Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

We can absolutely spawn negative motivation in others, which can be considered intimidation, but this only lasts for a short period of time before we have to do it again. Positive self-motivation must come from within each one of us and can only be applied to ourselves by ourselves. To be clear, true and effective motivation must come from the inside; it's not forced on us by someone else.

So the next question is, "How then can I build a team of self-motivated individuals?" Before we get to the answer, let's examine why the problem exists.

Many of us are motivated by fear of loss rather than the joy of gain. According to published studies, 80 percent of us will usually react much quicker and much stronger to prevent losing something important, such as our job, than to performing over and above for a possible bonus.

I don't know the exact reason behind this for everyone else, but for me this behavior relates to when I was younger and would get grounded if I did what I wasn't supposed to. My parents never said, "Act properly and you'll get a reward"; it was always, "Don't do that or you'll get in trouble." And it worked, at least for awhile, and then they had to do it again and again.

In the workforce things are not much different. If you tell your people that when they achieve certain goals they will get rewarded with a pay raise, bonuses, or promotions, about 20 percent will respond positively. The other 80 percent don't , because they are motivated by fear of loss. They will do just enough to not get fired, plus complain about the lack of pay raises, etc. We then begin to wonder why we are not achieving the results we want.

So how do we build a team of self-motivated individuals? It all starts with the hiring process. If we don't make the right choices on who we invite onto our team, we will be facing an uphill battle that we can't win. So take your time and get to know the prospective teammates well before you bring them on board. This may take several interviews, thorough reference checks, and such, but the extra effort and time will be well worth it.

Once the choice is made, spend as much time with them as needed to develop a solid, truthful relationship. You'll need to know certain things about them, such as, what they want out of life, as well as what they don't want. What are their hobbies and interests outside of work? What drives them to come to work each day? What do they expect from their jobs and from their employer? There are many other questions along this line that need answers.

What does this have to do with motivation? The answer is simple. You have to know what someone wants to achieve, and then help them find a way to achieve it. For example, if your employee wants to reach a certain plateau in your company's hierarchy, show them how they can accomplish that. When it becomes their goal and they have a plan to reach it, then and only then does it become positive self-motivation. You just helped them discover their path.

The same philosophy applies to existing teammates. As their leader do you know them well enough to answer the questions above? If not, why not? If you do, are you applying that knowledge and information into a game-plan to help them reach their goals?

You must understand that truly self-motivated employees perform at a level much higher than those who are negatively motivated, and with much less stress. High-performing employees turn good companies into great companies.

Remember, true self-motivation comes from within; it can't be forced on us by someone else. Take the time to get to know your people and what turns them on, help them develop a plan to get it and you'll find yourself part of a high performing team and a highly profitable company in a very short period of time.

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James L. Castellano is director of operations at a top 15 tank truck company.