Intro: Motivation in the workplace is an important factor for entrepreneurs. And I often explore the many fascinating psychology research studies that have led us to a deep understanding of employee motivation. The following post is a thorough list of the best psychology concepts for motivating your workforce.
A Road Not Taken…
There was a time in my life when I was studying to become an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. Basically I thought that listening to, and attempting to vanquish, the workplace-based depression of a Fortune 500 company’s middle managers would be an interesting career. Looking at my current life, I am extremely glad I didn’t venture down that path!
My formal training in psychology, on the other hand, has taught me a ton of valuable concepts that I now use daily. These ideas translate well for almost any situation in the business and marketing world.
A couple of days ago I was speaking to a few budding entrepreneurs and the topic of motivation came up. While speaking with them, I realized how I forgot the actual psychology terms for the theories even though I think about the concepts almost on a daily basis. So I dug out my notes and gave myself a refresher course. The following concepts are some of the more important theories in motivational psychology in terms of workplace behavior:
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Are you WOWing your customers?
When it comes to customer service all the talk recently has been about Zappos. And for good reason. They’ve done an exceptional job delivering on their brand promise, “Deliver Happiness.”
The reality, however, is there have been countless companies delivering customer service at a loyalty level for decades.
One such company is Nordstrom. Their employee handbook, printed on a small gray card, might be THE clue to delivering WOW.
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Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to a new entrepreneur?
I’m often asked this question as I travel around the country speaking to groups on 21st century capitalism and leadership. This is a great question.
I would offer these 10 11 truths:
- The moment you decide to create something for others you are a leader. Act as such. Be an example. An example to your employees. An example to your vendors. An example to your customers. And, most importantly, be an example to your family.
- Your job as a business is to solve problems, not create them. For far too long too many businesses have created more problems then they are solving. (e.g. energy industry, food industry, health industry) Let that not be you. Make the commitment to be a business that focuses less on the bottom line and more on improving the well-being of others.
- You must have the willingness to do whatever it takes. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to do whatever it takes?” If your answer is anything less than, “Hell yeah!” close up shop and go do something else. [continue reading…]
During my one and only job interview in the corporate world, I was asked the go-to question:
“What is your biggest flaw?”
And while I’m not sure how others respond when asked this, I replied:
“I have a crippling problem with perfectionism.”
But looking back at that answer, is this really a problem?
I once thought it was my flaw. A sort of OCD I developed over time. I re-read everything I write over and over. I am compulsive about how & where I keep my possessions. And anything I do or buy needs to be Googled to ensure I’m making the right choice.
This all takes an excessive amount of time… But is it a problem?
The Perfectionist Entrepreneur
So let’s explore this. Does striving for that little extra create a problem within your life, relationships and business building efforts?
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I despise most networking events.
Of the countless networking opportunities I’ve been invited to, I oftentimes decline. Mostly because they are at the crack of dawn and require me to use a handful of alarm clocks to successfully wake up… Only to meet a bunch of self-serving business people.
But when I do take the plunge and attend networking events, it’s for one main reason:
Experimenting with Interactions
Where else can you go into a room filled with dozens of business people, all wanting something from you?
Whether it be to give you their business card or sell you something, most people’s intentions at networking events are egocentric. And this makes them perfect guinea pigs for testing business interactions, communication techniques and a multitude of other people skills.
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