Are You Motivating or Manipulating Your People?

Guest blog by Jackie Barretta, who has a 25-year history as a big four consultant and Fortune 500 executive, including six years as CIO at Con-way Inc. She is the author of the book, Primal Teams, which helps leaders create elite teams.

Back when I was the CIO for a large transportation company, our CEO used to say, “I want everyone in this company, no matter what your job or pay level, to experience the American dream. I want each and every one of you to feel the satisfaction of owning your own home, of sending your children to good colleges, and of retiring with financial security. Let’s work really, really hard to make that happen.” Working to keep profits high and achieve this goal made me feel as though I was improving the lives of thousands of truck drivers and dock workers, who traditionally receive low wages, and I was highly motivated. But the CEO retired.

A fellow was hired in as our new CEO. When he called the company’s 20 officers together for our first meeting under his leadership, he stood at the podium, speaking fervently about the difficult road ahead as he waved his arms and shouted with gusto, “We must blast revenue and profits through the roof if we want to survive!” and “We will turn our competition into roadkill so we can prevail!” The stage shook when he pounded his fist on the podium. At one point he even led us in a loud chant. “We are winners! We are winners! We are winners!” I’ve got to say, I felt as though he was trying to manipulate us by evoking our fear of survival. My motivation waned.

What a difference in the approach of the two leaders! I experienced first-hand that being engaged to create something of value feels motivating, whereas being engaged to avoid a fearful situation feels manipulative.

How do you ensure you’re motivating rather than manipulating your employees?

The Power of Purpose

Today, there are lots of business experts extolling the importance of engaging employees in a motivating purpose. Dan Pink, author of several insightful books, has won admiration for his research into the fact that a business’s purpose, in the sense of achieving a greater good, can motivate people more effectively than conventional facts and figures and carrots and sticks. Another champion of this approach, Simon Sinek, author and speaker, eloquently asserts that a company’s clear and compelling answer to the "Why" question will motivate workers to excel and customers to buy, no matter what products or services are supplied. Both gurus make a strong case for devising a motivating purpose. We no longer need to question whether a team needs a compelling purpose, but we still need to consider what ingredients make the most compelling and powerful purpose.  

At our core, we humans are inspired by doing something of value, something that we believe contributes to the greater good. According to Mary-Helen Immordino-Yang, a scientist and researcher at the Brain and Creativity Center at the University of Southern California, when we hear stories about people who have gone above and beyond to do something of value, the part of our brain (the medulla) that regulates our vital functions lights up. This physically and mentally motivates and prepares us for action. So when you define a team purpose, dig deep below the surface. Performance, survival and financial goals won’t do it. Values and meaningful contributions will. To define the most inspirational purpose for your team, focus on how the team satisfies real human needs.

Defining Your Team’s Purpose

Some industries lend themselves to motivational purposes more than others. It’s pretty easy to define a purpose that satisfies human needs for a health care, social services, or educational enterprise; it’s not so easy to do it for a tobacco company. Still, every company on the planet delivers something of value to its customers. Otherwise, it will not stay in business for long. Take a tobacco company. Suppose it manufactures millions of cigarettes a year. Does that fact inspire its people? Probably not, but “We make products that contribute to personal freedom” might.

Mine beneath the surface of what you do to unearth why you do it. “Why does what we do matter to me, my team, my company, and the world?” Continually ask this question until you identify how your work fulfills a basic human need. That will help you fashion a purpose that motivates your team at their very core. It may be an internal purpose that uplifts the lives of employees, or it may be an external purpose that gives customers an ideal experience or empowers them with information or tools. Once you’ve put your finger on it, use it as your gold standard to inspire motivation.