|
Motivating Fleas…
Good afternoon dear reader. And welcome to my world today. Last week my comments were based on the Goldilocks rule & working on tasks of just manageable difficulty, then measuring your progress & receive feedback whenever possible. Essentially enjoying what we do. Wanting to improve your life is easy. Sticking with it is a different story. This week I wanted to develop this topic further.
Charles Handy, in his book The Elephant & the Flea (2002) refers to elephants as established organisations, providing rules & routines which strive to be efficient & predictable. They often get bigger to safeguard themselves because size is seen as best in a turbulent world. Handy believes all elephants need fleas to keep them alive & to grow. Fleas are the creative individuals or groups ~ the innovators or non-conformists. They are not always boss compatible because they are independent, preferring to live on top of elephants, not in their bloodstreams. To get caught up in the bureaucracy they run the risk of being slowly suffocated, until they lose their passion & drive, or leave the profession. Just like my world…
Yet these are the very people we need in order to change. So, for fleas, promises of future wealth are not the chief motivator ~ passion, a cause to commit to, space for independence & opportunity to make a difference are more important. Personally, I like to be one which sees myself surrounded in & around ‘a natural home for fleas’. I just respond better…
When we work & focus on our values & beliefs in a holistic way, people feel more empowered & willing to innovate. Common features of an innovative organisation, as identified by Clark and Clegg (1998) are as follows:
- a culture of creativity is nurtured;
- the organisation is organic, free flowing & flexible;
- employees feel empowered, & I have heaps of examples ~ another time perhaps…
- there are few rules; &
- there is an emphasis on bottom up innovation.
It is no surprise these features are ones which focus on motivating individuals to take control for themselves. This is the essence of the approach to motivation we should be taking in our work environment in order to achieve high levels of innovation. We must provide opportunities to grow through providing opportunities for leadership & creating an understanding of ourselves.
Good management will provide empowerment not freedom, providing flexibility within structure. This means having clear guidelines for people to follow, but ensuring these guidelines allow for ‘fleas’ to be creative & exhibit their professional expertise. There has to be the understanding some things are negotiable & some things are not. These need to be transparent & fair.
If we are to develop our community into self-motivated learners we need to value diversity & have flexibility to treat people according to their differing needs. This does not mean having a soft approach to behaviour, but it does mean celebrating difference & not imposing silly rules because that is the way we have always done it, or the way we do things around here…
In order for ‘fleas’ to thrive, they need to feel empowered & able to take risks. Do people in your organisation feel able to do this? How can you ensure the innovation grows & people feel in control of what they do? One simple exercise is to focus on what you can change then giving time & energy into the things you can change or influence. It is the feeling of powerlessness which leads to frustration, road blocking & lack of motivation.
It is almost impossible to get anyone to do something they do not want to do. There should be a real emphasis on self-development, rather than a blame mentality. None of us see the world in the same way ~ we have our own picture in our head, our own quality world. We must provide an environment in which people feel they have some control over what happens to them. A focus should be placed on providing opportunities for all to:
- experience leadership;
- have the courage to be different & feel valued for their diversity;
- belong to a forgiveness culture, where mistakes are supported & used as an opportunity to grow; experience & contribute to feedback.
In conclusion this week my friends, change which is imposed leaves people feeling powerless. It is very clear change needs to be driven by those in the organisation if it is to have a long lasting effect on culture. It is important to look for the uniqueness of each person & use this as a starting point from which to work. The culture needs to be different & this implies everyone will not have the same needs. It also means the same formula cannot be applied to all working environments.
The ultimate difference you can make is by valuing the fleas who ask “but why not? “, or who do things differently. Asking questions, debating & creativity are more likely to result in growth than sitting placidly & accepting whatever is put in front of us. When we look to ourselves & our own abilities & want to be the best we can be, we have the ultimate motivation to succeed. And ultimately, live with attitude. Want to join me dear reader?
Thank you friends for taking the time to be with me once again & I hope my journey may encourage you also. Until next weekend, this is Kenn Butler in Paradise, Nelson, with my best wishes & to you all, a splendid week.
www.kennbutler.com
|
