"Motivation is achieved when one gives, gives of himself and shares the purpose and the recognitions" Mario Borghino
What is motivation?
Motivation is what moves us, simply. Motility, driving force, movement.
The towards where, towards what, why and how we move are the object of study in psychology, specifically the theory of behaviorism, which deals with three aspects, the cognitive-communicational, the emotional-motivational and the motor-sensory aspects. In summary, this discipline explains that human beings act according to the conditioning acquired in their environment (physical, family, social, work, etc.), which in turn determines how we will act within it. Knowledge of behaviorism, specifically aided by the technique of positive reinforcement, is applicable in the organizational field, such as that of a company.
It is usable in:
- Selection and hiring Job training or training Personnel management Work environment Motivational strategies.
The primary condition for motivating an action is that there is a need to satisfy.
The importance of motivation in the business environment
In business management and administration, it is essential to understand human behavior, to know what moves employees to work, and not only to work but to do it with excellence, to know how they react to authority, to provide them with a hospitable work environment. and pleasant, to reward your effort, not only financially but emotionally; guaranteeing their satisfaction, is knowing how to capture their loyalty and that they support and carry out the leader's decisions, that commune with the business philosophy and communicate it to the customers or consumers of the company's product or service, which, if they are also they are satisfied, they are loyal, a captive market. In this way, the movement can be channeled in the desired direction, the success of the business and the success of all the people involved in it.
"It is not what you have that makes you successful, but what you do with what you have" Ralph Waldo Emerson
Salary as the only reward for effort is far from a guarantee of a job well done. There is, of course, a need, specifically of an economic nature, that the worker satisfies by collecting his salary. But how many employees do we know who make the least effort in their jobs, who don't feel comfortable in it, and only tolerate working hours because they need their income? These dissatisfied individuals do not deliver the maximum productivity and beneficial results as they are capable of. They are unmotivated.
Of course, first you have to make sure that in one company there is what should be and not another. In other words, the human resources department should have already done an adequate selection process to hire the person who is a suitable member of the team. But if this person has the capacity and is not developing it, it is necessary to motivate her correctly.
You can resort to coaching, self-improvement conferences, etc., but the real motivation is not found in a positive discourse only, but in constant positive actions, in living daily with the values of philosophy and the code of ethics of the business.
Paradigms, behavior and results
The authoritarian administration of the old school did not apply another model to change the behaviors of its workers but with the punishment of error and the reward of success. But by not delving into the origin of these behaviors, they did not know how to stimulate more successes or teach them not to repeat their mistakes, so as these were still present, discipline was increased and supervision was tightened; they did not grant them freedom.
However, these models are changing rapidly. Rivalry is no longer encouraged, using the most competitive award as motivation. Now teamwork is encouraged and solidarity and positivism are encouraged. Also, thanks to education, employees are not content to blindly obey, are assertive, and want to be heard; technology, the integration of information and ideas is faster, the power that the exclusive possession of information gave is decentralized, and that had to be distributed to each of the departments. So motivational models are also changing. Now the perspective is humanistic, the motivation is aimed at both personal and work satisfaction.
Before talking about motivational techniques to achieve the desired results, you must first know the paradigms and behaviors that generate the unwanted results, to change them.
Paradigms
In the social sciences, they are beliefs, ideas, pre-acquired that predispose people's behaviors and explain why they act as they do in their environment.
Behaviors
Everyday actions without premeditation, without conscious thought, following only the paradigms.
Results
The consequences of paradigmatic actions. If these consequences are beneficial or harmful, they tell us whether to maintain or correct a paradigm.
Why is it important to know this? For the success of a business, logically beneficial and positive results are needed, ergo, they must come from the appropriate behaviors, based on the correct paradigms.
