It is very important for managers to understand that different factors motivate different people. We call these factors “motivational factors”.
It is also key to understand that not all people are motivated by a single factor; instead they are motivated by a series of factors.
The motivational factors change during the course of time, greatly depending on the particular phase that an individual might be going through, whether it be in his personal life or career.
When people are asked what factors motivate them to work, we generally receive answers, such as:
o The organization for which they work.
o The work environment.
o Their boss.
o Money.
o The achievements they can produce when they play a specific role.
o Recognition.
o The power that a position enables them with.
o Status.
o Their peers, team and co-workers.
o The work schedule.
A simple way to expose these factors is by means of a polynomial, whereby we add the elements that motivate a person
Let ‘s take Anne as an example:
Anne’s motivation = Salary + Her boss + Power + Work Schedule + Work Atmosphere + Co-Workers.
Each factor also bears a different weight in Anne’s motivation formula:
Anne’s motivation is equal to: Salary (20%)+ Her boss (50%) + Power (10%) + Work Schedule (10%) + Work atmosphere (5%) + Co-Workers (5%).
In Anne’s case, her biggest motivation to work comes from her boss, followed by salary, power, work schedule, work atmosphere and co-workers.
Constant Change
Motivation changes depend on the individual’s personal life and career phase (as well as many other instances).
In Anne’s case, being a recent college graduate that is taking her first steps in a corporation, her boss is the primary source of motivation. Her boss is an excellent coach and provides her with guidance and continuous training.
The motivation factors might change as she wants to apply for a loan to buy a house, then salary can become a more relevant motivating factor.
If Anne gets married and has kids, work schedule might become a key factor in determining her motivation to work in a specific position, as she wants to spend more time with her kids.
The polynomial theory gives us a vision as to how motivational factors interact and vary, depending on the person we are analyzing and the timing when the analysis is being made.
So, What Do We Use It For?
Understanding people’s motivations is a key competency to being an effective leader, manager or team member.
If we understand the motivation factors, it will be easier to create a work atmosphere where motivation flourishes. There is not a unique formula as to how to create this atmosphere. Nevertheless, if we understand the motivation factor, we will be more likely to take actions that create employees’ satisfaction.
If we do not understand this, we can take actions that are neutral or even counterproductive. For example, if an employee is motivated by work related achievements and we give him a salary increase, probably this will have little effect on his motivation. On the other hand, if we assign him to a relevant project, this will probably have a positive effect on his behavior.
As organizations cannot magically motivate employees, it is the role of leaders, managers and team leaders to continuously monitor the motivational factors of their employees. This continuous exercise will allow them to take the right actions and to improve individual motivation.
Understanding the dynamics of how individual motivation works can make the difference between a successful leader and one that is not