The Power of Choice: Promoting Diversity and Motivating Teams for Success

Welcome to Diverse Minds at Work, where we explore new ideas and challenge conventional wisdom to increase the diversity of thought, action, and abilities in the workplace. This week is all about the power of choice and how it is pivotal in promoting motivation to learn and increasing engagement in work tasks, even with previously underperforming and demotivated individuals.

The Significance of Choice in Motivating Others

Motivation plays a vital role in driving individuals to achieve their goals and perform their best. While many factors contribute to a person’s motivation to perform at work and school, one approach that is often overlooked is choice. Offering individuals the freedom to make choices in their work and personal lives can profoundly impact their motivation levels.

This is because choice nurtures autonomy, which is a fundamental human need. Granting individuals the freedom to make decisions demonstrates trust in their abilities and shows they are valued and respected as a person. When employees feel trusted and empowered, they are more likely to take ownership of their work, explore innovative solutions, and display higher levels of initiative. A strengths-focused, autonomous, and trust-based approach fosters a positive culture where individuals feel motivated to contribute their best, knowing that their opinions and choices matter.

When we talk about giving employees a choice – it is often limited to the people we deem as high performers already, and that is because trust has been established from the leader's perspective. But choice isn’t only for your top performers; choice is an effective tool to correct performance issues and reignite passion in disengaged employees. When people are not performing, most leaders will become more directive, micromanage, and take all choice and autonomy out of the person’s day to correct and control the situation. But these approaches result in lower performance, reducing morale, a sense of autonomy, and minimizing personal appreciation and value.?If you want to solve low morale and engagement issues, lean in and talk to your employees. Learn what is happening and why, and engage them in solving the problem. You, as the leader, need to create trust with your team – not the other way around. They need to know that their actions, opinions, and ideas matter.

In my research and experiences, I have witnessed firsthand the remarkable improvements that come from incorporating choice and that by giving individuals the power of choice, we can support remarkable increases in engagement, motivation, and productivity among individuals with diverse abilities.

For example, in a second-grade classroom, I conducted a study to examine whether providing choices to autistic children during writing assignments would enhance their engagement, attention and writing quality. The results were astonishing. Motivation to write increased by 59%, and all students, both neurodivergent and neurotypical, showed improvement in their attention and length of writing. But what’s more impressive is that the choices implemented were simple options that were not disruptive, nor did they risk diminishing the intent of the assignments. Increased motivation in this study was achieved by allowing the students to select from a basket of colored pencils and pens and choose where they wanted to sit. That was it. What may seem irrelevant to most adults and teachers were meaningful choices to the children. Because in an environment of rules and control, having a choice in seating and novelty in the color of writing instruments create a sense of agency and autonomy that is often suppressed in the classroom – and this significantly impacts student performance.

And we realized similar outcomes in the workplace too. I have observed how micromanagement and directive approaches often lead to underperformance and disengagement among employees. I have been asked to fix “problem” teams and have never found the employees to be the issue. I usually found people who wanted to do the right thing. Still, they were underutilized, underappreciated, or unempowered to do what they thought was right – so they just stopped trying. I learned that the key to transforming underperforming teams requires employee involvement in decision-making, problem-solving, and goal-setting processes. Every team I took needed to make drastic changes to be a success. But I never dictated the changes – not once. Every time, I asked three critical questions. What was working, what wasn’t working, and what would they do differently if they could, unencumbered by current restrictions? Through this appreciative inquiry and by learning from their input, every team I have led has supported transformative team changes that they owned from ideation to end, resulting in high-performing, highly engaged, and highly valued workers.?And that is because when employee input is appreciated, and we incorporate our teams and provide choices in where they work and how they work, we as leaders can ignite motivation and drive within their teams, creating a collaborative and productive environment.

I know that when you are faced with a problem – it is natural to want to take control and tell people what to do. But no one likes to be told what to do- and more so, one person cannot control every person, idea, and action. Instead, learning how to empower a team and control choices gives the sense of autonomy employees need to succeed while ensuring managers achieve their desired outcomes.

A relatable analogy that illustrates the concept of controlled choice and its impact on motivation while keeping everyone aligned towards a common goal is going out for ice cream with your loved ones. Picture the excitement, especially among children, when they have numerous flavor options and the freedom to choose their favorite.

However, it's important to note that in the end, everyone still ends up with ice cream. As the decision-maker, you determined that ice cream is the treat of choice for the outing. What makes the experience energizing for your family, friends, or team is the fact that they had the opportunity to select their preferred flavor and perhaps even the type of cone. When you ask them about their decision, they will proudly say they chose ice cream, even though their choice was specific to the flavor.

While going out for ice cream isn’t the same as controlling for student achievement and employee productivity, it emphasizes the crucial aspect of providing choices that enhance a sense of autonomy while ultimately leading to the desired outcome. By offering options within a controlled framework, individuals feel empowered and motivated, knowing their preferences are respected. Providing options provides a balance between guiding the collective decision while allowing individuals to exercise their agency, thus promoting a more engaged and motivated group.

If you really want to have motivated, energized, and productive teams, then you need to know that achieving work objectives can be solved just like the ice cream outing.?Incorporating controlled choices in decision-making processes can foster a sense of autonomy and motivation within teams. By allowing individuals to make meaningful choices while still working towards a shared objective, we create an environment that values autonomy and aligns everyone toward achieving the desired outcome. And when people are engaged, they are more collaborative, communication improves, and this type of atmosphere serves as the foundation for more inclusive and diverse teams. And if that is your end goal, then increasing your team's involvement in all areas of the workplace, including how the work is achieved, will catalyze more positive change.

What's next?!

Learn more about how choice can reignite motivation and increase inclusion at work and schools.

In this episode , we challenge the conventional notion of directive control that often dominates our work and educational systems and discuss evidence that supports the positive outcomes of increasing choice. I share stories and insights highlighting how cooperation, inclusion, and overall success flourish when individuals are empowered to exercise their agency.

It's crucial to address a disheartening reality—a tendency to deprive disabled individuals of choices. By recognizing and dismantling the barriers that limit choice, we can create truly inclusive environments where every individual's voice is heard and respected.

As you listen to this episode, I encourage you to reflect on your experience and when your thrived at work and when you felt unmotivated and disengaged, then consider the choices you can offer to those around you, whether it's in your workplace and community to create more meaningful and engaged relationships.

By understanding and harnessing the power of choice, we can create a world where diversity is celebrated, individuals are motivated to bring their best selves forward, and everyone feels valued and included.

Join the Movement for Change

Keep supporting change within your teams and help others in creating meaningful change as well! Share this newsletter and podcast with your colleagues to spread the word about how we can all contribute to creating a more inclusive world. The podcast is available for free on the on the www.theresahaskins.com website, Apple Podcasts , Spotify , iHeartRadio , or wherever you prefer to listen to podcasts.

Thank you!

Thank you for joining me on this journey , and I can't wait to hear about the impactful choices you make in your life. Together, let's create a brighter and more inclusive future for all.

Dr. Theresa Haskins