Barking Up the Right Tree: A Pathway to Motivation With My Dog and Me

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The other day, I found myself up in the air, precariously balanced on the branches of a dying tree. I was pushing and pulling a handsaw to free a fallen canopy, snapped in a storm. Despite a fear of heights, there I was, clinging to a slimy, rain-soaked trunk with one hand while sawing into a thick, decaying chunk of wood with the other.

As I cut through, the canopy fell to the ground. I clambered down, breathless, trembling, and relieved. I could have slipped, fallen, or even been catapulted skyward. What was I thinking? What drove me to do it?

My motivation was simple. The broken tree was hanging dangerously over a pathway used by my dog. It was a threat to her safety; one she was oblivious to. Immediate action was needed, and I took a risk with my safety to protect hers.

At its core, motivation is behind everything we do, whether climbing trees, pursuing excellence in our careers, or making a buying choice. It is a powerful, dynamic force that drives our emotions, thoughts, and actions. It pushes us towards our goals.

The Business of Motivation

Motivation is the oxygen in the bloodstream of business. Phrases like “Keep up the great work!” and “We’re in this together” are just a few examples of how the language of motivation dominates. Motivated employees, customers, and suppliers play crucial roles in supporting business growth, innovation, and sustainability.

Motivation Matters

Motivated employees work harder and smarter, take pride in higher quality, more innovative and creative work with fewer errors. They enjoy greater job satisfaction, work better in teams, improve morale, and reduce turnover rates and hiring costs.

Motivated customers stay loyal to brands, build sustainability through repeat business, and recommendations to new customers. They even pay more for the goods or services they value.

Motivated suppliers provide high-quality reliable delivery, often negotiate more generous terms, engage in stronger, more sustainable partnerships, collaborate closely and flexibly, and provide valuable insight and advice. They invest more of their own resources in processes and products to add value to their clients.

Businesses run myriad schemes to keep their stakeholders motivated and one could be forgiven for thinking they were good at it. Data says otherwise. A recent Gallup study found that only 15% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work. A study by Accenture in 2021 found that only 28% of consumers feel loyal to brands. Suppliers often report feeling pushed around by clients, forced into unreasonable risks, accept slow payment, or even sacrifice their intellectual property.

Despite all the talk and investment, something isn’t right. It’s time we took a look at the fundamental meaning of motivation.

Where Motivation Comes From

Though its early origins can be traced back to the Greek philosophers and its roots are in Latin (“motus” = “moving” or “motion”), “motivation” as we understand it today wasn’t recorded until the 1750s - the early days of the Industrial Revolution. With the rise of mechanization, philosophers like John Stuart Mill were interested in how factory workers could express their individuality and improve efficiency and productivity.

Over the 19th Century, scholars became interested in what drives people to work harder and more efficiently, leading to the formal study of industrial psychology. Theories of motivation began to emerge in the early 20th century, from figures like Frederick Taylor, Abraham Maslow, and Frederick Herzberg.

The Psychology of Motivation

For psychologists, motivation refers to the internal or social stimuli that prompt an individual to act. It is a propellant, moving people onward towards their goals despite all obstacles. It fluctuates in intensity and direction. It can be strengthened or weakened by both internal and external factors.

• Intrinsic motivation?arises from inside us. It is driven by personal satisfaction and the joy in accomplishment. Personal desires, values, and beliefs are crucial for our intrinsic motivation.
• Extrinsic motivation?is equally important and comes from rewards and recognition from others or the conditions of the environment we operate in.

Abraham Maslow’s paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” proposed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It provides one of the most comprehensive and well-recognized workplace frameworks and has had a profound impact on management and productivity theory since its publication in 1943. Maslow’s hierarchy is usually depicted as a pyramid with five consecutive levels of needs.

The most basic are physiological and must be met first. They include food, water, warmth, and rest. Once satisfied, the need for security and safety and health becomes prominent. Once fulfilled, social needs emerge. Relationships, friendships, and a sense of belonging. Then the need for self-esteem and respect from others; feelings of accomplishment, recognition, and the desire for status and prestige. Finally, at the top of the hierarchy is self-actualization, the ultimate realization of potential, the pursuit of personal growth, creativity, and fulfilment.

Enhancing Motivation – “Let’s get this party started.”

Improving and maintaining motivation seems to focus on three elements:

1.????? A clear sense of direction

2.????? An enabling and positive mindset

3.????? Supportive external influences.

Regular constructive feedback on clearly articulated goals, recognition and reward, and a positive working environment are crucial elements for employees. A clear value proposition; great customer relations, and quality after-sales support for customers and clear commonly agreed goals, inclusive collaboration, and fair payment terms for suppliers.

When I think back to Maslow, I can’t help but wonder if we really reached the top of the pyramid. Sure, the office is warm enough, the staff have goals, the suppliers usually get paid on time, and the customers have a loyalty programme. But are these things fulfilling? Here are a few things that could get us there:

1. Be Authentic: As employers, commissioners, and vendors, we must show more of our true self to learn about the humanity of others.
2. Show Empathy: Take a genuine interest in others and engage in sincere conversations. Practice kindness, patience, and acceptance.
3. Go Beyond Surface-Level Interactions: Avoid over-reliance on basic performance metrics or superficial evaluations.
4. Understand Needs and Aspirations: Seek to understand what drives and holds back the people you’re interacting with.
5. Gather and Apply Rich Insight: Use the insights gained from deep interactions to enable people to make their greatest contributions sustainably.

Reaching the top of the pyramid, that concept of self-actualisation, is easier said than done. It’s not necessarily something new or definable; rather, it’s a product of how we engage and the attitude we carry. Motivation is more than just a word. It is the difference between failure and mediocrity in business.