I've been in labor at the keyboard since 5:00 this morning trying to push out a post on incentives and motivation. Not happening.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been trying.
Anyone who has a blog knows that you can’t just pop out a post on demand. You need some sort of starting point. I’ve been looking for that kernel of an idea that I can warm up and watch explode into a puffy, delicious full-fledged post.
At the high school baseball game I attended last evening I listened in on the other parent’s conversations to see if they had any insights I could steal. I almost (almost) watched the last episode of Undercover Boss in my DVR but came to my senses and just banged my head on the table till I was dizzy. I read everything in my google reader. I checked twitter a bunch of times. Read old posts, did yoga (nah), checked the liquor cabinet (luckily it was empty), basically did everything I could to find an idea.
You see… it’s not an issue of motivation.
I WANT to write a post. I AM MOTIVATED. I just don’t have the raw material. I don’t have the stuff I need to get the job done. No incentive in the world right now would automagically make me create a good post. I’d still be stuck.
Now, tell me you’ll give me a million bucks for a post and I'm sure I could come up with a crappy post about not having any ideas on what to post and connect that to motivation and collect my winnings.
Or worse yet – I might plagiarize and hope I don’t get caught.
See – not an issue of motivation. It’s an issue of tools. I don’t have what I need to get the job done right.
Incentives Are Your Worst First Solution
Too often in business we look at poor results and assume it’s an issue of motivation. It sometimes is, but more often than not it is another issue. But it’s easier to assume it’s someone else’s fault and go from there.
- Work not getting done? – “Do the work and get a prize” (it’s really an award but I’ll let that slip right now.)
- Timeline slipping? – Here’s a logo-identified snuggie. "
- Need more sales? – Hit your goal and get a trip to the Overlook Hotel – Red Rum included.
Most of our business leaders assume we’re all waiting to be motivated when in fact we’re waiting for them to do their job.
Yeah – I said it – Managers – do your job.
Find out WHY stuff isn’t getting done. Do some research. Talk to someone. Come out of the mahogany office and bump against us unwashed masses and see if it really is a motivation problem.
I’m guessing it is a tools problem. A training problem. A communication problem. It may not be a motivation problem.
Remember – incentives are your worst first solution.
Make it your last best solution and you’ll get more from your effort.
So… where’s that million bucks?



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