A Leader's Guide to understanding Motivation

In this newsletter we will outline the questions leaders can use to find out about what truly motivates people on their team.?This is about giving people time, energy and attention by simply asking great questions with genuine interest, whilst really listening.?This practice alone shows people that you actually care (a driver of psychological safety) and will underpin their desire to show you, that they care.?Reciprocity is the basic currency of human relationships.?

Gallup tells us that today only 21% of employees are?engaged at work*.?So, does this means that only one in five are really motivated??Are the rest really clock watching and ‘quietly quitting’.?Today, during the great resignation, many employers focus on the transactional extrinsic motivation they offer people; money, benefits, flexibility etc.?However, the latest data from McKinsey** shows us that the reasons most people leave is due to relational intrinsic motivation factors; the less traditional quantifiable drivers, like purpose, belonging, social needs etc.?Once you understand what truly motivates people on your team, you can lever higher performance, engagement and retention.?

Motivation Questions for leaders

Create a safe time and space for people to think and honestly express themselves.?This isn’t the last 5 mins of a one-to-one.?Ask these questions with genuine effort to listen (phone and Teams chat not in sight), show interest and pay attention to the non-verbal language.??

• What helps you to enjoy your role?
• When was your favourite day at work this year? And why?
• When was your worst day at work this year? And why??
• What does it look like when you are unmotivated?
• What strengthens you about this team/role?
• What limits you about this team/role?
• What do you want to be famous for on this team?
• What is your biggest dream in life?
• What goals, including career goals, have you set for the next 5 years??
• How would you define success in your career?
• What roles do I and the team play in your motivation at work?
• In your experience, what motivates your best on-the-job performance?

Active listening

To get past the surface responses and find out what’s really going on for your colleague hold the silence, let them fill the gap and maybe prompt deeper thinking by asking…??

• Tell me about…
• Explain…
• Describe…
• Why was that…?
• How did you feel then…?
• What did you mean when you said…?
• What else…?
• Anything else…?

Explore both types of motivation

Most of us are motivated both extrinsically and intrinsically.?Show them our motivation graphic and ask them to describe both their current intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.?Motivation will change, plus our understanding of our own motivation grows over time.?Probing and exploring the topic will often unearth more.??

I love my job as a coach intrinsically because I get to connect with people, help people and learn about psychology, change and human connection, but I am also extrinsically motivated because I need enough money in the bank to buy a new house and look after my family.

If I was only in the job for the money, once I had the house, would I stay? If there was another role offering more money, would I jump??Would I make the effort to read about psychology and coaching in my spare time??Would I care about how I communicated with colleagues or my internal reputation??

Extrinsic motivation wears thin

The thrill of a new salary band quickly become just a normal transaction in the bank account each month.?The car gets purchased, the new title has made the impact you thought was important on others, the news of you moving jobs becomes tomorrow’s chip paper.?What’s left to motivate you??Without some of our intrinsic motivation tickled we start to look out of the window.??

Other questions to ask to develop emotional intelligence

What would be the impact on retention stats and team success if these questions were asked at interview stage???

• You get the best of me when…..
• You get the worst of me when…..
• You can count on me to…..
• I learn quickest/best when…

When we don’t know what motivates someone we don’t understand what makes them tick, we therefore can’t fully harness their talents and benefit from the best version of them. If you can interweave the intrinsic elements of someone’s motivation into their work experience, you will stop their mind and mojo from wandering and their CV will stay covered in dust.

So what about you?

Take a look at the graphic.?Can you identify what motivates you??What drives you to actually care and want to achieve at work right now??What intrinsic motivation is being met by the role you are in now??How could your job hit more of your intrinsic motivation buttons?

Incidentally exploring personal motivation is an excellent awayday topic married alongside a workshop about organisational values, purpose and mission.?If you’d like to find out more about our Leadership and Team Development support, drop an email over to?[email protected] , for a digital brochure or to discuss creating a bespoke programme for your organisation.

Lisa Carver (that's me) launched Carver Coaching in 2017. We deliver Award Winning Leadership & Team Development.?We are a core team of 6 masters level coaches and organisational psychologists. Thanks for subscribing to our newsletters, extra thanks goes to those who share, like and comment. Chris Morrell Jennifer Dootson (Msc, PCC) Anne-Marie Burbidge Ollie Smedley PCC Rachel Fowler PCC Mike Applegarth Catherine de la Poer Ed Hussey Debra Kurtz

#leadershipdevelopment #greatresignation #emotionalintelligence

Article references:

*Gallup: State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report

**McKinsey Quarterly Article.?‘Great Attrition’ or ‘Great Attraction’? The choice is yours.?September 8, 2021