But in personnel management, it is known that each person hired comes with their load of particular and collective paradigms in tow. Unfortunately many of these are wrong. Most are not educated for success, and I allow myself to make a personal assessment in this regard, less in this country. The Mexican does not believe he can achieve success (ie see the Mexican soccer team). It is by no means generalized on the individual side, but thus, based on the results of most, it is concluded in sociological studies. You have to accept it without taking offense. He said that a deep feeling of inferiority is implanted in the collective subconscious of the Mexican, which, as is already known, has survived for centuries since the trauma of the conquest. The defeated, the subdued, the least. The exploited,first by the Spanish colony and then by the long succession of authoritarian governments which more abusive. So, in this country, if someone is successful, it must be cheating. And if you work for "a rich and powerful" you have to work as little as possible so as not to make it richer at our expense. Another example is given by Carlos Reygadas, Mexican filmmaker and intellectual:
“It is an accepted principle that only orderly and patient work leads to economic success. Go slowly and patiently to arrive. But the Mexican wants everything now. Being rich should be a matter of a few years at best. A few days in the classic case. And since it is rarely possible, because the treasures never appear (or the lottery is won, author's note), then the alternative is to burn the salary in a luxury cell phone or in the race car.
«Other of our evident defects for everyone who works in a group in Mexico, whether it be building a house, running a company, or whatever it is but being in charge of more people (a defect that is invisible to those who rest, work in isolation or they are salaried), they are: the Mexican is (…) evil and, above all, irresponsible (in the purest philosophical sense). That is the truth for those who are not afraid to see and analyze a little. Please do not be offended the reader… »
Wow, a Mexican businessman faces these and many other paradigms in his employees, he must know how to recognize them to motivate his team to change their unconscious behaviors and obtain good results. This is where the technique of positive reinforcement and positive thinking to develop the worker's self-esteem makes its entrance. It is about teaching to trust in yourself, in your own capacity and quality, to make decisions, and not allow them to be made beforehand by our paradigms, to be persevering until the end, to finish things, to fulfill in the fair and efficient time. With excellence.
It can be seen that, in personnel management, you have to know the national idiosyncrasy, of course. The United States, for example, is a country that exploits it excellently in its business.
But back to the most common misconceptions around the world:
- PARADIGM: It is not worth taking the risk. RESULT: Staying in the security zone, which is actually the zone of self-insecurity populated with fear of failure, will never make anyone overcome themselves. PARADIGM: If enough time is allowed, the Problems may resolve on their own. RESULT: Procrastinate, wait for the right moment to make decisions, is cowardly, we must accept our responsibilities on time, or problems multiply. PARADIGM: Worship of selfishness, the pursuit of personal well-being and of personal goals only. RESULT: Not knowing how to work as a team for the common good, when more than 90% of our life is spent in a group context: school, work, friends, family, society, religion, even sports and entertainment; and if none of this matters,it will matter at least that it will result in a little productive solitude; He who does not know how to integrate into the community will live in isolation, obviously the community is also needed to extract profits from the commercial exchange with it. PARADIGM: It only matters to win, win, get as much as possible. RESULT: Without cooperation, the profits in the long term they are less, because the collaborators only give their support temporarily, without also benefiting, they will desert.PARADIGM: Fraudulent opportunism: As I am very smart, when I have the opportunity to make a profit with dishonest methods, I do it, otherwise a fool. RESULT: Loss of trust of contractors and colleagues, of the community.Obviously, the community is also needed to extract profits from the commercial exchange with it. PARADIGM: It only matters to win, win, get as much as possible. RESULT: Without cooperation, the long-term profits are less, because the collaborators only grant their I temporarily support, without benefiting too, they will defect.PARADIGM: Fraudulent opportunism: As I am very smart, when I have the opportunity to make a profit with dishonest methods, I do it, otherwise I would be a fool.RESULT: Loss of the trust of contractors and colleagues, from the community.Obviously, the community is also needed to extract profits from the commercial exchange with it. PARADIGM: It only matters to win, win, get as much as possible. RESULT: Without cooperation, the long-term profits are less, because the collaborators only grant their I temporarily support, without benefiting too, they will defect.PARADIGM: Fraudulent opportunism: As I am very smart, when I have the opportunity to make a profit with dishonest methods, I do it, otherwise I would be a fool.RESULT: Loss of the trust of contractors and colleagues, from the community.PARADIGM: Fraudulent opportunism: As I am very smart, when I have the opportunity to make a profit with dishonest methods, I do it, if not, I would be a fool. RESULT: Loss of trust of contractors and colleagues, of the community.PARADIGM: Fraudulent opportunism: As I am very smart, when I have the opportunity to make a profit with dishonest methods, I do it, if not, I would be a fool. RESULT: Loss of trust of contractors and colleagues, of the community.
