How motivated do you feel right now?
Start of a new year, a time to set goals, make commitments, start new things, stop old things.
You’d think that most people are pretty motivated right now.
Well, research suggest otherwise.
A Gallup study conducted in September 2023 revealed that globally only 15% of people are motivated in the workplace.
In Europe that falls to 10% & in the United Kingdom it’s at 8%.
8%.
Just 8 out of every 100 people who you work with are motivated.
Put it another way, 92% of the people who work with you are disengaged, lack in creativity, are stressed, feel unappreciated & looking for another job.
Right now.
So, what can you do about it?
Well, first off, as a leader it’s your job. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s your job to help people find what motivates them.
Ok, now you know that, let’s continue.
So many companies get it wrong. They believe that people are motivated by reward, by bonuses & they couldn’t be more wrong.
Research study after research study shows that financial reward just does not work.
This isn’t soft, touchy feely. This is fact!
Just 1 example was conducted by the world-renowned economist Dan Ariely that showed that 8 out of 10 times financial incentives not only don’t work, they actively reduce peoples capacity to think. They prevent creativity & innovation.
Think about that. Your team is demotivated. They lack the drive or desire to innovate or try new things. So you challenge them to do so & if they do they get a financial reward. Which you now know reduces their ability to be creative even more!
What did Einstein say about the definition of insanity again?
So what can you do for your people?
Well, the studies that show what doesn’t work, also tell us what does work.
If you want to help people increase their motivation do these things;
- Give them autonomy – people love to be able to be trusted to get on with their responsibilities. Allow them to have the freedom to work.
- Develop them – people love to get better & better at what it is they love to do. Provide them with the support & opportunities to grow.
- Set a sense of Purpose – people love to know & recognise that what they do contributes to a bigger reason. Show them how their work makes the business a better place.
Dan Ariely says, “Motivation isn’t all it seems to be. Human motivation isn’t just about reward. It’s about the challenge & about our ways to achieve that that drives us to do our best, to be our best.”
Maybe it’s time to look at your leadership for 2024 and check you are doing what the research tells you, not what businesses always do.
That’s motivational, right?