SOLVING THE PEOPLE PUZZLE

JUST HOW POWERFUL IS MOTIVATION, REALLY?
Our goal at ABA is to help our clients with solid business council which will help them outwit
their competition, grow their business, and create wealth. In so doing, it is our desire that
they use a portion of that wealth to “give back” to their communities and to worthwhile causes
wherever in the world they exist. In the last two editions of the monthly ABA Insider we have
been offering practical advice on a subject which has great power and, yet, seems to be one
of the greatest mysteries to business leaders. It represents perhaps the area of greatest
positive potential for improving the performance of your business. That subject is BUILDING
YOUR TEAM and the challenges which surround MANAGING it. We have called our series,
“Solving the People Puzzle.” Some people really enjoy working on and solving puzzles, and
some really find it exhausting and somewhat maddening. But, like it or not, your team is the
key to your success as a business, and even more so during this challenging business
climate. Most leaders who find this part of running a business the most difficult, feel their
skills are inadequate in this area, and/or haven’t ever learned the principles which define how
to build and manage a successful and growing team. We will continue to discuss some of
those principles in this article.
TEAM BUILDING’S MOST CRITICAL COMPONENTS
Previously, we have tackled the issues of Attitudes and how profoundly they affect your
ability to build and manage a winning team which sets your company apart from your
competition. Another important building block which must be in place if you are to achieve
optimal performance from your team is Clarity of Expectations for every member. They
must each fully understand exactly what good behavior looks like for the position they fill.
Additionally, they must have been given all the tools and resources they need in order to be
successful. One such tool is Empowerment, which allows people to do their best work and
leverage their strengths for the benefit of the company as well as themselves. There are
others like: Mutual Trust, Alignment with Mission, and Leadership by Example.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The mortar which holds all of the building blocks of successful behavior together is
motivating people to produce.
1. Defining Motivation.
Before you can motivate people to produce at high levels, you must know exactly
what it is. First of all, the definition of motivation comes primarily from the two
words inside it. They are motive and action. Therefore, motivation is: the
creation of desires and situations which move people to action.
All human activities (or actions) are undertaken as a direct effort to meet some
need. In other words, everything we do, from the simplest act to very complicated
tasks, we do for a reason, and that reason is based around a need that we have.
That need has to do with either something in our lives, or the lives of those we love.
It may be something we want to acquire, (Psychologists call this “approach”) or
something in our lives, or the lives of those we love, that we do not want.
(Avoidance)
 2. Types of Motivation.The two basic types of motivation are fear motivation and incentive motivation. Obviously, the
former has to do with avoiding the things we do not want to happen and the latter has to do
with the things we desire for us and for those we love. Both types of motivation can be
effective tools in moving us to action, but they each have specific limitations and guidelines for
their use. In terms of needs which we want to fulfill or avoid in our lives, there are both
biological needs and psychological needs. To design an environment of motivation for
your team, you must understand which needs are the strongest for which members on
the team, and then proceed to set up a system of cause and effect which allows them to
meet those needs. Though, this is not a simple task, the rewards of your doing so are huge.
For when you create a clear path for a person to meet their needs, whether they are biological
or psychological, you ignite a very powerful cache of human dynamite.
3. “Win-Win”.
If an effective system of motivation is to be established, all team members must be committed
to the principle that everyone in the equation must win.. They must perceive that no one in
the company or who is touched by the company will win at the expense of anyone else. Any
and all systems of motivation which do not have this win-win component are doomed for
failure. Although we cannot treat everyone the same in our company, we must establish
systems, policies, and procedures which are fair.
Volumes could be written regarding motivation, and still everything would not have been covered.. But
we at ABA do know from experience how incredibly valuable it is to understand its principles. That
understanding has revolutionized the business of many or our clients. To create an effective system of
motivation you must know your team members and what’s important to them. Additionally, you must
really care about them, and they must feel that caring attitude from their leadership. Finally, you must
understand exactly what are the needs, goals, and resources of your organization, so that you can meld
the two agendas effectively.. Once you have done that, hang on for the ride, for it will be an exciting one
both for you and your team.