10 PRINCIPLES of MOTIVATION.

In today's tumultuous, slowing economy, plagued with layoffs and uncertainties, one of the biggest problems executives face is motivating their staffs. Nido Qubein, a noted speaker and author on communication and leadership, says the question he's asked most is: "How do I motivate my employees to do the things I want them to do?" His answer: "You don't!"

Qubein says managers can't motivate people, since they're already motivated. What managers can do is determine what motivates them and use the knowledge to channel their energies toward the company's goals. Based on his 20 years of observation and experience guiding companies to manage their people, Qubein has developed 10 principles of motivation:

1 All People Are Motivated. Some people are like water in a faucet. They have the motivation; all you have to provide is the opportunity. The water is already motivated to flow, but it doesn't have the opportunity until you open the tap.

Other people are like mountain streams, which flow swiftly but follow their own channels. These people may move energetically, but toward their own goals. Managers should make it worthwhile for these people to channel their motivations toward the results management is seeking.

2 People Do Things for Their Own Reasons, Not for Yours or Mine. Management has to show employees who follow behaviors that benefit the company "what's in it for them." That can be done by using rewards and recognition and by appealing to their sense of pride and achievement.

3 People Change Because of Pain. When the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing, people will change. For example, Americans didn't start buying smaller, fuel-efficient automobiles until the pain of high gasoline prices became greater than the pain of switching to less roomy and less powerful cars.

4 The Key to Effective Communication Is Identification. When something becomes personal, it becomes important. When clients or employees begin to identify with who we are and what we are good things begin to happen. Prudential, the insurance company, knows that its customers want to buy security. So, it doesn't just sell insurance, it markets peace of mind by inviting clients to buy "a piece of the rock." Kodak doesn't sell film; it invites its customers to "trust your memories to Kodak."

In dealing with employees, it isn't enough to appeal to them on the basis of company loyalty: They need personal reasons for showing this loyalty. Whether your company is instituting a new educational program or undergoing a total restructuring, it can get employees on board more readily if it shows them how the change will affect them for the better.

5 The Best Way to Get People to Pay Attention to You Is to Pay Attention to Them. That means listening to others and not just hearing them. Listening is active; hearing is passive. If we listen to individuals long enough, they'll talk about their concerns and problems. Take the time to get to know your staff and associates, not just by name, but also by their interests and aspirations. This means asking questions while not coming across as interrogators. Ask friendly questions about how they are, what they did over the weekend and what they're planning for their vacation. Then listen. It's amazing what you'll learn.

6 Pride Is a Powerful Motivator. Everybody Is Proud of Something. If we find out what makes our people proud, we can use that insight to channel their motivation. Pride is tied closely to self-esteem. Observations on self-esteem from Robert W. Darvin, founder of several successful companies, including Scandinavian Design Inc., are worth repeating:

"There's only one thing that counts in a business: building the self-esteem of your employees. Nothing else matters, because what they feel about themselves is what they give to your customers. If an employee comes to work not liking his job, or not feeling good about himself or herself; you can be sure that your customers will go away not liking or feeling good about your company."

7 You Can't Change People; You Can Only Change Their Behaviors. To change behavior, you must change feelings and beliefs. This requires more than training -- it requires education. When you train people, you try to teach them a task; when you educate people, you deal with them at a deeper level relative to behavior, feelings and beliefs.

8 The Employee's Perception Becomes the Executive's Reality. This is a key point. When we speak to employees, they don't respond to what we say; they respond to what they understand us to say. When employees observe our behavior, they respond to what they perceive us doing, and will try to emulate us.

Suppose you send an employee to a developmental workshop or seminar and she comes back brimming with new ideas and information. But you haven't been exposed to all this stimulating stuff, so your behavior doesn't change. The employee realizes this and concludes that the behavior she observes in you is the behavior you want. This may not be the case at all, as you may want to implement all these new ideas, but your employee's perception is the reality you get.

9 You Consistently Get the Behaviors You Consistently Expect and Reinforce. Companies should look for ways to reward employees for doing the things we want them to do. The reward may take the form of financial incentives, prizes or simply public recognition of a job well done. Reinforcement can be positive or negative. If employees learn that a certain type of behavior results in lower earnings, less favorable hours or less desirable territories, they'll adjust their behavioral patterns.

10 We All Judge Ourselves by Our Motives, but We Judge Others by Their Actions. Put another way: we're inclined to excuse in ourselves behavior that we find unacceptable in others. When our employees are late for work, it's because they're irresponsible and have no interest in their jobs. When we're late for work, it's because we were attending to necessary details that had to be taken care of. When employees engage in undesirable behavior, we shouldn't try to assess motives or change them, but rather, just deal with the behavior. We can't change the motives of our employees, but through positive or negative reinforcement, their actions can be affected.

Nido Qubein is an international speaker and author on sales, communication and leadership. Visit his Website at www.indoqubein.com call 877.989.3001, or write to Creative Services, Inc., P. 0. Box 6008, High Point, NC 27262.