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Ron Crossland
Factoid Junkie and Poet
In the Battle of the Buzzword, diversity may now have surpassed empowerment. For a phrase to attain the buzzword label, it has to transit through two powerful, previous stages: the significance stage and the ubiquitous stage. Buzzwords usually are BIG ideas or complex ones that have universal impact, which is rather obvious because if there is no widespread hubbub, there wouldn’t be much buzz to them, right?
The buzzword stage of a concept is difficult. While the concept may be significant and universal enough to matter, its associated buzzword can, ironically, be its downfall. That’s because the buzzword short circuits complete understanding: everyone feels they’ve already heard so much about it that they don’t need to consider it any longer. Diversity as a buzzword has reached this point--we have talked about ethnic, cultural, and intellectual diversity for so long, that revisiting the whole thing seems rather unnecessary. But it is my belief that all good buzzwords deserve a second chance, and can still provide insight. That is why taking a motivational slant helps us gain a fresh look at the diversity issue.
For a long time in leadership circles practitioners and pundits alike have stressed the value of a common vision as necessary to lift people’s gaze from the day-to-day to the more noble aspects of work. While I share this notion, the reality is that the commercial workplace’s noblest intentions may not strike universal and strong motivational chords among some individuals. This discrepancy in work motivation is a generally less discussed form of diversity, although it should be a crucial consideration in the minds of leaders.
Erickson, Dychtwald, and Morison all refer to six different sources of workforce motivation in their March, 2007 Harvard Business Review article. These motivations are:
- Legacy – creating something of lasting value
- Security – finding a predictable source of income
- Team Success – being a contributor to a valuable team effort
- Risk and Reward – opportunities for change and excitement
- Flexibility – a non-priority source of livelihood
- Low Obligation – a source of immediate economic gain
I would add to these motivations the following:
- Ego/Status – a demonstration of personal esteem or prowess
- Dedication – the consecration of a life to a valued system of beliefs
- Acceptance – finding a niche that supports who the individual is
There are likely other classifications, but the number or nature of work motivations is not the essential thing. There are in fact many different motivators. While they affect all social cultures, they don’t all necessarily align with noble commercial interests. Some folks, for example, may work at Google, GE, Tata, or the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China because of the benefits provided, not because they endorse any ambitious commercial vision espoused by the company. Location--proximity to home residence--combined with benefits can also be persuasive motivators that tend to weaken, if not nullify, the shared-vision angle.
Nearly all workers find motivators have varying impacts over the course of their work lives. A classic example of this is the security vs. risk and the reward motivators. Consider a person who starts out considering security as the strongest motivator. Now imagine that over time this person, whose security needs are fairly well satisfied, decides to step up risk and reward. You know people like that. I know one, a friend who is dying to start his own business. He knows that if he sticks it out where he is currently working for three more years his health benefits will be paid for the rest of his life. Nevertheless, over time he has learned to loath the place, due to some stringent command and control practices. My friend is genuinely struggling with the decision of staying or leaving prematurely. You gotta believe all of this is affecting his overall engagement level. The personal tension he feels between these two motivations far outweighs the inspirational qualities of the organization that, ironically, does offer a beneficial and wonderful service to the community at large.
I know others who work to provide an income that supports an endeavor that has absolutely no economic reward. They often say, “I work so I can support my hobbies.” And they are serious. They work hard for their employer, but when they leave work, their greater abilities come online in pursuit of their hobbies. Sometimes these hobbies are commercial sidelines that they hope will blossom into full-time endeavors. Motivational diversity is a real, powerful manifestation of work life and, like all other types of diversity, understanding it can allow leaders to bridle its power.
For example, if the organization my struggling friend works for had the type of motivational diversity thinking that could encompass and embrace his desires to launch his own business, my friend could likely be energized to work his remaining three years with renewed vigor. Likewise, my hobbyist friends, who plan to work for a long period of time, could have their commercial interests spurred if there was an honored place for their true motivations.
Unfortunately, there is a general commercial belief that works against motivational diversity. It’s the idea that you reward top performers, coaching only those who have the potential to gain the performance peaks. The others, the slower-pokes, the underachievers, are predictably ushered out of the organization.
While a sound commercial strategy in some regard, this philosophy does not fully take advantage of the variety of motivational drives that exist out there in the work world. In fact, it may well squash down many productive workers to a lower level of engagement, the same way that overlooking other aspects of diversity does. Or worse, it might cause valuable talent to walk. Just because a person doesn’t deeply buy into an organization’s high-level commercial mission, does not mean that that person will not be a productive worker. If their motivational interests can be met, they may actually turn out to be some of your best talent.
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