Engagement Versus Motivation

Some experts advocate worker engagement, others are strong believers in motivational strategies. But one does not essentially exclude the other. There can be circumstances where even an engaged employee can use some additional motivation. Having an total engaged group must be the primary goal of each leader. Engaged staff are a true asset for every group, particularly in troublesome times. There may be, nevertheless, fairly some confusion in regards to the distinction between engagement and motivation.

Engagement

Engagement comes from 'within'. It's having perception within the 'cause'. Engaged folks do what they do because they imagine it is the right thing to do and never necessarily because there's a reward ready at the end. A first-rate instance of engagement is volunteer work. There is no such thing as a fee concerned, it takes up numerous time and it is very often ungrateful work. But most volunteers do it with passion and perseverance. Why? Because they consider in what they do. Engagement has all the pieces to do with commitment.

Motivation

Right here is where the confusion starts. Once we discuss motivation, we distinguish two different varieties: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation is actually exactly the identical as engagement. It comes from 'inside' and it has to do with the enjoyment or fulfillment a sure job or task gives the particular person, reasonably than the reward it would bring.

Extrinsic motivation is triggered by external factors. As soon as those factors do not exist anymore, the motivation will be gone as well.

The opponents in opposition to motivation strategies are towards extrinsic motivational measures like incentives and reward programs and they're absolutely right. Reward programs are counter productive; they often have a unfavorable return-on-investment in terms of cash, worker satisfaction and retention.

What is there in opposition to Reward Programs?

Let me share my own experience with you. I began my career as a sales rep for a corporation that sold copiers, faxes and printers. As typically the case, we received paid a commission on prime of our - quite low - base salary. On prime of that, the corporate had just a few 'reward programs' running. A program for probably the most sold items in a given interval, a program for probably the most 'new business' and a few more like these.

The worst one was the 'Gross sales Particular person of the Month Award'. The one with the most gross sales in a selected month could hand within the keys to his firm automobile and was allowed to drive the corporate's Porsche Carrera the following month AND he received his personal parking spot in front of the building.

What do these reward programs deliver? Nothing, really. Guess who all the time won these rewards? Right, the individuals who have been always within the top already. Guess who did not even attempt to get one in every of these rewards? Right once more, those at the bottom. They oknew up front that they might not stand an opportunity in opposition to the highest performers. And guess who tried just a few times however by no means got the 'prize' and have become de-motivated? Right, the people within the middle.

So was it motivating? For positive it was, for the group who did not have to be motivated; the top performers. They could have sold a bit more however once you might be at the top, the room for enchancment turns into smaller and smaller. It didn't do a factor for the bottom performers. They had been 'untouched' by these programs. It did do a lot for the group within the middle though. That's the group where every gross sales manager can 'rating'. They have potential and a whole lot of room for improvement. And what did it do? Exactly the other of what the program was invented for. They okaynew that they contributed to the corporate and they noticed that they'd never get 'rewarded' for their contribution. How motivating is that?

I hear some individuals say already:"Then they should make it to the highest! Then they will get the rewards as well!" I can rating one hundred ten% of my target but when different individuals score a hundred and fifteen%, does that make me 'common'? No, it doesn't. Regardless of how great your group of sales people is, there will all the time be a number one and a number last. And reward programs will at all times reward the numbers one, the individuals who want it the least.