Different Strokes For different folks
'Coach Phil Jackson motivated Michael Jordan and Denis Rodman in very different ways; this was one of the keys in delivering championships for his team and his owners.'
Q: I am vice-president of sales for a mid-size company in the health sector. For the past two quarters, our sales have been flat. We are looking at different ways of dealing with this issue with our sales team. Would money motivate them? What else can we do? T.C., Vancouver
A: Motivation lies at the heart of most issues related to organizational performance. Often a minor change in rewards and feedback can return big dividends.
The Gallup organization has done some great research on motivation. They looked at 10,000 work groups in 30 different industries. The results have been published in How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton (Gallup Press, 128 pp., $19.57).
One of the most interesting findings was that emotional feedback is far more important than time and money. Yet 65% of people surveyed had had no meaningful feedback in the previous year.
A powerful tool suggested by the authors was to ask your team this question: "What is the greatest recognition you have ever received?" The response to this question will lead to a motivational plan that suits the individuals on your team. This is important because each person has a unique "motivation bucket," and requires different elements to fill it.
When Phil Jackson was coaching the Chicago Bulls, he motivated Michael Jordan and Denis Rodman in very different ways; this was one of the keys in delivering championships for his team and his owners.
The other advantage of delivering an individual message on performance is that you are giving each person a very specific and measurable way to see where they are hitting their goals and where the gaps are. The key is to make the elements specific and measurable.
Like Phil Jackson, you will need to tie together the individual needs and the key goals in your business, that is the art and science of motivation.
Q: I am vice-president of sales for a mid-size company in the health sector. For the past two quarters, our sales have been flat. We are looking at different ways of dealing with this issue with our sales team. Would money motivate them? What else can we do? T.C., Vancouver
A: Motivation lies at the heart of most issues related to organizational performance. Often a minor change in rewards and feedback can return big dividends.
The Gallup organization has done some great research on motivation. They looked at 10,000 work groups in 30 different industries. The results have been published in How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton (Gallup Press, 128 pp., $19.57).
One of the most interesting findings was that emotional feedback is far more important than time and money. Yet 65% of people surveyed had had no meaningful feedback in the previous year.
A powerful tool suggested by the authors was to ask your team this question: "What is the greatest recognition you have ever received?" The response to this question will lead to a motivational plan that suits the individuals on your team. This is important because each person has a unique "motivation bucket," and requires different elements to fill it.
When Phil Jackson was coaching the Chicago Bulls, he motivated Michael Jordan and Denis Rodman in very different ways; this was one of the keys in delivering championships for his team and his owners.
The other advantage of delivering an individual message on performance is that you are giving each person a very specific and measurable way to see where they are hitting their goals and where the gaps are. The key is to make the elements specific and measurable.
Like Phil Jackson, you will need to tie together the individual needs and the key goals in your business, that is the art and science of motivation.
posted by Alan Kearns at 12:44 PM
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