I had a challenge from a colleague to write something about the topic of motivation. In thinking about this, I was reminded of all those slick posters we used to see with beautiful and striking scenes – all of them designed to focus you on some slogan or principle or other uplifting thought.
A lot of companies paid a whole lot of money to “motivate” their teams and bring cohesion to the workplace. In fact, a lot of companies still do this even if it manifests in new ways (free beer Friday comes to mind). Yet I’d like to ask one simple question if I may …
Can I as a team leader actually motivate my team?
My answer might surprise you, but if you read on I think you might see my point. I’ve done a bit of reading and thinking on this subject and my conclusion is a simple “No, I can’t”. Realizing this isn’t what you figured you would read, let me explain.
MOTIVATING VS MOTIVATOR
You may argue it is semantics, but I’d argue back that semantics is pretty important in this case. I should (and do) need to understand what motivates my team members. I need to provide every opportunity to better engage them, enrich them and provide the chance for higher function. But if I think for a minute I can actually be the motivator to them, I’m either delusional or a manipulator.
Humans have to motivate themselves. Even my teenage daughters must find it within themselves to do what needs to be done. I can cajole, threaten, encourage or even scream (not that I ever do that) but I cannot inject one gram of motivation into them. All I can do is lay out situations that will engage them and enlist what I happen to know motivates them.
AND, HERE’S THE RISK TIE-IN
It’s the same with my teams, and this is where so many team leaders fail. Too many spend their time and money on flashy marketing, deep team analysis and the like without understanding that they cannot, in reality, change or motivate people from this totally external point of view. So instead of looking for opportunities to engage and enhance, they spend far too much time attempting to motivate people and then are surprised and displeased with the results. And believe me, I’m just as much an advocate of team building and analysis as the next guy. I just try to know where my ability to present opportunity ends and the attempt to motivate (which will always fail) begins. It’s a fine line in some cases, but ignoring it will bring risk into your project in ways you may never have dreamed.
SO, NOW WHAT?
First, do keep engaging your teams. But don’t get duped into the idea that you as the leader are responsible for motivation. I can only motivate myself and I alone can change what motivates me. As a leader, I can lay out the opportunities and I can even tailor them to individuals if I understand how they motivate themselves. But if I think of myself as the key to motivation, I will end up frustrated and I’ll probably neglect (at least to a certain extent) my job as the project manager.
Slogans are fine, but fostering a culture of self-responsibility for your team members will take you farther. They have to motivate themselves – you have to provide the right environment and opportunity. That goes way beyond a pretty picture with inspiring words.
Bio:
Mark Moore has held multiple professional positions in IT and business for nearly three decades serving organizations both small and large, public and private. With over half that time as a project manager, he has successfully managed major initiatives spanning multiple years with a cost of over $3 Million and teams of over 250 people. He has been a Project Management Professional since 2002, served as President of the PMI Western Michigan Chapter, and presented at multiple NCPMI Annual Events. Mark holds a Masters of Education degree from Colorado State University with a concentration in Adult Education and Training. He is an experienced writer, speaker and presenter on project management and team building topics. Mark is the Principal Consultant for Broken Arrow Associates, LTD. He and his family live in a rural area outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.
https://insights.cermacademy.com/2013/10/29-the-great-pretenders-mark-moore/