Desire, not fear, motivates

Sondra believes the most effective means of motivating her employees is to remind them regularly that they could stand to do much better on their jobs, that they have yet to meet her standards for excellence, and that a little anxiety about whether they will be around to pick up their next paycheck can't hurt.

Her employees respond to her behavior by quickly burning out on the job, producing mediocre work, or simply quitting in frustration and fear.

Bonnie's idea of effective motivation is to remind her employees about past accomplishments, acknowledge present achievements, provide constructive feedback that will improve performance, and offer an appropriate mix of tangible and intangible rewards on a consistent basis.

The results? Bonnie's employees are interested in their work, willing and able to meet their own and the company's goals, and remain with the company as dedicated, loyal workers.

Who, would you say, has mastered the art of motivation? Basically, there are two motivators for human being, and one or the other of these is behind every behavior known to man.

They are fear and desire.

Fear is the negative motivator.

It is the one that Sondra uses.

When an employer activates an employee's fears, it results in the employee's avoidance of something he perceives as harmful or painful - in this case, the work he is supposed to do.

Although fear can be a valid and necessary motivator (in avoiding poisonous snakes, for instance), an employer needs to look at how fear motivates destructive behavior in the work environment.

Desire is the positive motivator used by managers, like Bonnie that can lead to achievement, success, and happiness.

It can have its consequences, too, if the desire is a wrong one, but desire is a much more effective motivator for almost any goal.

Remember the expression, "You will catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar." That is good to remember the next time you want to motivate your employee to work toward a goal.

Desiring the rewards of success is far more stimulating than fearing the consequences of failure.

Numerous psychological studies prove that animals and people are motivated to better results by rewards than by fear of punishment.

Both motivators work, but the positive motivation is more conducive to reaching a goal or learning a new behavior.

You will find that true for motivating yourself, and you will especially find it true as you seek to motivate others.

It is vital that managers know that they can better motivate their employees to greater success and achievement with the promise of rewards than with the threat of punishment.

Another key to motivating say the experts, is this: "To the degree you give others what they want, they will give you what you want." That is the key to persuading, leading, motivating, selling, supervising,

influencing and guiding others - getting people to do things for you.

For a leader whose goal is to "get people to do things," it is important to start with a positive self-image.

After all, how can you bring out the best in others if you aren't motivated by the best in yourself? Jane Boucher is an author and professional speaker with offices in Carson City and Ohio.

Reach her at (775) 884-4899, (937) 416-9881or janeboucher@mail.com.

Her website is www.janeboucher.com