Okay… quick recap from yesterday.
No, I’m not referring to the weather report I gave, or the coffee menu for that matter…
I’m speaking about the survey conducted by Harvard Business Review that asked 600 execs to rate the number one motivating factor in the work-life of their employees.
Here again is my recollection of the choices that they were given:
* Financial Incentives and Benefits
* Social Interaction and Interpersonal Support
* Recognition for Their Achievements
* Progress in Reaching Objectives
* Formulation and Communication of Clear Goals
Now, I suppose if we went back thirty or forty years, that same set of questions would have invariably elicited a majority response about pay and benefits… though to be truthful, thirty or forty years ago we probably didn’t have “Interpersonal Support” or “Communication” issues on the list… did we?
In any event, back to today.
And the winner, according to 600 top corporate managers is… Recognition.
Just one problem… it seems they all forgot to ask the employees.
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Yes, this study which included hundreds of workers who kept detailed journals and in which they emailed their entries to researchers every day for several years, wanted…
Progress.
That’s it… simple progress toward their goals.
It seems, believe it or not, that our people don’t like roadblocks… don’t relish wasting their time… and don’t enjoy spinning their wheels any more than we do.
Imagine that.
Oh, BTW… the article goes on to say that the variable that managers rated dead-last was… yup, you nailed it. The very thing that the vast majority of employees said was the most important characteristic when it comes to happiness and motivation in their careers.
But then again, Abraham Maslow could have told them that decades ago.
I look forward to speaking with you.
Questions:
Are there any areas within your company in which sufficient progress is not being made toward the stated goals and the expectations of your team?
What are three concrete steps that you can take this month to significantly move the dial?
What resources do you need? Are you prepared to pull that together? Will you?
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