Motivation – Stop Wasting Money On What Does Not Work
The Motivation Industry is an amazing business. It has been up-and-running for many decades now with a barely measurable impact. Ask most anyone who has ever attended a company sponsored motivational event how this selfsame event has changed their energy level and motivation in the long run and you are liable to receive a wan smile. Dollar for dollar the Motivational Industrial Complex has been one of the biggest financial black holes in the corporate history of the past decades. Hundreds of millions have been spent globally to ship teams into ritualized ‘happiness camps’ to be sluiced through pre-fabricated activities that solve little or none of the real concerns.
Far from creating true, deep-seated emotional thrust, growth and motivation, most sessions are nothing better that a ‘conspiracy’ between the motivators and the audience:
The motivator(s) pretend to be superbly happy and the attendees pretend to play along, the pay-off for both parties is instant: the motivator(s) get paid and the attendees get away from work for a day or two.
Solve Their REAL Concern And Put A REAL Smile On Their Faces
The above observations are not a figment of my imagination, they are the result of having worked with thousands of employees ranging from front-liners to managers.
Most agree that motivational sessions have become institutionalized and ritualized, they are the best idea many managers have to create some sense of happiness, however, the effect is by now quite the contrary:
Many employees have been ‘motivated’ to the point of stimulus-response -> they know when to clap, when to cheer and when to pretend they have bought into the company’s vision.
So if classical motivation tactics are not the solution to creating real vibrancy and willingness, then what is?
The real solution lies in a simple question:
WHY DO YOU GO TO WORK?
There are many answers to this question, but most all people will list “making money” as one of the core reasons.
The answer is deceivingly simple. 98% of humanity still has to work it’s way up Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs. Statistically this means that the majority of employees is still on they way to financial freedom and self management.
Put another way: most employees live in fear… Fear of not having enough money. This fear is often conscious, more often it is subconscious, but it certainly influences all decisions taken by individuals.
Starting from “I have to go to work” to “I will not correct the boss, it’s too risky..” there are a myriad ways in which this fear of being financially dependent finds it’s expression in negative thoughts and behavior patterns. Most employees are caught in a dependency pattern towards their company, which is the source of the money = life blood they need.
The perceived lack of abundance and helplessness towards the big company on who my livelihood depends leads to re-action and resistance towards the company which is perceived as self-interested (and sometimes even seen as cynical)
Give Them Financial Intelligence & Create Massive Buy-In For Your Company
Financial security is THE main key concern why people join a company. However, most people live in a perpetual state of financial insecurity based on their lack of financial literacy.
Financial insecurity is like an unspoken cancer that erodes the spirit and morale of individuals. Cure the cancer and you will see intelligent people emerge whose thinking faculties are strong and free from fear, able to fully commit and contribute to your organization.
I have tested the financial acumen of room after room of corporate employees (from front-liners to managers) and the results were mediocre at best.
Given the chance to learn how to best manage their money has elicited instant, deep, interest in every single session. The sense of relief, interest and focus in each session after having shared hands-on money managing strategies with the participants is tangible. It is only after having addressed this key issue that the participants start paying real attention and buy into new ideas and strategies.
Don’t Wait, Make Them An Offer They Can’t Refuse
Have a meeting with your managers and team members, offer them a choice: a motivational outing to “Happy Camp” or a series of sessions with financial specialists and wealth planners that will get them to be financially literate and able to plan for a debt- and worry-free future, you might be surprised by the strength of their re-action!
The possibility of offering them a chance to take care of their financial future will register measurably on your ‘motivation index’. You are helping them with their key concern: to make sure they and their families are heading towards a financially secured future is the most powerful incentive of them all.
This is not just a mere ‘happiness tactic’, this is a deep seated corporate values decision: we want to help our team members achieve financial freedom. The payback will be a bought-in team who can see their rewards in the way their financial goals become true one-by-one.
