Working Just Hard Enough Not to Get Fired

               A wonderful insight from the movie Office Space.                 Are you working just hard enough not to get fired?

Okay, let's listen in the following dialogue as Peter Gibbon (left) speaks with the two Bobs who supervise him:

Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.

Bob Porter: Don't... don't care?

Peter Gibbons: It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime; so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.

Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?

Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.

Bob Slydell: Eight?

Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.

In real life, most of us do not have eight bosses. However, most people find they have too many "priorities" on their plate - as many as eight priorities, if not more - and the effect is the same. Let's walk through this:

1. Your boss has given you a laundry list of important, "must do" items: each is a priority.
2. There's just not enough time to do an excellent job on each one.
3. Therefore, you go to "I don't want to be hassled" mode - do just enough on each item to avoid mistakes.
4. Congratulations! You're working just hard enough not to get fired!

If you're honest, you'll admit the above scenario is the reality for way too many people, they are buried under laundry lists of tasks and responsibilities. (FYI: In an earlier post, I cited a study that showing that a mere 10% of managers spend their time in a committed, purposeful, and reflective manner. So in reality, most of us work for bosses who are not very focused.)  What's more, the above scenario is a classic recipe for mediocre performance.

'nuff said!

Motivation Begins Before You Hire

At the recent ASAE Idea Swap, there was a session on building and motivating teams. I would like to propose that motivation begins before you hire; it begins with how you describe and advertise the job opening. 

A "Food for Thought" Exercise

Peruse a variety of job openings listed on ASAE (or other sources). Then evaluate the ads based on two criteria:

1. How powerfully does the ad appeal to an individual’s intrinsic motivations?
2. How powerfully does the ad appeal to the type of individual who thrives on teamwork?

Now look at the chart below. How many ads deserve to be listed in the upper right hand quadrant? What about the job ads your organization posts?

 

The Choice is Yours

Ask yourself which scenario leads to more productive and effective teams: 

Scenario One: You hire individuals who “can do the job.” Once they are on staff, you hope you can motivate them to work in a team.

Scenario Two: You hire individuals who are gung-ho to do their job and thrive on teamwork.

 The choice is yours!