What Motivates Your Team Members?

November 23, 2007

The Mentorship Approach With Teams & Groups

Getting your team on board with a new program or project can be a challenge. When it comes to motivation, there isn’t one answer. What works best for you, or even for most people, won’t work for everyone. Get familiar with your team members and the things that encourage their best performance.

Money: It’s true that many people are motivated by money, and we all pretty much need money. But be careful. Many people are generally motivated by money, but not by bonuses and incentives. In sales, performance and money are aligned, so it’s easy to think all workers will do whatever it takes to earn a bonus. They won’t! If you discover that your team member is motivated by money, find ways to offer bonuses for deadlines, volume, customer satisfaction—anything you want to improve. Emphasize the earning potential with each new project or program you introduce.

Recognition: Some people will do much more for public acknowledgement than they ever will for bonus pay. If Debra likes to be recognized and had the big idea that made the project work, or put in lots of extra hours, let everyone know. And don’t think that a private acknowledgement will be the same. Don’t “spare” other team members’ feelings at the expense of Debra’s. And don’t try to get her to accept another reward in exchange for giving up her recognition!

Responsibility: Do you know people who like to be in charge? They want to show what they’re capable of doing, and handing them a larger responsibility after successfully completing a task is like candy to them—or ice cream! If your team member is motivated this way, pay attention when a project ends. Make sure he has more opportunities to be in charge and be successful.

Personal Improvement: It might sound like a fable, but it’s true. There are people who seek out new and different kinds of work just to challenge themselves and learn new things. This sort of team member might take on a project just because it’s intimidating. Or she might like coordinating with the graphics team just so she’ll learn about graphics. Make sure you offer her variety or she’ll be bored.

Flexible Schedule: We all want more time off and freedom to do things we enjoy. But for a team member who values balance in his life, this can be the key motivator. He might not be willing to put in six weeks of extra-long days for a bonus or recognition, but he will do it in exchange for flex-time to be with his family or enjoy his hobbies. He won’t consistently work extra hours for bonuses or overtime, like the money-motivated members. But he’ll give his best when he commits.

Prizes: This motivator is pretty similar to good old-fashioned money, but there’s a difference. A woman might work much harder for a nice company car than for a car allowance because she has something to show off. A man might work towards a possible ten thousand dollar bonus, thinking the money will pay off a loan or go towards a home improvement project. But offer him the exact same value as a trip for the family to Hawaii and you might see amazing effort. The prize is exciting and it’s shared, so the family gets into the enthusiasm. By the way, you’ll be able to tell the difference immediately. The money-motivated will grouse and ask, “Can’t I just get the cash?”

The Cause: You’ll find this motivator in many fields, not just with volunteers or non-profit employees. Shauna volunteers another hour each week because there’s a waiting list of children in the reading program. Ted puts in weeks of long hours to be sure the agency gets the grant that will serve the elderly. Janet goes above and beyond on the marketing campaign because she wants her company’s shoe sales to beat their top competitor for the first time in history. The big warning—The motivation has to be built-in. Otherwise, people say “yes” out of guilt and then burn out. 

Posted in The Mentorship Approach With Teams & Groups, Zine 2: November 2007, Zines in 2007