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There has been a major shift in our world of work over the last 30 years. As William Charland described it, we are moving from the pyramid, a top-down shape of work, to one that is relatively flat, a diamond shape.
The pyramid shape of work suited the Industrial Era because it allowed leaders to control the quality of their manufactured products by imbedding fairly static processes and limiting the impact of new ideas. Middle management was quota driven. Motivation (keeping people coming to work and doing their job with enthusiasm every day) in this repetitive (even boring) paradigm was externally induced through raises, signing bonuses, holidays and health benefits.
In the new economy those external motivators just aren’t cutting it. Jobs in the diamond shape of work are no longer static. Instead, constant change, an overload of work, and new things to learn pop up at an exhausting pace. Research confirms what we see every day. Money just doesn’t count for much when we are too stressed by the pace and pressure at work.
There is one carry-over from the pyramid to the diamond: health benefits have remained high on the list of ‘must haves’. That is because diamond demands have resulted in higher rates of burn-out with corresponding increases in long term disability claims. This certainly doesn’t make for a very healthy organization (pardon the pun).
There is lots of evidence that increasing the quantity or quality of the same old external motivators isn’t keeping people from burning out or leaving. Data abounds on the rising costs of medical and stress leaves, mental breakdowns, employee turnover rates, and presenteeism. Furthermore, taking that tack quickly drains the organization’s coffers. So what do employers need to know about motivating their people in this new work paradigm that requires employees to hang in there (be present), achieve more (be highly productive) keep up with the rapid pace of change, and be innovative and creative to help the organization succeed?
Employers need to shift from using external motivators to induce desirable behaviours to equipping their people to motivate themselves. Internal motivation happens naturally, with no effort whatsoever on the part of the employer, when people are able to do work that is a good fit for them. Work is a good fit for them when they get to do work they love, in a way that suits them and in a way that reflects their particular realities. When people are doing work that is a good fit, you can’t hold them back from being fully engaged, highly productive, innovative and creative employees.
Employers need to make sure their people get the tools and skills to define what work that fits looks like for them, because people have never learned to define this for themselves.
Stay tuned for the next blog posting to hear a little bit about a ‘how to’.
The recent Speech from the Throne stressed that a key factor in the health and well-being of our economy lies in our ability to be innovative and creative. I agree. In fact, we have no choice. Let’s get at it!
Sounds good, but who should get at it? Who should we turn to for innovative thinking and action? Does the innovative spirit move in a few special or specially trained people? Or is it possible that the innovative spirit resides in each of us, and is there for the finding? Imagine the cumulative impact on Canada’s economic well-being if the latter were true.
I believe that the latter is true. I believe that each person has, and can identify, an intrinsic motivator – that driving force that gets them up and going and keeps them connected to things in their world every day – and that every person has the capacity to be innovative through their intrinsic motivator. In fact, I think that we cannot stop ourselves from being innovative. What is lacking, however, is every individual’s ability to recognize what their form of innovation looks like. What is also lacking is leaders knowing how to recognize what innovation looks like for every one of their people.
Some people’s innovation is overt and much easier to recognize. However, in others it’s much more subtle, but equally valuable to the success of our economy. These subtle innovations are usually overlooked and opportunities to cultivate them get missed.
Imagine what could happen if every person could identify and apply his/her own intrinsic motivator and be consciously innovative. Imagine what could happen if every leader was able to recognize innovation in whichever form it presents itself in every employee.
As a consultant and executive coach, I help my clients identify their intrinsic motivator in order to help them find their best fit at work. The side benefit is that I get to see how they are likely to use it to be innovative in the workforce. I find myself wanting to extend my practice to coach clients and their leaders on how to recognize what their form of innovation looks like and how to use it every day to make a difference for the organization.
I think we have an easier place to start than by trying to motivate people into a state of being innovative. I think we simply need to help people become aware of what their innovation already looks like and help leaders recognize and cultivate innovation in whatever form it takes for each person.