In their book, Motivation and Management, authors Richard Pritchard and Elissa Ashwood explain how to diagnose and improve motivation in employees. I’m excited to share what they’ve written, starting with some basics about managing motivation. Their advice is grounded in solid research. Pritchard brings his strong academic background to the book, as an organizational psychology professor and researcher, and Ashwood, with an MBA and many years in the corporate sector, brings her strong background in business and leadership training.
One of the very first things Pritchard and Ashwood (2008) explain is that management is about managing others’ behavior. They say that managing behavior is, to a large extent, about managing motivation, and that understanding what motivates employees is key to keeping them engaged and improving their effectiveness (p. 4). This seems like information every manager could benefit from. Whether you manage people or not, however, it's important to understand what increases and decreases motivation, for those times when you need to motivate yourself! In upcoming posts, I'll cover how to detect low motivation in yourself or those you manage.
Before diving into their motivation model, Pritchard and Ashwood (2008) first provide a simple run-down of “basic assumptions" about people. I found these basic assumptions to be really wonderful... Here they are (p. 4 – 6):
People have a fundamental need to do a good job — It is personally satisfying to a do good work, and dissatisfying to do things poorly. The need to do a good job is intrinsic. Children get frustrated when they can’t accomplish something successfully. The desire to do things well is a trait we’ve adapted as humans, as a means of survival. Our ancestors might not have survived if they didn’t do things well, and today we feel the same survival instinct as we see how our skills are tied to our abilities to make house payments and feed our families.
People want control at work — People want to feel some control over what happens in their lives, including at work. This is a basic, intrinsic need we all have. Managers who understand this make efforts to give people more control over their projects, hours, environment, and so on, recognizing that this can lead to increased quality and motivation.
People do not want to be held accountable for things they cannot control — Being evaluated for completing a project that depends on other people (for example, to get you the information on time) can be frustrating. It’s common that people are evaluated on things that they believe are outside their control. As a manager, it’s wise to be aware of this.
People want feedback but don’t like to be evaluated — Not knowing how you’re doing at work, in the eyes of your manager, can be stressful. People need feedback about how they’re doing, and appreciate knowing when they’re doing well. However, being evaluated has a different connotation, usually a negative one. Giving people detailed and balanced feedback is difficult, but necessary. Of course, no one wants their faults broadcasted, so it’s important to provide negative feedback in private. On the flip side, people want their successes celebrated and shared with others in the organization.
People want to be valued — Showing employees that they are valued, respected, and appreciated is powerful. Motivation starts to decrease when people don’t feel valued. Pritchard and Ashwood (2008) make a point that I found myself chuckling over: “Have you ever found yourself feeling less motivated at work because you weren’t feeling valued, only to have someone demonstrate their respect and appreciation for you and suddenly you’re volunteering for extra assignments?” (p. 6).
People do not want their time wasted — Not communicating clear priorities or constantly changing goals or procedures decreases motivation. Everyone’s time and energy is valuable. To ask an employee to complete a task and then tell him/her, weeks later, that it’s not needed or should be done differently is a bad precedent. Do this repeatedly and you’re going to have an unmotivated employee on your hands.
Reference:
Pritchard, R. & Ashwood, E. (2008). Managing Motivation: A Manager’s Guide to Diagnosing and Improving Motivation. New York: Routledge Academic
One of the very first things Pritchard and Ashwood (2008) explain is that management is about managing others’ behavior. They say that managing behavior is, to a large extent, about managing motivation, and that understanding what motivates employees is key to keeping them engaged and improving their effectiveness (p. 4). This seems like information every manager could benefit from. Whether you manage people or not, however, it's important to understand what increases and decreases motivation, for those times when you need to motivate yourself! In upcoming posts, I'll cover how to detect low motivation in yourself or those you manage.
Before diving into their motivation model, Pritchard and Ashwood (2008) first provide a simple run-down of “basic assumptions" about people. I found these basic assumptions to be really wonderful... Here they are (p. 4 – 6):
People have a fundamental need to do a good job — It is personally satisfying to a do good work, and dissatisfying to do things poorly. The need to do a good job is intrinsic. Children get frustrated when they can’t accomplish something successfully. The desire to do things well is a trait we’ve adapted as humans, as a means of survival. Our ancestors might not have survived if they didn’t do things well, and today we feel the same survival instinct as we see how our skills are tied to our abilities to make house payments and feed our families.
People want control at work — People want to feel some control over what happens in their lives, including at work. This is a basic, intrinsic need we all have. Managers who understand this make efforts to give people more control over their projects, hours, environment, and so on, recognizing that this can lead to increased quality and motivation.
People do not want to be held accountable for things they cannot control — Being evaluated for completing a project that depends on other people (for example, to get you the information on time) can be frustrating. It’s common that people are evaluated on things that they believe are outside their control. As a manager, it’s wise to be aware of this.
People want feedback but don’t like to be evaluated — Not knowing how you’re doing at work, in the eyes of your manager, can be stressful. People need feedback about how they’re doing, and appreciate knowing when they’re doing well. However, being evaluated has a different connotation, usually a negative one. Giving people detailed and balanced feedback is difficult, but necessary. Of course, no one wants their faults broadcasted, so it’s important to provide negative feedback in private. On the flip side, people want their successes celebrated and shared with others in the organization.
People want to be valued — Showing employees that they are valued, respected, and appreciated is powerful. Motivation starts to decrease when people don’t feel valued. Pritchard and Ashwood (2008) make a point that I found myself chuckling over: “Have you ever found yourself feeling less motivated at work because you weren’t feeling valued, only to have someone demonstrate their respect and appreciation for you and suddenly you’re volunteering for extra assignments?” (p. 6).
People do not want their time wasted — Not communicating clear priorities or constantly changing goals or procedures decreases motivation. Everyone’s time and energy is valuable. To ask an employee to complete a task and then tell him/her, weeks later, that it’s not needed or should be done differently is a bad precedent. Do this repeatedly and you’re going to have an unmotivated employee on your hands.
Reference:
Pritchard, R. & Ashwood, E. (2008). Managing Motivation: A Manager’s Guide to Diagnosing and Improving Motivation. New York: Routledge Academic
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great list of basic assumptions that are the foundation of motivational managing. You chose the salient aspects from the text to present to us readers as we continue on this journey with you.
Therese