The crisis of motivation in a closed environment

Sometimes some things and actions can lead to the conclusion of the opposite nature. So it happened here, while studying the next system, I came to the solution of many problems with the motivation of staff.

To begin with, let's define motivation, what it is and why. In a global sense, motivation is a charge of energy that is transmitted to people, thereby pushing them into action (have you tried to eat sweets and sit quietly?). And here the motivation is divided into two types, the first is directed motivation (in real life it is rarely found). It pushes a person not just to act but to a specific action (for example, you need to improve the product design). The second type is non-directed motivation, in essence it is just a call to action (and to anyone, to improve the overall state of the system). This article affects the second type more, but on the other hand, the first one, as I wrote first, “Sometimes some things and actions can lead to conclusions that are opposite to their nature.”


Most of the problems of motivation lies outside the zone of influence. The main problem is not bad management, lack of qualifications, or a fuse that would kindle a fire in their employees. The main problem is in the system itself, in the bureaucracy, and in the limitations that they engender. I will give a simple example, imagine a person who is in an indestructible cube. Now imagine that we motivate him to dig. Our motivation was obtained by him, but since he is in an indestructible cube, it is pointless to dig for it is impossible. And he sits and does nothing. From the point of view of the observer, we, as motivators, have failed, our motivation has not forced him to dig. But in fact, our motivation was limited to the system in which the person is, perhaps if he was on the field, and he had a shovel, he would start digging and everyone would be happy. But there is no field and the ability to dig too.
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The problem is that most companies limit their employees to duties and any attempt to marry them is punishable by the words - “stop doing other things, for this we have specialists”. It is possible and true, but it is also possible that the person had a brilliant idea in the field of which he is not engaged and was rejected without even checking it. After that, the person is unlikely to want to do something, because he will know that any of his actions will be ignored and perhaps punished. Now remember where Einstein worked and by whom, and what he did in the end. Do you understand what I mean?

In order for motivation to work at 100% of its capabilities, first of all it’s worth giving people freedom to work, learn to listen, and be tolerant of mistakes. A person may submit a bad idea 20 times, but he will strive for the best every time, since he will know that he will be heard, that he is not a gray mass, but part of the mechanism and that the fate of the company really depends on his work.

And so when the next time a person comes to you and says that he has an idea not from his area of ​​responsibility, do not send him, but take the time (perhaps for coffee or a smoke or lunch) and listen to him what he will say, and even if he mistakenly show that you are grateful for the fact that he shared this with you. Believe it will work better than even raising the ZP (although this does not stop doing this either).

Do not limit your people to indestructible cubes, give them the opportunity to influence the processes in the company. Since nothing motivates as the desire to change the world for the better that is in each of us.