Motivation

While this post isn't linked to any particular book; Dan Pink gave an excellent Ted Talk on the issue of motivation in the age of the knowledge worker. I won't summarize his talk because you can watch it for free over at ted.com but a friend of mine posed the question recently on motivating employees in the age of the knowledge worker and it got me thinking.

I keep this on my whiteboard at work: Autonomy, Mastery, & Purpose. It is a summary of Dan Pink's message. If you can give people these three things it will increase their motivation. I like to think that most people aren't born lazy. They end up that way because when they try to go the extra mile they get shut down, or when they try to learn something new they're told not to bother...

Here are my thoughts on why Autonomy, Mastery, & Purpose work. We'll start with Purpose. When the employee knows what the company goals are and gets rewarded for helping the company achieve them; it creates a sense of purpose & engagement. It is basic human instinct to seek out and repeat scenarios which reward them. Who doesn't like getting rewards? Note, there are many ways to reward employees and while Dan Pink emphasizes that monetary rewards don't work well for knowledge workers (because they cause them to narrow their focus), I disagree with him. Let's just say that rewards exist and rewarding your employees when they do a good job is a good thing.

Now, when your employees have a sense of purpose and direction it is time to allow them some Autonomy. If you allow your employees the freedom to make decisions for themselves, and I mean important decisions (decisions linked to the company purpose), you will be letting your employees try to improve themselves and the work they do. If it motivates the employee and nets an improvement on the company purpose then how can that possibly be a bad thing? Oh sure, they'll make mistakes, but they must be allowed to make mistakes so that they'll learn what works and what doesn't. Humans learn best from trial & error and by making mistakes cost very little you'll let them learn a lot.

This leads me into the third element of motivation: Mastery. Let your employees make mistakes so that they are able to learn. Now I don't suggest you let an employee repeat the same mistake time & again, but allowing them to make the first mistake and helping them see why it was a mistake and suggesting an improvement will result in better, more motivated employees, and some that will serve to improve the company position in the marketplace.

I hope you can see that all three elements go extremely well together: By guiding your employees with a Purpose and allowing them the Autonomy to try new things and become a Master at what they do; you're serving to motivate them and possibly even improving the bottom line at the same time.

Cheers,
~ Jon

Bulletproof Your Job

I've been reading Bulletproof Your Job by Stephen Viscusi. The format is quite simple and perfect as a handbook for when you have 5-10 minutes to kill. Most of the advice is very practical although some (such as the "Arrive Early and Stay Late" chapter which Stephen has decided to make the first chapter of the book) are a bit... dubious. I must admit it is true, though. The advice seems a bit dated sometimes but most of it is quite good.

According to Stephen there are four things you must do to bulletproof your job:
1. Be Visible
2. Be Easy
3. Be Useful
4. Be Ready

Each of these is broken down into chapters such as Quit Complaining, Lend a Hand, and Take Initiative. I would like to talk about that last one for a moment as I've taken it to heart lately.

Taking initiative can be hard because it is risky. What I've come to realize is that taking the initiative at work is far less risky in the long run. If you work for a company that won't let you take initiative then for your own health and sanity you're probably better off moving to another company. If you're lucky, and you work for someone who is happy to see you take initiative then this will jump start your career.

I'm not talking about saying "yes" to that project (in fact, I've started saying "no" a lot more at work). I'm talking about making decisions *before* your boss does. You should be thinking ahead and doing something before your boss tells you to do it. If you make a mistake, shrug it off, but be sure to own the outcome.

This works because, as Stephen mentions in the chapter, taking initiative gives "a shot of movement and motion and progress and promise that creates a positive momentum that always trumps short-term errors."

I've had to overcome my own fear of taking on the risk associated with taking the initiative and just diving in and doing. My secret is realising I can't afford *not* to take the initiative *now*. By taking the initiative and owning the outcome, I take control and if I can't work the way I want to then I may as well find another company that will let me.

If you haven't tried taking the initiative I suggest you do. It can be a liberating experience.

Welcome

Welcome to Biz Readings.

I've started this blog to keep track of the various business books I'm currently reading and to share my opinions of each book as I read them.

I will also include various random posts as I feel the need to voice my thoughts.

Enjoy!

~ Jon