Whatever your definition of leadership, one of a leader's most fundamental roles is to influence people towards a common goal. Anyone with influence, in any profession or industry, will recognize that nothing in leadership is more important than understanding your audience. This concept is better known as WIIFM: What’s in it for me?
Imagine you ask the leaders in your organization; how would they answer these questions?
Have you ever:
Have you noticed that different people are energized by different things?
expressed appreciation for an employee and didn't get the reaction you expected?
had difficulty staying energetic and motivated yourself?
Have you noticed that some people follow you easily, while others don't?
wished you knew how to truly motivate different personality types?
had difficulty implementing motivation programs to help people perform better?
As children, we were often told: 'How would you feel if someone treated you that way?' This principle is deeply ingrained. With the best intentions, we appeal to empathy, often linked to the 'Golden Rule': 'Treat others as you would like to be treated'. This is a widely accepted way to influence behavior.
Many leaders continue to follow this rule in their professional lives: Use your own perspective and experience as a guide when motivating others.
With this mindset, leaders might, at best, positively influence those who think like them. However, it's more likely they'll fall into the trap of a one-size-fits-all approach, assuming everyone is motivated in the same way they are. This can result in:
Teams made up of people just like them
Reward systems that work for some, but actually demotivate others;
Lack of innovation;
Discrimination in recruitment and promotion.
Do you recognize any of these problems in your organization? Do your leaders use a personal approach when it comes to motivation, or are they stuck in a trap where they project their own motivational methods onto others?
Changing your leadership mindset about influence and motivation can make a big difference. This is the sixth of eight mindset shifts that can transform the impact of leaders.
Treat others as they want to be treated
Treating others as they wish to be treated means we interact with them based on their motivational needs.
Different people, different needs
The Process Communication Model (PCM) identifies six distinct personality types that we all possess, arranged in a preferred order. Each type has unique motivational needs that must be met for effective functioning. For each person, one of these six types, called the Phase, is the primary source of motivation. A personalized PCM profile can identify our Phase type.
This isn't about selfish desires, but about innate needs that must be fulfilled for us to thrive. Utilizing each person's unique motivational needs gives leaders significantly more positive influence.
Recognition for person, sensory stimulation
Recognition for person means knowing that you are unconditionally valued for who you are, as opposed to what you do. Sensory motivators are about recharging with things that feel good, smell good, sound good, taste good, and look good.
Motivate in this area by showing you care about the person as an individual and by creating a safe, caring, and friendly environment.
Recognition for productive work, time structure
You perform best when focused on productivity and efficiency. Planning and completing tasks is inherently rewarding for you. A strong sense of time structure means you value time and how it is utilized.
Motivate individuals in this area by utilizing everyone's logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Want to do even better? Then make it possible for everyone to use their time efficiently and productively.
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You love interacting with new and stimulating things to let your creativity flow. Movement, play, and unexpected interactions energize you.
Motivate in this area by making it fun.
Being alone
You need unstructured and uninterrupted time for yourself. In a crowd or a park, you can retreat to a quiet spot to recharge.
Motivate others by giving them space and time to recharge.
Recognition for dedicated work, beliefs
You want to know that your work makes a difference. Your work reflects your values, so you feel motivated when you see that you've contributed to something important. Conviction motivators are all about honoring your core beliefs and values.
Motivate people by clarifying the connection between their values, their contribution, and the organization's principles.
Challenge
You need a lot of action and excitement in a short amount of time. You thrive when something unexpected happens or when you have to face a challenge.
Motivate in this area with a challenge or something exciting, which simultaneously helps the team progress.
What suits you best? What about the people you lead? Which type of motivation do you find most challenging to incorporate into your leadership 'toolbox'? Roughly 80% of our leadership challenges involve 20% of our people.
Apply the Platinum Rule and watch productivity and engagement increase
Imagine the possibilities if you aligned motivational strategies with the needs mentioned above. Consider how you might approach performance reviews, talent development, or compliance, as well as the marketing, sales, and customer service departments.
Change your mindset, become a better leader
Learning how to positively influence and motivate different personality types is the focus of this module in the PCM Leadership Program.
In this module, leaders learn:
to improve their own energy and motivation;
helping people feel more valued, motivated, and energetic;
to increase their positive influence and credibility as a leader;
to improve employee engagement, as well as their motivation, performance, loyalty, and connection to the company's mission.
Do you want to start strengthening your leadership? Contact us.
