When individuals’ rankings of workplace motivators are compared to rankings of what their managers think motivates them, the results reflect how most individuals feel: managers simply do not know what moti- vates their people. Why the big disconnect?
One reason is that leaders depend on their observations of external behaviors and conditions to evaluate their employees’ motivation. Unfortunately, many leaders are not perceptive observers, nor are they wise interpreters of what they see. It is nearly impossible to understand other people’s internal state of motivation by observing their external behavior. …
Another reason for the disconnect for the ranking of motivators between employees and their managers: employees don’t understand the true nature of their own motivation. An employee who feels trapped in her job, feels she is being taken advantage of, or feels overwhelmed by what is being asked of her, may ask for more money. Under her breath, she is saying, “They don’t pay me enough to put up with this.” What she doesn’t understand is that there will never be enough money to make up for the void created when her psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence are not satisfied. People cannot ask for what they don’t know they need.
Leaders and individuals operating from outdated beliefs such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Reinforcement Theory are perpetuating ineffective motivational practices.
Author: Susan Fowler
Source: ChangeThis
Subjects: Leadership, Management, Motivation, Organizational Behavior
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