Do you know your players? What makes them tick? It may be different from what you assume.
Take Time to Identify Motivators
Learning about others’ motivators is best done by asking questions, listening and being genuinely interested in understanding. Asking, “what motivates you?” rarely works. Better questions include:
What do you most enjoy about your job?
What things do you least enjoy about your job?
What do you consider to be your strongest skills?
What skills would you like to develop?
Who do you admire as a role model?
What’s the toughest thing you’ve ever done?
How did you get through the worst of times in your life?
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Tell me about the best manager, coach or teacher you’ve ever had…
You may want to ask these questions over time…not in one conversation. Then, take the time to think about this individual. What do all of their responses tell you about their motivators?
Adapt Work to Be Motivating
Knowing what motivates (and de-motivates) your players enables you to make adjustments to how you communicate and what work you assign. Be intentional about making the most of using each individual’s skills and interests to create a more motivating work environment.
When you know your players, you can tap into their motivators to make work more enjoyable. And when people enjoy the work they do, they are committed and motivated.