Confusing title, right? I’m with you—I’m not entirely sure where this is going, but by time we reach the end, I have faith it will (hopefully) make sense. That’s sort of the point though: worry less about the outcome and more about the roads you choose to travel with your team.
I love the discourse about focusing on the humanity employees. Treating them as more than “just a number.” But, there appears to be a lack of ideas on how to intrinsically put that discourse into action. Sure, gift cards and PTO are great, but those are extrinsic rewards, motivation in its least effective and authentic form. You may get a short-term boost in morale and performance but it’s just not enough. What you really need is the good stuff: oh so sweet intrinsic motivation.
So, what’s intrinsic motivation? I’m sure you guessed the high-level concept—it’s the natural drive coming from within the individual. It’s about the individual’s growth mindset that’s cultivated from a desire to explore and learn. It’s more about encouraging the pursuit of what a person finds inherently interesting, or even better, helping them discover what that interest is.
"Being a leader has nothing to do with rank or authority. A leader is someone who embraces the awesome responsibility to see those around them rise." - Simon Sinek
To invest in the intrinsic motivation of your employees is investing in their potential to rise and succeed, not just as an employee, but in their holistic humanity.
Cool rhetoric Mr. Storm. Except it’s hard to hear you from all the way up there on your glorious pedestal. Fair point reader, nothing more annoying than the rambles of a virtue signaler. No worries friends, I have your tangible tactics to play around with.
The Snowball Method
Starting is the hard part, be it a new healthy habit or a project at work. This is the beauty of the snowball method: it’s the strategic approach of tackling the smaller or easier tasks first to build momentum.
For new additions to your team, the snowball method is a great fit. As a new hire, confidence is low and anxiety is high. Set them up for quick victories on tasks that don’t require deep expertise. Don’t forget to protect this group of employees from the stressful expectations of escalated deadlines during early stages.
A new hire use case may seem obvious, but here’s another use case I rarely see executed: low morale. Maybe it’s baggage from their last job, maybe it’s scar tissue from the last regime at the same employer, or maybe it’s both—regardless, it’s part of your awesome responsibility to help your people succeed. Understand that short-term investment in helping an employee rebuild confidence and find their voice will yield long term dividends to your operation—don’t let the KPIs lie to you, stay true to your vision.
The Avalanche Method
No two employees are the same and understanding that will protect you from the fatal mistake of using the snowball method for every person. Enter the avalanche. Some competitive employees are happier taking on highly complex, critical issues, which drives their motivation to explore. Generally, this is a more experienced employee, but this does not mean you should exclude your newer employees. Regardless of experience level, some employees learn better and thrive sooner with greater challenge. Whether it’s due to healthy self-esteem or a passion for high stakes work, this type of employee will likely lose energy due to boredom if you try to snowball.
With many things in life, the ideal outcome is finding a happy balance. You can’t rely on one method to motivate teams and you can’t assume an employee will always fit into the methods you regularly utilize. This isn’t a mysterious tactic to apply to your teams without their input, it’s the exact opposite. Employee morale is boosted when including your team in the conversation and working together to strategize in a thoughtful and transparent manner. Start the conversation by simply asking: do you want to snowball or avalanche? I promise, it’s a fun conversation starter.
