There are many things about your organization that you may not know. There are many things about your co-workers that you may not like. Hell, you might even hate your boss! And you could be right...
But when it comes right down to your job, you need to have a sort of reality, which you believe is the greatest. The second I stop having faith in my people, in my organization, is the second it all ends.
We spend too much time at work nowadays, therefore, we need to make our workplace a safeplace. A place we look forward to going to. A place where we learn. A place where we achieve things.
A hero will be helpful as long as needed. A legend will still be a legend, but people change, so heroes and legends need to change... What was motivating yesterday would probably be tacky or corny today and silly tomorrow...
This is why I strongly believe in companies' management ability to shape leaders, heroes, from the staff they have. Once you, as manager, have been able to do that, then your company will be benefitting not from one, but from countless heroes working for it... from the geek in accountancy, who is great with numbers, to the HRD assistant who can negotiate like no one else, to the PR chick who cries in the bathroom when she gets a word misspelled... to the driver who managed to get your offer to the Ministry on time and to the cleaning lady who makes the best coffee in the building...
Heroes... :-)
I found that you don't really have to build legends - they kind of get born all by themselves.
For instance, my emails to my experts were considered good practice and Coordinators used to tell the other employees in the HR department to take a look at them. I also became sort of a legend for being what my experts called a "cheap bitch" when it came to negotiating their fees. :-)
I think it is important that one realizes that they're not alone in the universe, much less in their organizational environment... If they do, then the hero is right there, inside them...
M
It is possible. Of course, it is not an easy road as many things on the earth, yet the most beneficial one in the long run.
I have worked with many individuals who have been in the managerial positions for a long time, yet they don’t know a thing about being leaders. Based on what I observed, the best way to get the best out of the employees is to encourage them and appreciate what they do (not in material sense).
You probably know about the Douglas McGregor’s Theory Y. "Management Theory Y which is consistent with the consideration approach to leadership behavior, in which workers are regarded as being naturally self-motivated and responsible and therefore need only encouragement. The theory often has been applied to coach-athlete relationships." An example: How NBA Champion LA Lakers plays well, while the coach Phil Jackson stays so cool for most of the time.
Highlighting good things can certainly inspire hope and confidence in the leadership of the organization, which are two things we need more of theses days. But, the successes need to be real and derived because of positive leadership, not "or else", as you have already identified. What motivates people though, is truly personal. Some employees are motivated through affiliation while others continue to forge ahead because of recognition or a simple and sincere "thank you" for their contribution. My organizational heroes have been leaders that stood up with integrity and insisted on doing the right thing, no matter how large or small the cause. Their positive example has been my motivation.
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