David J.

Pollay

Read David's bio and previous columns

March 24, 2008

Don’t Waste Your Money! Find Out What Motivates People

The first time it happened, I was totally surprised. I followed the same ritual as I had in the past. I called out to my three- and four-year-old girls, “Papi has a present for you!” And they squealed as usual, “Yayyyyyyy!” And then they ran to the couch, closed their eyes and opened their hands. And I said, “Are you ready? Keep your eyes closed. Here it is!” And this is what happened. Eliana and Ariela’s faces went blank and they said, “That’s not a present.” I said, “What? That’s not very nice. I just gave you a gift!” And they said, “But, that’s not what we wanted.”

If you are a leader, does this happen to you in your organization? The answer is probably, “Yes, every day.” Leaders and managers are constantly trying to “motivate” employees with incentives, awards and public recognition. And they have little idea if the money and time invested is really making a difference.

Why?

Because their employees are older than my little daughters, they learned a lesson years ago that I continue to teach my girls: “Be polite.” Adults have learned not to complain about someone’s gift when it’s presented to them. Leaders and managers rarely get direct feedback when their incentives, awards or recognition efforts are off the mark.

So what do adults do? They complain to other people about your gifts. They tell everyone else how unfair your program is. They tell their family and friends that you don’t really appreciate them. Or they simply forget about or ignore your effort. Your overtures do not influence them. 

How does this happen? Because shortcuts are taken. Leaders and managers implement programs without really knowing what motivates their employees. They do not do their homework. They assume that people only want money, public recognition or a new title. And they’re often wrong.

People want different things. One’s motivation to achieve is not influenced by the same factors. We have to learn what our employees value in life. Do they want to learn more? Do they want a bigger challenge? Do they want a promotion? Do they want more time off? Do they only focus on money? Do they like to be left alone? Do they like you to constantly pat them on the back? Do they like public recognition? Do they prefer that you quietly acknowledge their work?

The Gallup Organization has found in its research that employees who reported that they had received recognition every seven days were more engaged than the employees who did not receive recognition. The challenge is that the measurement of recognition is based on what your employees feel that they have received from you, not on what you think you have given to them. Your efforts to recognize and award your employees only count if they say they do.

Your opportunity then is to ask your employees what matters to them. Ask them what they care about. Find out what they value in life. After you set and communicate the outcomes they must achieve in their roles, find out what inspires them to do their best, and what forms of recognition are meaningful to them. Here are three questions you can ask your employees that will help give you the insight you need.

• When you do a “good job,” how do you like to be acknowledged?
• When you do something “special,” how do you like to be recognized?
• Tell me about a time when you were recognized in a way that meant a lot to you. What about it was meaningful?

Before you invest your time and money in a whole new incentive, award or recognition program in your organization, make sure that you know what motivates each of your employees. You don’t want them to come to you one day and say, “That’s not a present.”

© 2008 David J. Pollay. Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

Click here to talk to our writers and editors about this column and others in our discussion forum.

To e-mail feedback about this column, click here. If you enjoy this writer's work, please contact your local newspapers editors and ask them to carry it.

This is Column # DJP052. Request permission to publish here.