“How can I motivate my employees to ________ (work harder, be safer, be healthier, participate, etc.)? is a futile question.
Research has shown consistently that one person cannot force another person to change. However, cultivating a thriving workplace culture will foster intrinsic motivation, support employee well being, help employees successfully adapt to change, and will also reveal the valuable connection between corporate culture and success.
Instead of a host of gimmicks to entice employees, create the conditions in which they can find their own motivation – and then help them be the authors of their own change journey. Here’s how:
I use these 14 characteristics to determine whether a workplace is thriving:
First assess how well your organization is doing in these areas. Without a strong foundation, it will be impossible to create the conditions for sustainable change.
How does your organization view change? Is it embraced or dreaded?
Moving away from a control-oriented approach to change may seem counter intuitive, yet we all know that human beings don’t like to be controlled. These critical factors will help foster intrinsic motivation, engagement, and help employees better face adaptive challenges at the workplace:
Online clothing and shoe retailer Zappos is a great example of a company that embraces the importance of these concepts.
Because Zappos understands that failing to adapt to change can be devastating, employees are encouraged to challenge the status quo. In addition, Zappos supports and recognizes employees for bringing forward new ideas (autonomy). They provide employees with constant opportunities for growth and development (mastery), and leaders ensure that all employees have clarity about the company’s culture and vision (purpose).
Creating these conditions has translated into great success for Zappos. Just 10 years after it began, the company was sold to Amazon for an estimated $1.2 billion. It is still known today for providing exceptional customer service and building customer loyalty, while consistently appearing in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list.
It’s human nature to fall back on deeply rooted habits, so trying to “do” differently without first thinking differently is doomed to fail.
The nuances of human behavior communicate what we are thinking; therefore, change initiatives only work when we change the way we think. Organizations that recognize the importance of the cognitive process over the behavior itself will be able to foster meaningful change and improvements in the workplace.
As Paul Marciano states in Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work,
At the end of the day, successful organizations don’t motivate employees; they engage them. Motivating employees and engaging them are entirely distinct concepts.”
Unfortunately, instead of engaging employees, organizations often over value their function or behaviors.
Instead, organizations should focus on providing the support and context for employees to recognize when their thinking is, and is not, serving them well. These practical ways to cultivate effective thinking skills at the will help create the conditions for employees to harness intrinsic motivation and successfully adapt to change :
Organizations that focus on creating the conditions in which people can find their own motivation will reap the benefits of employees who are truly engaged at work.
How are you creating the conditions in the workplace for employees to harness their own motivation? Tell us in the comments section below!
This post originally appeared on CultureUniversity.com.