From the Ask Tom mailbag:
Question:
When you talked about Time Span in the workshop I attended, you described a person’s maximum capability and how it was important to match their capability with the Time Span of their task assignments. I have a person on my team that, I believe, is not working to their maximum. How can I motivate them to push harder?
Response:
It’s a fair question, but you may be looking for the answer in the wrong place. I am not certain that we, as managers, can motivate anyone to do anything. Elliott Jaques, in his research (Requisite Organization), describes several elements necessary for a person to reach that maximum.
One element, Elliott describes, is interest. Your team member may, indeed, possess the capability, the necessary skills to perform to your expectations, but if they lack the interest, you may be disappointed, as a manager.
What is it that we are interested in? What is it that we have passion for? It is those things in which we place a high value. And yes, we can place high value on the work that we do. If work that we value matches the work that we are doing, then magic happens. It captures our interest, our passion, and we will apply our maximum capability to the task at hand.
As a manager, you cannot motivate a team member, but you can ask questions to find out what work is valued to see how it matches the work they are doing. If it does, watch the magic.
Critical Elements for Success – Elliott Jaques, Requisite Organization
1. Capability (measured in Time Span)
2. Skill (technical knowledge and practiced performance)
3. Interest (work that is valued)
4. Reasonable behaviors required by the role
Tom,
Great point about how external forces like management can never motivate anyone to do anything. Even financial motivation loses its power after some time.
This is a common mistake of leadership. They feel it is there responsibility to motivate and increase the morale of the team, and then never speak to or ask the team what they are passionate about.
Working with some non-profits leadership teams I find that the leaders are passionate about the work and serving the people they work with. Although they have a challenging time understanding why everyone does not love the work as much as they do.
I will have to pick up the Jaques book you mentioned.
Michael,
The book I would recommend is “Social Power and the CEO” available from Amazon. It is NOT a casual read. You will have to do more than just pick it up. But if you take the time, it will completely change the way you see organizations.
Instead of motivating people,sure managers can demotivate them -such as being a toxic boss. If manager can reveal the value to the employee to see,what I think as the magic is that employee will do not only the required accountability but also perform additional responsibilities to make sure the highest result of his/her accountability.
Wayan,
Those “additional” responsibilities, turn out to be discretionary duties. A team member gets to keep their job based on the performance of prescribed duties, but real effectiveness lives in discretionary duties.