MC53 The problem with motivating others

As a manager our success is really dependent on the success of our teams. Yet there is something a bit topsy-turvy about the idea that managers are responsible for the motivation of our people. Much of motivation is intrinsic, most people inherently want to do good work.

In fact often times work, even the work of the manager, can get in the way of people's natural motivation. If the manager's responsibility is to remove obstacles for the team... are there times when we should remove ourselves?

00:00 min Pilar has always wanted to write a book about motivation at work and the role of the manager. The title of the book? "Get out of the way".

1:30 Tim misinterprets this and starts worrying about his own motivation.

3:00 Pilar quotes Bob Glazer from episode 323 of the 21st Century Work Life Podcast: "Becoming a leader means changing all your reward centres, from getting rewarded for what you do to getting rewarded for the performance of your team."

4:30 It is important that our manager cares about us.

5:50 Pilar notes the big difference between trying to directly motivate people versus creating the conditions where someone's intrinsic motivation can thrive.

7:45 Motivation can come from many different sources and is very fluid. So maybe instead of trying to create motivation, we should start with being curious about their current motivations.

9:30 Managers can help put things into a different perspective. Reframing can be an effective tool in helping people unblock their intrinsic motivation.

10:00 We don't always have to fix motivation. Motivation can dip and it's ok. Managers can help with reframing.

12:30 Self-determination theory says if we don't have autonomy, competence and relatedness then motivation will suffer. Managers should identify what might be impacting these attributes and try to change it. There are many actions that the manager alone can perform because of their role and influence. For example, advocating more broadly across the organisation or changing the success metrics on a project.

14:45 Pilar and Tim believe that most people genuinely want to do their best at work. This is an important starting point because if you trust that someone has that basic mindset, you don't need to create motivation. It's already there, you just need to encourage it.

16:45 Pilar references the head, heart and hand framework. This can help dig into why someone might be struggling and what could unblock them.

18:00 One of our greatest sources of motivation occurs when we master something that we used to find difficult. The period of struggle is important because it provides context to our achievement.

19:45 Ultimately we agree that managers should use a coaching approach towards motivating their people.

What about you, dear listener? How do you motivate your teams? Does your manager have ways to motivate you? We'd love to hear about your experiences!

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