Are you having trouble motivating your employees and sales staff? While teambuilding events certainly help the work environment, they do little to bring out the best in your individual employees long term. That’s because teambuilding has its limits.
To really motivate your employees, you have to learn their individual Motivational DNA, says Tamara Lowe, a motivational speaker and author of the book Get Motivated! If you want to get employees to work at the top of their collective game, find out what makes them tick–their Motivational DNA: Drives, Needs and Awards. But before you can figure out your employees’ Motivational DNA, you have to figure out what Motivational DNA is.
Amid an overflowing crowd at Baltimore’s First Mariner Arena, Lowe explained that no matter how good your employee’s resume is, when it comes to making money for you, the only way you’ll translate paper wins to money is to figure out what makes motivates an employee. What works for one person will not work for another, and may even cause the opposite result. If you want to make more money for your business, take the time to figure out what floats your employee’s boat, motivationally speaking.
This is a two-part article. The first explains the importance and meaning of Motivational DNA. It also tells how to recognize different motivational factors within your employee. The second article– Business Owners Can Earn More Money Easily. Get Your Employees’ Motivational DNA to do the Work, then Sit Back and Collect the Checks–teaches you how to use that Motivational DNA to get the most out of your employees and, ultimately, make more money for your business.
As Lowe explained: “The only way you will motivate your employees is to get a handle on that employee’s individual Motivational DNA.” She’s onto something. The fact that we have country, opera, heavy metal and classical music proves the point that one size doesn’t fit all. “The key is to crack the code,” she said. “It is the built-in schematic code which you are born with.” Since these motivators are “hardwired” from birth, an employer will miss critical cues by ignoring the individual’s (motivational) needs.”
No type of DNA is better than another. Also, one size doesn’t fit all, not matter how pretty it is on the outside. What motivates one person may be the very thing that de-motivates another. So, it’s critical to do the first steps of determining the type of Motivational DNA a person has before you move onto the advice in article #2.
Sounds easy enough, but how do you know what will motivate your employee? Lowe and a group of researchers spent years trying to figure that out. They boiled it down to six critical motivational items (three pairs—Demands, Needs and Awards).
Lowe’s motivational team researched this concept and devised 81 factors that motivate people. They continued to whittle until they brought it down to six basic items (those three pairs) that motivate people to work and move forward. All fall under DNA, Drives, Needs and Awards.
Drives: The Production Drive Versus the Connection Drive
Production Drive: This employee likes to achieve for the sake of achieving. They like pressure and are goal driven. You’ll recognize this employee personality wise as the energetic, confident and persistent type. (Examples: Bill Gates and Donald Trump.)
Connection Drive: These employees are driven to see the company and their particular teams do well. They don’t need the personal accolades the Production Driven employee needs. These employees are into the greater good, relationship building and team spirit. You’ll recognize these employees as the friendly, well-liked souls around the workplace.
Needs: The Need for Stability Versus the Need for Variety
Some people need to know that they have “x” amount coming in a paycheck each week while another person likes the incentive of seeing a paycheck that reflects the exact work he’s done that week. In general, this describes the “Needs” part of DNA.
Need for Stability: You’ll know these employees on sight. Their pencils are sharpened all at the same time, the desk is cleaned at the end of the day and routine rules dominate their lives, starting with arriving to work five minutes early to get a fresh cup of coffee from the lunch room. These employees like rules and need structure.
Need for Variety: As the name suggests, the Variety Driven employee likes change. While these types are energized and willing to try new methods, they also tend to lose interest quickly.
Awards: Internal Awards Versus External Awards
Internal Awards. The employee with a Motivational DNA of Internal Awards responds to the feeling he gets from a job well done. It’s all about a sense of accomplishment for this person as opposed to external accolades. This person needs to know that YOU know how important his contribution is to the team effort.
External Awards. This employee needs concrete validation for a job well done. Words are not enough. Even if the results are evident for all to see, the employee motivated by the External Awards DNA needs the “atta boy” or some sort of bonus payment, even if it’s nominal.
If you can’t pinpoint the Motivational DNA of your employees, that says quite a bit about you as a manager. You are not in touch with your main asset. You take inventory and balance your books, so why wouldn’t you put the time into learning about the one thing that has a cause and effect on your financial bottom line?
Look for Part Two of this Article–Business Owners Can Earn More Money Easily
Get Your Employees’ Motivational DNA to do the Work, then Sit Back and Collect the Checks— for ways to use this DNA information to turn information into money.
Resources
For more information, get Tamara Lowe’s Book: Get Motivated! which details each motivational type and gives methods for maximizing what that person can do given his motivational DNA. Beyond the information, it’s a good read if for nothing else than Tamara’s story of discovering her own Motivational DNA, then making it work for her.
