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What can we do to enhance passion amongst employees?
Some think you need to pay people more. If tomorrow you doubled everyone’s pay they are excited for a short time a few months later everything is the same on the passion front (it would lesson turnover as people stay for the extra money compared to what they would get elsewhere).
Douglas McGregor explained, in the Human Side of Enterprise, nearly 50 years ago, the theory x and theory y styles of management.
Theory x believes you need to get people to work by tricking them, threatening them, motivating them, etc. Theory y believes they want to work and managers need to eliminate the de-motivation that is in place in many organizations. Dilbert makes fun of quite of a few of the stupid management practices that sap passion from people.
What you need to do is eliminate de-motivation, not to try to enhance passion directly.
Also, as Guy Kawasaki’s makes a good point when he says “the key to getting great people to work for you is to have a great product. That is why Google does so well. That is why Apple does so well.” This can help. Being a part of something great gives many people passion.
Related: Why Extrinsic Motivation Fails - Motivation - Don’t ask employees to be passionate about the company!
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October 15th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Excellent - two very powerful insights, I especially like the Kawasaki obsevation.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
John,
I found your site thru a comment you made on an RWorld posting.
I agree with your advice for managers to spend their time removing de-motivators rather than trying to create extrinsic motivating forces.
In most cases “motivation problems” are the result of structural problems in the organization.
For the curious . . .
=> Critical Chain provides a better structural approach to managing projects
=> Requisite Organization Theory provides an approach for creating a better organization
Be forewarned, neither are a silver bullet, but with thinking and hard work both are very powerful.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:57 am
I believe employees are passionate about their work when they are able to see how their daily responsibilities directly impact the company as a whole.