subject: How To Motivate The Employees With A Sense Of Purpose [print this page] How To Motivate The Employees With A Sense Of Purpose
There is nothing like a worthwhile purpose to unite and motivate a group of workers. You can see this clearly in the voluntary sector. This is where people are motivated by 'the cause'. You can use the same basic principle to motivate the employees in your organisation. Voluntary workers have a strong sense of purpose that motivates them. It may be caring for sick animals, fund-raising for children in poverty, running citizen advice centres or providing some other important service. For a purpose to be motivating it has to satisfy the three C's: it needs to be clear, co-operative and compelling. 1. ClearThe first point about clarity is that it needs to be clear to you. If you are hazy about exactly what purpose you are communicating, it will appear vague to your audience. The purpose needs to be clear so that it genuinely motivates you - for communicating the purpose clearly you need to walk the talk. If you are inconsistent here, the falsehood will stand out a mile and your message will be lost. If the purpose is buried deep within the organizational culture, standards, process and administration, tease it out and polish it before sharing it with your staff. If the purpose has never yet been articulated, now is the time to formulate it. 2. Co-operativeBe inclusive and make the purpose one where all your people take an active part. And crucially, each individual needs to know their role in serving the purpose. A co-operative purpose is in complete contrast to the case of the egotistical leader who effectively says 'I am doing this and all of you are going to support me while I do it'. 3. CompellingIf the purpose is bland, humdrum or boring, its motivational value will be nil. Your job is to convey a purpose that energises and inspires your people. When you communicate this purpose, check for feedback. Remember that the meaning of any communication is the response you get, so if the feedback shows that the purpose is not yet compelling enough, you can revise it. Let's see all this in action in a true story from the school playing field. The football team had recently gained a new coach. Before then their competition success had been limited but now the team felt they had turned the corner. They had reached the semi-finals of the county championship. But their spirits took a nosedive when they found they had been drawn against the best team in the league - a team with a season's unbroken record of wins. Yet the coach took it in his stride and gathered all the players for an inspirational talk. He told them that he believed they could win. And that was what he wanted them to do. The purpose was clear.He went on to say that although the opposing team was formidable, the strength in his team was the way they played together. He would run extra training sessions before the big day and he wanted everyone to give 100% in the run up to the fixture. The purpose was co-operative.On the evening before the game, the coach gave each player a letter. Each letter was specific to the individual and he thanked them for their participation so far. Crucially he went on to summarise exactly the role he wanted the player to take in the match. He finished by asking the player to imagine what winning would be like. The purpose was compelling.It turned out to be a tough match. The advantage first swung one way then back to the other. But the team with the stronger sense of purpose eventually won 3-2. The losing manager could not quite believe it but he congratulated the coach on the outstanding performance. You can bet this was passed on during the celebrations in the dressing room!Back in the workplace, you are 'the coach'. You can make a real difference by helping your employees find a worthwhile purpose. When you do so, their levels of motivation will be transformed.
