Motivated to succeed?

An essential element to achieving organizational excellence is the motivation of its members. Too often when we talk of motivation we speak about it as if it is something done to someone: “He isn’t performing up to expectations, I have to motivate him to try harder” or “She is a great leader. She can really motivate her employees.” Ultimately, a key step in achieving organizational excellence is when all, or at least a critical number, of its members are motivated to strive for common goals. How is that commonality of focus achieved?

Some try to achieve that aligned state by threats or fear. Some try pep talks and activities designed to drum up enthusiasm. Some try external rewards and incentives. There may be appropriate times to use each of these measures. Each may work for a period of time but none have a lasting effect. When the fear is removed, the pep talk forgotten, or the need that drives behavior towards earning the external reward is fulfilled or another bigger reward is offered for different behavior, the external motivation ceases to have power.

Long lasting motivation is internal and it is aligned with the values the individual holds most dear.

Perhaps the best known theory about motivation is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need, a model of human motivation wherein people’s actions are believed to be prompted by progressive stages of needs. The base level of need is “physiological”: food, water, oxygen; those minimal things that are necessary to sustain life. The next higher order of needs under Maslow’s model is “safety”. In this level of need Maslow placed such things as physical and psychological security, safety, protection, and freedom from fear or anxiety. The third order of need is “love”. In this level of needs are the drives for acceptance, affiliation, love, and belonging. “Esteem” is the next higher order of need in Maslow’s model. The need for esteem includes recognition of intelligence, strength, or other prowess, prestige and status. The highest of Maslow’s levels of need is “self actualization”. In this level, a person is concerned about personal growth and fulfillment, peak performance, or reaching their highest personal potential. Maslow stated that until a lower level need is substantially met, an individual could not move on to fulfillment of a higher level need, but once, and as long as, those lower level needs were met sufficiently, they ceased to provide a motivating force for that individual.

Expectancy theory of motivation holds that individuals are motivated to attempt any given action based on their belief that they can successfully accomplish the action and that successful completion of the action will bring the results they desire. Of course this presupposes that the foreseen outcome of the action is something they support or wish to happen. If the anticipated outcome is contrary to their most closely held beliefs or values, they will resist accomplishing that goal, irrespective of reward. In general, a formula for expectancy theory would be: Motivation = Expectancy of outcome x attractiveness of outcome. Motivation to act, then, depends on people believing they have sufficient control to positively impact outcomes and that the anticipated rewards are worth the effort.

In this last sentence is the key for leaders and managers of organizations that are trying to create an environment where members are motivated towards a common goal. First, organizational and individual goals need to be expressed and understood in a way that resonates with the values of the individuals involved. Organizational members need to understand how the overall organizational goals align with and support their individual values and goals. Second, leadership needs to ensure that goals are perceived to be obtainable, even if not easily achieved. Goals that require extraordinary effort are fine, if they are perceived as possible. However, if the goals are seen as being impossible, even with maximum effort, lack of motivation at best and de-motivation at worst are probable. Even if the goal is viewed as desirable, and the promised rewards exciting, if there is no belief that the goals are obtainable, there will be little intrinsic motivation to act. Finally, rewards must be tied to goal achievement, aligned with the individuals’ values, and perceived as being worth the effort required. It is important to note these rewards need not be monetary. They include the psychic rewards of community, membership, involvement, intellectual stimulation, feelings of accomplishment, and recognition, among other things.

Test expectancy theory against your own experience. I believe it will explain why you, and others in the organizations of which you are a part, sometimes are motivated and sometimes are not motivated to act. Does the goal align with our values and beliefs? Do we think the goal is achievable? Finally is the reward greater than the perceived cost of the effort? If the answer to all three is yes, internal motivation should be released. If the answer to any of the questions is no, that is where management attention is most urgently needed.