As we all plan for the new year, many leaders are aware of the added challenges that come with the pandemic and its impacts over the last 18 months. Perhaps more than ever, focusing on a high-performing culture will make the difference between the businesses that thrive and those that stagnate.
Culture is one of those things that feels “soft” to some people. Similar to the companies that offer great customer service only when customers are complaining, businesses that think of culture as nice-to-have or as some kind of magic are missing the point, and they risk losing a great competitive advantage.
Primed to Perform explores the science behind the “magic.” Authors Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor demonstrate ways that businesses can unlock our desire to experiment and innovate.
The Total Motivation Factor
Motivation, what the authors call the ToMo Factor, is a kind of counter-intuitive driver because it is not about things like profit or top-down management; it is about something more individual. In fact, the claim is that Motivation is the single driver of higher performance and success.
Opposite from magic, instilling a high-performance culture does not happen mysteriously. It requires a systematic approach. While most leaders will say that culture is critical, they really don’t know how to build a system that supports and sustains one.
A Strategic Insight
After earning her MNA from Harvard, author Lindsay McGregor did strategic planning for companies, non-profits, and higher ed. Many of her clients asked a rhetorical question: Do we have the culture needed to implement a new strategy?
And even though these companies knew enough to ask that question, they were often reluctant to work on big culture shifts. Instead, they worked on small improvements –incremental steps that were not enough to make the needed difference in culture required to support a new, important strategy.
Why We Work
Working with many companies, the authors tested different drivers of high performance with 20,000 individuals. They found six reasons that people work:
- Play: I enjoy experimenting and creating
- Purpose: I am making a difference
- Potential: I have a chance to be part of something great
- Emotional Pressure: I need to work, or I will get called out
- Economic Pressure: I need to pay my bills
- Inertia: I came to work yesterday; I’ll go to work today.
Simply put, Total Motivation maximizes the first three, and minimizes the last three.
Why Invest in Motivation
Investing in a culture that motivates makes sense because it is an investment that pays off: total motivation leads to higher performance. Leaders who use the Total Motivation Factor tool can even measure the strength of their culture and track progress.
The investment also scales. Small teams, nonprofits, and large businesses can see more passion in their employees, more loyalty in their customers, and more profit in the bank.
2021 is a time for all of us to grow as leaders. Make a difference in your life, the lives of your employees, and take your company to the next level. To find out more, contact Rom LaPointe.