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How to Motivate People In Your Business

Article Written By Kieran Perry

The first principle-in fact, the basic principle-to remember in dealing with people is "law of egocentrism." It indicates the way a person from birth accumulates experience and becomes a personality of his own. All of his experiences are woven into and around that core-the I or ego. And, furthermore, all a person does and wants must serve that ego in the broadest sense or it will not survive."

Egocentrism is a useful word to remember. The secret of getting others to do as you want them to do lies in your ability to penetrate and understand this hidden world that each of us carries around within.

Of course, we are all different from each other in many respects; that's what makes each of us an individual. But at the same time all of us resemble each other in many respects. That's what makes us card-carrying members of the human race.

If it were not for our basic resemblances to one another, which are far more consequential than our outward or superficial differences, it would be impossible to have any understanding whatsoever of others, or even to be able to communicate with them.

It is by virtue of the fact that we are all basically similar that we are enabled to penetrate each other's egocentric or hidden world and understand what makes others tick, so that we can help make them tick "louder" at times-or at least more effectively. To accomplish this it takes two things:

1. A willingness and ability to put our selves in other people's shoes and try to see things through their eyes-under stand their needs, wants, strivings from their own point of view.

2. The skill in harnessing these needs and desires to departmental and company goals so that they will act as levers to raise performance to a higher plateau. In other words, motivation by an appeal to people's self-interest to become better and more efficient workers. Why all this bother to treat employees with kid gloves? They're paid to do their jobs, aren't they? Certainly they are. And they'll do the But they'll do them better, more quickly, more accurately, and more willingly when they feel they have a personal interest or stake in what they are doing. That's human nature.

Therefore, given the proper motivation, they'll be more likely to put in a little more effort, "walk that extra mile “

The Craving for Recognition

There's not a single one of us who doesn't "die a little" if he fails to receive proper recognition when he de serves it. As the noted psychologist, William James, put it, "The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated."

Even when we ask for criticism, what we are really looking for-or hoping for is praise and recognition. Praise (as distinguished from flattery), when judiciously and properly administered, is probably the most effective Way to motivate anyone, whether he is a vice president or a young apprentice. Even the most crabbed or sour-faced person thrives on it, whether he shows it or not (don't let appearances deceive you).

The necessity of praise, recognition -call it what you will as a tool for higher quality of workmanship was rather dramatically proved in a test some time ago conducted by Springfield College in Massachusetts. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects upon schoolchildren of having to do continuous and monotonous work without any encouragement.

The children were told to draw a detailed picture of a man. When they had finished, they were told to draw an other picture of a man a little better than their first one. When they had finished they were again given the same colourless order:

"Now draw another man, this time better than the last."

No matter how poor their drawings might have been, no one was scolded or criticized for his performance. And no matter how well the children might have done, none of them was praised or given any encouragement. They were merely told to draw another picture.

You can probably guess the results. Some of the children got angry and displayed their resentment openly. One refused to draw any more; another said he was "trapped," and called the instructor a "meanie." Most, however, just looked angry, said nothing, and continued their joyless, unrewarding toil.

And the drawings-each of them got worse and worse, as you might expect, instead of better and better, as they had been told to make them. There's an all-to-obvious lesson in this little story for all of us who are managers of people. No one is going to do a better job merely because he is told or asked to.

No one is going to do a better job merely because he is expected to or is being paid to. There is only one way to get a person to do a better job, and that is by motivating him to, by appealing to his self-interest, his ego. One of the most effective ways is through encouragement, recognition of his accomplishments, praise. They're as necessary to morale as sunshine is to flowers.

Human Relations Rules

Akin to taking an interest in their work is taking an interest in your people as individuals, as fellow human beings. Employees will naturally do better work for a boss whom they respect than for one whom they do not respect; they will do still better work for one whom they respect and like than for one whom they respect and either fear or resent.

This is true, no matter how often the latter type of boss raises their salary or wages.

Taking an interest in your people as people is nothing more than treating them with the courtesy, thoughtfulness, and consideration that one human being deserves from another. It means, for instance, taking the time to (don't worry; it's time profitably spent):

1.  Say a pleasant good morning, even though you may feel anything but pleasant about it yourself.

2. Remember employees' first and last names and always call them by one or the other.

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