First Blog Post: Motivation!
Hello, and welcome to my very first blog post! I’m new to this whole blog thing, so bear with me while I get the hang of this. As I think about all the different topics pertaining to management that I could write about throughout my 14 or so blog posts, I figured I’d start with something relatively simple (or so I thought); what makes a successful manager? While this can have endless answers, I’m going to focus on the motivation aspect and how a successful manager motivates their team to be productive, innovative, and interactive to ultimately reach the teams/companies fullest potential.
The first ideas that came to my mind when pondering this question are things I feel most would think of; adequate pay, bonuses, ample vacation time, a gift here and there. I wouldn’t object to any of these things! They’re the traditional “carrot and stick” motivators. You do well, you get something you want, you don’t do well, there will be consequences. But after watching a TED Talks video by Dan Pink called, “The Puzzle of Motivation,” my view has completely changed.
Pink presents his audience with a case and backs up his argument with science and facts. He believes that true motivation is not actually achieved by this 20th century idea of incentive, but it instead kills creativity and only really works in a “narrow band of circumstances” where the goal is clear and there's little to no thought involved. Pink uses the well known “candle problem” and studies by Sam Gluxsberg to defend his argument and suggests replacing this old reward based system of motivation with people's own drive to do things because they matter. He believes that through intrinsic motivation, people will be motivated to do things because they feel like they matter, they’re intrigued by the work, and quite simply because they feel like they are apart of something bigger than themselves. Only then will they truly be motivated to help keep up with the creative rigors and demands that are necessary for us to thrive and survive in the 21st century.
After digesting what Pink had to say, I really couldn't agree with him more. From personal experience, I know that sometimes the most motivating tasks are not ones that I’ve been monetarily compensated for or been given something materialistic in return, it has been those times when I’ve left with nothing but a full heart and a sense of accomplishment, knowing that I’ve done something that I knew truly mattered. As Pink reiterates, if more businesses did away with the outdated thinking of an if-then reward system and replaced this with jobs that gave people a sense of self-worth and really targeted individuals true interests, this “mismatch between what science knows and what business does” would be done away with and in its place would be successful, stronger businesses.
Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation
The first ideas that came to my mind when pondering this question are things I feel most would think of; adequate pay, bonuses, ample vacation time, a gift here and there. I wouldn’t object to any of these things! They’re the traditional “carrot and stick” motivators. You do well, you get something you want, you don’t do well, there will be consequences. But after watching a TED Talks video by Dan Pink called, “The Puzzle of Motivation,” my view has completely changed.
Pink presents his audience with a case and backs up his argument with science and facts. He believes that true motivation is not actually achieved by this 20th century idea of incentive, but it instead kills creativity and only really works in a “narrow band of circumstances” where the goal is clear and there's little to no thought involved. Pink uses the well known “candle problem” and studies by Sam Gluxsberg to defend his argument and suggests replacing this old reward based system of motivation with people's own drive to do things because they matter. He believes that through intrinsic motivation, people will be motivated to do things because they feel like they matter, they’re intrigued by the work, and quite simply because they feel like they are apart of something bigger than themselves. Only then will they truly be motivated to help keep up with the creative rigors and demands that are necessary for us to thrive and survive in the 21st century.
After digesting what Pink had to say, I really couldn't agree with him more. From personal experience, I know that sometimes the most motivating tasks are not ones that I’ve been monetarily compensated for or been given something materialistic in return, it has been those times when I’ve left with nothing but a full heart and a sense of accomplishment, knowing that I’ve done something that I knew truly mattered. As Pink reiterates, if more businesses did away with the outdated thinking of an if-then reward system and replaced this with jobs that gave people a sense of self-worth and really targeted individuals true interests, this “mismatch between what science knows and what business does” would be done away with and in its place would be successful, stronger businesses.
Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation
Thoughtful post. If you can tap into the intrinsic, it changes a job from just work to a calling. Easy to do with nurses and docs, but what about your janitorial staff? I had an interesting conversation with one hospital CEO on this topic. http://healthleaderforge.blogspot.com/2017/01/gary-r-ulicny-phd-president-and-chief.html
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Interesting first topic to tackle, too. As a manager, this is the number one thing I am challenged with every single day. I manage front line staff - check in, check out, medical records, etc. - those guys that truly make the business run & have a strong impact on patient satisfaction. How do you motivate them to feel as if they are something bigger when their actual tasks at hand are somewhat.. well.. mundane? Yes, I bring munchkins in. Sure, I am transparent as possible when it comes to organizational or practice level change. Sometimes I try to help them get involved in committees, but of course only when time allows. Luckily, working in healthcare, most people already feel as if they are a part of something bigger than them. We ALL, no matter the role in an organization, impact a patients journey through the hospital, clinic, practice. But, not everyone feels that or knows that. I ask myself every day "how can I motivate them?" & the frustrating part? Your staff can't always tell you a straight answer either. If you figure it out... please, let me know!
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, Great first post! As you note, traditionally, we've assumed that commitment comes from materially things. However, this is not always the case as Pink highlights. And certainly gaining that intrinsic commitment is most desirable because it is likely to be the most enduring. In healthcare, as Dr. Bonica points out, it is not always a challenge for clinical staff to feel that commitment but the farther away we get from understanding the "why" of what we do the more difficult it can be to get that more lasting and impactful commitment. As more and more organizations figure this out I think that concepts of "talent management" and the respective departmental organizations are shifting focus as well. The naming conventions for these entities is also telling. Whereas in the past, the Human Resources Dept typically covered employee incentives, now they are being rebranded to "Talent Management" and other names that reveal much about how employees are being incentivized. As a resource manager I like the idea of intrinsic motivation because it leaves money in the bank to be applied towards other capital investments within the hospital. After all, in most organizations nearly 60-70% of the budget can go towards the cost of human capital (salary, incentives, etc). Another consideration is that the current reimbursement structure incentivizes patient satisfaction. I think it's somewhat intuitive that happy providers and staff will likewise result in happy patients. And a committed and intrinsically motivated staff will likely result in a happy staff and thus happy patients. Happy patients then result in good surveys and more money for the organization. Again, great first blog post! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHi Erica! Thank you for the comments on my blog, I'm so sorry my replies have been delayed, but I am working at getting better at replying weekly. I really appreciate your comments on my posts! I think you and Dr. Bonica make a really valid point about how the farther away we get from understanding the "why" of the organization, the more difficult it is to feel true motivation. I was wondering about this idea myself after I posted this blog and I am not sure how I would go about handling this if I was in a management position. I guess starting at the very basic "thank you" to people such as janitorial staff, so they know they are appreciated. Without them, the organization would not be able to remain clean and safe for patients and the housekeeping works round the clock to ensure this. I'm sure this must be a challenge for most organizations and I'd love to learn more about how different places deal with this issue.
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