Can You Motivate Someone?
I Don’t Wanna
Is it possible to motivate someone? Can you really make a person do what they don’t want to do? Can you persuade a person to be excited about something that they don’t care about? I don’t think so.
Want to know how to motivate someone? Buy a big screen TV.
Nothing Says Motivation Like a 58-Inch Plasma
Yesterday, a 58-inch plasma TV was delivered to my garage. It’s in a box that’s 6ft. long and 4ft. high. 200lbs. It’s huge.
When my teenage boys got home from school yesterday they ran into the house and said, “Let’s get that moved downstairs. Right now!”
Engagement and the Aegean Stables
I don’t have to tell anyone with kids, especially teens, that even little chores become the equivalent of cleaning the Aegean Stables. No matter how much I try to “motivate” my guys — both with pay and “tough love” — their motivation level stays the same. Yep, they’re not engaged. (This is officially my last time using the word “engaged” unless it means a promise to get married.)
But get a new big screen TV and things change. My dudes want to watch TV with their friends in our newly-finished basement. They want to play video games. So, we carried the 200lb. TV downstairs, did all kinds of measurements, drilled, and mounted the bracket. And put the TV up in the wall.
I didn’t have to cajole. Or ask. Or motivate. They were internally motivated.
What’s Your Employees’ Plasma TV?
So, what’s the plasma TV to your employees? You can’t make taking out the trash motivating no matter what you do. But if you can figure out your employees’ plasma TV, then you have it whipped.
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8 Responses to “Can You Motivate Someone?”
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GREAT metaphor!
Your ability to link the issues of HR to daily life is one of the things that make this blog such an interesting read.
You should be in communications.
The answer then is: you can motivate someone to do what they want but not what they don’t want. Reminds me of the guy who says his dog is well trained but he only commands it to do what it is already doing. Inotherwords, no you can’t motivate someone. But what if you waterboard him? That should get him going for a few days at least.
Thanks, John.
Hey, Rick, I might just do that and get int he comm biz
Thanks for the kudos…back at ya on your material. It’s the real deal.
RA, well, you hit it on the head. Heck, no more low performance ratings, let’s go straight to waterboarding.
I’m trying to figure out what _my_ plasma TV could be in my workplace. Is it a year-end bonus? That’s pretty good, but I think the thing that really makes me go is the praise of my manager and peers.
This metaphor really makes me think in a new way and gets to the heart of comp.
Thanks!
Amazing what thought of playing X-box on a giant plasma television can do to motivate the youth of society!
Unfortunately most organization can’t shell out the dough to motivate their team members in this way.
I find one of the best ways to motivate people is by ensuring they are placed in jobs that are inherently motivating to them given the nature of the position.
Take a sales job for example. Hiring somebody who is highly motivated by money for this position will result in a team member who is motivated to achieve sales goals as achieving these goals will result in monetary reward.
Have somebody in a commision based sales position who isn’t motivated by money? Good luck motivating them to achieve sales goals with a heafty performance bonus… it just isn’t going to happen.
I think it all boils down to getting people in positions that match their natural behaviors and the values that motivate their behavior. Doing so will save an organization big bucks not having to shell out a flat screen TV everytime it needs something accomplished!
Chris Young
The Rainmaker Group
You hit on the real motivator - it wasn’t the TV -it was all the things they were going to do now that the TV is there. It’s the “experience” of using the TV. It’s the Xbox frag nights, the “Knocked Up” movie fests with friends - not the TV. The value of that TV is exponentially more to them than the purchase price (although for the money behind a 58″ plasma would probably get me moving as well.)
That’s the key - connect the item to the experience.
Paul, very well said indeed. It’s not the TV, it’s the effects of the TV. Tonight, it’s Guitar Hero being played on it. It’s the experience. I like the movies with the surround sound…the kids like to have their friends over.
Charlie, thanks. It’s one of those simple mind benders.
Chris, spot on! It’s the “do what you love and success will follow” aspect. It works. And to try to force a person into a wrong job just doesn’t work. Well said.