Employee Motivation: Maslow and Money...The path of least resistance

What's the most common thing companies use to motivate their employees? Money! Don't get me wrong. We all appreciate money and none of us would turn it down if it were offered to us, but is monetary reward really the best way to motivate people?

I mentioned in my previous post about Maslow's Hierarchy that leveraging higher level needs will yield better results than focusing on lower level needs. Yet money is usually the motivator of choice, particularly in a sales environment.

Remember the five levels in Maslow's Hierarchy? 1.) Physical, 2.) Safety-Security, 3.) Social-Belonging, 4.) Esteem, 5.) Self-Actualization. These build on one another. For example, I would not be highly motivated by social or esteem factors if I don't have enough to eat. The needs in the lower levels need to be met before the higher level motivators kick in. Money is actually a Safety-Security factor, that's only the second level of the hierarchy. "But money is the most important reason people work," you might say. Money is important, but actually it is not the main reason people stay with or decide to leave a job.

Research the Kelly Company conducted found that folks looking for a job cite organizational factors (money, benefits, company reputation) as the primary determinant in whether or not they'll join a company - followed by job factors (duties, schedule, training) and then by leader factors (trustworthiness, coaching, flexibility). However, something very interesting happens once an employee has joined an organization. The list flips. The leader factors become the most important thing to the employee. Would you believe that pay comes in at number five (behind things like coworkers, career opportunities, and schedule) for reasons people leave an organization? The number one reason people leave is their leader. Maybe you've heard this cliche: "People don't leave companies, they leave managers." According to this research, it's true.

So why do we so often default to money as the prime motivator? I think we do it because it's easy. It takes much less effort to throw some extra cash at folks than to actually make a person feel like they're part of a team or build their esteem. Perhaps giving cash away is the path of least resistance? It's true the top three levels of the hierarchy require "heavy lifting". It's hard work to motivate and build people up in the face of everyday job pressures but the payoff is worth it. And a funny thing about focusing on the higher levels - it doesn't really have to "cost" the company anything. I'm not saying we should all do away with money-based incentives. But if we think that's all we need to do to keep our employees motivated, we're missing out.

From the bookshelf....

I thought I'd start posting a little blurb on books I'm currently reading - Not necessarily a review but just an update on what I'm reading. Right now I am working my way through two great books. One is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. It's written as a story which makes it a very easy read. So far, I love it and highly recommend it. I'm sure I'll have more to comment on once I've finished so stay tuned.

I'm also reading The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell. Again, a great book. It's John Maxwell so you know it's going to be good. I'll be using this as a reference for an upcoming training class we're putting together.

Employee Motivation: See you at the top....of Maslow's Hierarchy

Any of us who've sat through a psychology 101 class are at least aware of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In 1954 Abraham Maslow mapped out his theory on motivation and it has become one of the standards in explaining what makes us tick. Without dissecting his entire pyramid I want to jump straight to the top - the self actualization level of the hierarchy. What does self-actualization mean? In my view, when a person has reached true self-actualization they feel they are doing what they were put on this earth to do; They are living their potential; They have met the "measure of their creation". Now be honest: How many of us have met or will ever meet this level of satisfaction? If you could choose to do anything in the world you wanted to do would you choose your current job? It's ok if you said "no".

Think about what makes you...you: What are your key talents, interests, strengths, capabilities etc... If you are fortunate enough to have a "job" where you are able to leverage each of these, chances are you will be pretty doggone happy at work. In "First, Break all the Rules", Marcus Buckingham points out that the great managers are those that focus on their employees' strengths and "manage around" their weaknesses. He doesn't mention it by name but isn't he really talking about self actualization? Being able to do what we do best (or being able to use our key talents, interests, strengths and capabilities) on a daily basis is a huge motivator. This approaches that state of Self-Actualization.

There's alot about Maslow's that we could discuss - and we will in the future. But for now, think of opportunities to match projects or tasks that may come up with the individual strengths and interests of your team members. And here's another thought to leave you with in regards to Maslow's: The higher you move up the hierarchy, the more "bang for your buck" you'll get. Focusing on the higher level needs of an individual will yield bigger performance results than the lower level needs. Stay tuned....

Personal Brand: Do you have a personal elevator statement?

I've had the opportunity to sit in on interviews the past few days. I've been surprised at how many applicants struggle with the simple question "Why are you the best person for this job?" Many of them have conducted themselves very well in the interview. They've been professional and personable; They've been able to talk about their relevant experience; They've been able to list their key skills and strengths. Yet, when the interviewer asks THE question - "Why should we hire you?" many of them choked.

In my career development classes I encourage participants to come up with their own personal elevator statement. An elevator statement is simply a statement that gives a compelling description (i.e sales pitch) about a service or product in the amount of time it would take to ride an elevator (20 - 30 seconds). So, if I'm looking for a job, the product or service in question is ME.

Think of an elevator question as a commercial about you. Think about your key strengths. Write down the two or three most compelling reasons why you should be hired. Write down exactly how an organization would benefit from having you on their payroll. Then use what you've written down to craft a brief (20-30 second) statement that answers THE question.

Here's an example:

"Well Mr. Lunnen, as you know, we've had several applicants for this position. Why do you feel you are the best person for the job?"

"I have consistently been in the top ten percent in sales performance for the last four years. I have been effective at building positive long-term relationships with both internal and external customers and have a personal committment to providing quality client experiences. I am a professional - in performance, demeanor and appearance and will represent your organization in the best possible light. I know that you'll find me a valuable asset to your team."

Your statment might sound much different than the one I've come up with off the cuff and that's fine - it needs to sound like you. But A statement like the one above sounds much more confident than stammering and stuttering about being a nice person and wanting to help people (not that there's anything wrong with that). The point is to have something prepared in advance so that when THE question does come up you are prepared with a well thought out response. If I have a good personal elevator statement committed to memory I will never again have the "deer in the headlights" expression on my face when the hiring manager asks me why I'm the right person for the job.

Bad Leadership: How Not to Manage a Team (Part 1)

I actually heard this on the floor the other day. I walked past a supervisor's desk while she was doing a one-on-one with a new agent. She had two sheets of paper in front of her and was saying "These are my team's numbers with you and these are my team's numbers without you. You're dragging my whole team down." Wow! How do you think this new agent felt? Do you think this agent left that discussion wanting to do a better job? More than likely he left wanting to find a better job. I can't say that I blame him...