Demoralizing Motivation

“I see great things in you.” “You have real talent, and love working with you.” How motivated are you right now if these words were spoken to you? Uh huh, feeling pretty good. Motivation is a tricky thing sometimes. It is one of the most powerful tools in a leader’s arsenal. Being able to get a diverse group of people to rally around a common idea, or keep someone going when all seems pointless takes skill and finesse. It’s basic leadership. Motivation creates wonderful results when used correctly, but can be thoroughly destructive when it is misused. How can you prevent the latter, and ensure the former? Be true to your word.

Sue was a team leader in a creatives group. Happy and always willing to go the extra mile, she ran on raw energy. Five years of great reviews and solid performance. Sue quit. Brian was an analyst in marketing. The go-to guy for any project, who could be counted on to enthusiastically handle whatever was thrown at him. Eight years of glowing performance reviews. Brian quit. Molly was a director of digital media, who was highly recruited. A radiant personality to match her drive to do exciting stuff. Two years of brightness, and yep, you guessed it. Molly quit. This all happened in the span of six months. In the larger picture, not much more than a blip for a big area of the company; however, there was something not right.

After a little digging, it turns out that the connecting tissue to these resignations was the executive of the communications area. Ed was a charismatic leader, who had the ability to create and motivate great teams. There was always a kind word, lots of recognition, compelling storytelling and general comfort. Ed seemed to embody the picture next to all the words in leadership books spelling out what a leader looks like. Could Ed really be the problem behind the recent exits? It didn’t make any sense.

Well, of course Ed was the problem. Why else would I be writing this? Ed loved people and people loved Ed. His area was one of the happiest places in the company. Though, just like the opening scene of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, just beneath the idyllic surface there was something a bit rotten and ugly. Here’s what was happening – Ed kept his teams motivated by playing solely to their egos. Everything they did was great. Their performance reviews said as much. They were appreciated. Except when it came to actually appreciating them because behind the happy talk there was little movement for all the ‘great’ work.

In reality, Ed didn’t think that most of his people were great. While the words were there, it was accompanied by a lack of follow through. For those like Sue, Brian and Molly who were motivated to put in the long hours and take on extra tasks there was nothing to show on the other side. They were passed over for promotions or the exciting new activities. Why? While very good employees who provided tremendous value, they were not the superstars that Ed made them out to be. Ed might have been making the right decisions by not giving them the promotions or premium assignments, but without genuine feedback it created a disconnect that drove these people away.

Ed lost trust because he wasn’t being honest. He used motivation more as a weapon of defense to deal with budget and strategic constraints instead of as a tool for engagement and performance. Ed feared these conversations because he couldn’t stand the idea of disengagement. The outcome of this path was far more detrimental and expensive. Lost productivity and added recruitment and training costs are only the beginning. Trust was the real casualty. More people in the area are starting to see that they are being used.

Authentic discussions about strengths and opportunities, along with plans to actually make people exceptional is what really motivates and engages. We all want to be great. Most have the capacity, but some don’t. Sue, Brian and Molly had the ability to be brilliant and do more, but how much more is unknown since they didn’t have those authentic discussions. Real leadership is building for the long-term. That building begins with truthful and sincere assessments, which is foundational for creating trust. And, from there you will find the seed for genuine motivation.