Jay,
As many have said in this discussion, motivation is very complex. In
the midst of action its hard to think and apply a lot of theory. As you
point out, what a manager needs is a simple operational definition to
focus upon.
Over the years, I have come to understand and define motivation as
simply "actions taken (behavior) to satisfy a need(s)".
Disclaimer: Although this view obviously borrows heavily from thinking
rooted in need-based theory and general expectancy theory, this
definition and the following elaboration is very personal. I make no
pretense to present it as a definitive answer. I only know it has worked
very well for me. Also, as with all things complex, it is impossible
to put all nuances and aspects into an email message.
To continue, instead of focusing on "motivating people", I have found
it helpful to shift the paradigm towards "managing" motivations.
As I tell my classes, one doesn't have to motivate people, they are
always motivated. In other words, people are always seeking
satisfaction of needs. They come to you motivated. Motivations only
become an issue when people are seeking satisfactions that are contrary
to what the manager/leader/organization wants. Or when they are in a
state of satisfaction that is contrary to the desires of the
manager/leader/organization - often called "de-motivated"
So, my focus regarding motivation - after identifying underlying needs
base - is trying to either diminish undesirable satisfaction-seeking
behavior or trying to elicit desirable behaviors by either to
reinforcing existing/operating stimulation, initiating stimulation or
de-stimulating targeted needs.
Where organizational motivations and individual motivations are at
odds, I further see/paint the motivational issue as conflict, usually as
needs or values-based cognitive dissonance. This puts motivational
problems in the framework of conflict management. Since conflict
involves at least two parties or ideas, putting motivational issues in
such a context helps me to maintain perspective on both sides of the
issue. Too often I have seen managers, leaders and organizations fail
to adequately address motivational issues because they paint it as a
one-sided issue with the individual or employee usually being on the
"wrong" side. As a result, under such circumstance managers, leaders,
or organizations don't take responsibility for their contributions to
the issue and so deny opportunity for resolution. This creates the
inevitable win/lose or lose/lose situation.
In other words, the manager, leader, or organization needs to create
climate, processes, or systems that will encourage or discourage
satisfaction-seeking behaviors, as appropriate. Those behaviors may lie
in the individual but also may lie the leader, manager, or organization.
Sometimes the organization has to bend to gain buy-in and then over
time convert the person thru intentional instigation/identification of
cognitive dissonance, followed by a structured means of resolution. I
invite you to look at the symbiotic relationship between the military's
recruiting and basic training programs as an example.
I have found viewing motivation this way very useful in organizations I
have led/managed, in the classroom, and in my consulting. You are
right, motivation is a very hard thing to grasp. However, behavior is
readily observable. A good manager or leader can either define or sense
the need-fulfillment basis of a behavior and build organizational
structures and components to gain or shape desired behaviors.
Best wishes.
Ed
Drive On!
>>> Jay Warner <
a2q@EXECPC.COM> 03/19 12:11 PM >>>
Dear Manager/Educator people,
I have a question, for which you each may be well suited. I want to
know what it is *motivation.* I figure that if I can get terms that
work for me, then I can figure out how to instill it into various
people, and solve a lot of problems. I'm really confused on this
issue.
I listened recently to local managers decry the lack of labor in our
area (Wisconsin, upper midwest USA). Yesterday a foundry VP told me
that
he had two apprenticeship positions hanging open for lack of willing
warm bodies. Please put aside any minor prejudices you may have
regarding foundries - some of them are nifty places to work. The
minimum skills for many jobs are sometimes _very_ low. Seventh grade
reading and arithmetic for a circuit board manufacturer.
At the same time, I am in occasional contact with high school kids
from
various backgrounds. Some of them are eager to do well in the adult
world. Many, however, have little understanding of the relationship of
prior effort to eventual adult activity. Others believe there will
not
be a place for them, so they don*t try. We say they are *not
motivated.* I was present at the very second that a HS student
realized
that there was a place for him in the larger business world. The
change
in his behavior was extreme.
I*m getting pushed radically different ways by these people and words.
I feel like I*ve been on 2 planets at once. I won*t even try to put
voice to some instructors* comments I*ve received, when I explain the
disoriented nature of the above input.
My personal nature is to seek solutions to a perceived problem (need
for
labor, excess human time available, let*s bring them together). I*m
told, *It*s a question of motivation. The teachers can*t motivate the
students to do the school work, so they can*t reach for the good jobs
(or any jobs).* *The VP can*t motivate the HS graduate. He doesn*t
understand young people today.* [side note: Did VP*s ever understand
young people?] You can probably put in a couple choice lines of your
own.
I asked around, and couldn*t get a decent description of what
motivation
is, or equally important, how to do it. But that is what managers are
supposed to do - motivate others to do specific tasks. If someone
isn*t
motivated to do a task, the manager cajoles them or kicks their hind
side, so they get excited or at least get to work. Or the worker is
fired, and everyone else is motivated. At least, that is a prevailing
common wisdom.
Perhaps the word motivation has too many definitions, like *quality.*
When that word is used excessively, which is often in
Quality-with-a-capital-Q circles, a solution is to drop the word
altogether. Then we can communicate what people really mean. What
words could we replace *motivation* with?
So I come to you, the instructors of managers. What do you think is
*motivation*? How can a manager put it into an employee? Or pull it
out of an employee? A long time ago, my boss, who at 2 years from
school was no more experienced than I, said he felt people had to be
self motivated - it came from within. Which thought absolved him of
responsibility, but also reduced my eagerness to work in his group.
Can you address any of my questions? I really need some answers.
Jay
--
Jay Warner
Principal Scientist
Warner Consulting, Inc.
4444 North Green Bay Road
Racine, WI 53404-1216
USA
Ph: (414) 634-9100
FAX: (414) 681-1133
email:
quality@a2q.com
web:
http://www.a2q.com
Power to the data!