As a manager, getting your team on the same level of motivation as you can be difficult. Luckily there are many tips and tricks out there to help you. But we’re not going to talk about those today. In fact, for every great motivational tip, there are two you should not follow. Let’s debunk at 4 Motivation Myths. 

Motivation Myth 1: You alone can motivate your staff

A common misconception about people management is that you alone can motivate them. Motivation is essentially an internal process, meaning that, at the end of the day, people have to motivate themselves. What a manager can do, however, is provide the conditions and the environment which is most conducive to motivating people. This is where leaders can make the greatest difference.

Motivation Myth 2: Money is the main motivator

Research has shown repeatedly that, although money is important, it is not usually at the top of employees’ list of motivators. It is true that poor pay tends to de-motivate people, but the opposite does not always follow. There are generally more important factors that are worth
considering such as a positive relationship between managers and team members, a thriving company culture and job satisfaction.

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Motivation Myth 3: Fear is one of the best motivators

Instilling fear in employees, through threatening negative outcomes such as redundancy or demotion, is a poor long-term stimulus to motivation. Frightening an employee into doing their best work often has the opposite effect over a longer period. Instead of a push to succeed, fear tends to act as a strong de-motivator and can tend to push employees to leave the company.

Motivation Myth 4: What motivates me will motivate them

No two employees are alike and different things tend to motivate different people. As a manager, this can make motivating staff rather difficult but it is important to learn what motivates the various employees who work for you. Although there are some fairly universal motivators, we are drawn by them at different levels, so what may be important to you may be less important to somebody else.