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Glenn Brooke | November 26, 2014 | 5 Comments

Are You Sure You Can Motivate People? – Glenn Brooke

 

I participated in a panel discussion for a leadership training course. The idea was that people in the course would ask us questions and we would share based on our experiences.  A man asked us how he could motivate an employee to perform better.

Another panel member gave a namby-pamby milquetoast answer about encouraging them to do more, offering some kind of incentive if they hit a new target, etc.

I responded by firmly stating “You can’t.  You don’t.”

There was about 3 seconds of silence, and then a few people grinned and chuckled.  The HR lady in the back was staring strangely at me.  The questioner simply pointed over my shoulder.  I turned around to see that I was sitting under a 4×5 poster titled “How to Motivate Employees” – apparently this had been a core part of the training session earlier in the day.

I turned back and re-iterated my view that motivation cannot be manipulated effectively from outside the person.   Yes, you can create carrot-and-stick situations where people have incentives to behave differently.  But, Stephen Covey nailed it: “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.”

Your best strategy on motivation is to hire the right person in the first place.  The second part of that strategy is to create working environments with challenging goals and loads of support.

What’s been your experience?  Let us know in the comments!

Filed Under: Leadership

Glenn Brooke

Glenn considers leadership a craft which requires dedicated pursuit. The apprentice model (instruction + practice + associating with other craftsmen) is the time-tested way to foster the next generation of leaders. Real leaders never stop working on their craft; there are only new levels of mastery ahead. Learn more at leadershipcraft.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leo J. Lampinen says

    November 26, 2014 at 7:54 am

    Completely agree Glenn, I would have loved to see this unfold live and the looks on everyone’s face.

    Reply
    • Glenn Brooke says

      November 26, 2014 at 8:58 am

      It was memorable! 🙂 Surprisingly, the same program invited me back a couple more times.

      Reply
  2. asmithblog says

    November 26, 2014 at 4:12 pm

    I literally LOLd at this one, but so true. Great post Glenn!

    Reply
  3. Kirby Ingles says

    November 28, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    Glenn reminds me of the book Good To Great. You gotta get the right people on the bus first.Those people are self motivated and will execute any job or task you ask because they want to be a part of your own team. They want you and the organization to succeed.

    Reply
  4. Christina Faith says

    December 1, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    Good thoughts! So thankful you said that. You can’t make people motivated that don’t already want to be motivated.

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Adam Smith and welcome to asmithblog.com. I am the author of the book, The Bravest You. Because of my work as an entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and speaker, I have been named a top industry influencer by American Genius. I live with my wife, Jasmine, and three children in Shenandoah, IA.

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