We have been educated to live based on these erroneous paradigms and not on our intelligence and wisdom, we are products of erroneous paradigms. It is the human instinct for survival that dictates that the strongest will survive at the expense of others. What must be taught is that with honest and tenacious teamwork, we have more and better opportunities, more than surviving, living well and fully, this is an integral motivation for human beings to develop successfully in their work.
Satisfaction of the human needs that a company can provide to its workers, turning them into motivation for work
Caring about the motivations inherent in every human being, a company makes its workers feel accepted, recognized and protected, safe and happy in their work environment. The healthier their self-esteem, the more willing they are to work better, to excel, to break with their wrong paradigms. Maslow's model is the most illustrative.
Basic needs
Logically, this comprehensive satisfaction must cover basic or primary needs to preserve health (homeostasis) and this, to a large extent, is achieved with monetary income. Come on, money to eat and drink.
However, there is a basic need that is sleep, to sleep adequately, which most companies minimize and disdain. It encourages its workers to work hard, that is, for long uninterrupted periods of time, as a synonym for working better. The worker who continues to work outside of office hours and spends sleepless nights is admired, recognized and rewarded. He is considered dedicated, tenacious, committed. They are actually just wearing you down physically and getting lower results in your production than you would get rested, and getting those better results would take less time, there would be no need for sleeplessness. You must respect the employee's work schedule, it is more beneficial to start early and leave early.
Security needs
-Physical and health security.
Workplace facilities must comply with the safety regulations required by law, precautionary and preventive measures for accidents and accidents, including drills that train personnel on how to act in the event of them. Also emergency exits, fire extinguishers, etc.
Of course, employees must be affiliated with their employer to the Social Security Service to cover their medical expenses in case of illness.
-Security of employment, income and resources.
The company guarantees the employment security of its workers respecting the terms of the contracts and not incurring unjustified dismissals. In case of justified dismissal, prior notice must be given and then the corresponding liquidation.
- Moral, family and private property security.
Although a company is not directly responsible for the moral, family and private situation of its employees, nevertheless, the humanistic and comprehensive treatment fosters congruence between the ethical values of work and those of their personal life and recognizes the importance of family.
Membership and affection needs
Association, participation and acceptance.
The human being, of course, is gregarious by nature, ergo in the workplace is exercising his nature by living with a group, the work team. That is where it is important to create bonding, cordial and friendly relationships between the members of a team, including friendship, favoring recreational extra-work activities, which in addition to being an excellent way to release stress from work, is essential for the sense of belonging. and loyalty to the company, which is the set of people who work in it.
In addition, the employee must be allowed to be assertive, listen to him, take his proposals into account, even consult him, the more active his voluntary participation, we will know that the more motivated he will be to obtain good results.
An anecdote: On the first day at his new job, an employee comes to grips with his new work environment for the first time, getting to know the office and his colleagues. He is tense and somewhat nervous. But when you arrive, the first thing you see is a sign that proclaims. Welcome and then your name. The receptionist, informed of her arrival, accompanies her to introduce herself to her colleagues and then to her cubicle. When you initialize your computer the first thing you find is a welcome email from the CEO.
I need to talk more about acceptance and association that employee will "put on the shirt" of the company ipso facto.
Self-esteem needs
-High Estimate and Low Estimate.
A satisfactory job, valued, validated, recognized before others and not only monetarily, largely fulfills the need for attention, appreciation, recognition and good reputation of an employee, aspects that constitute their low self-esteem, and which at the same time they are an excellent source of self-confidence in ability, mastery of a subject, goals achieved, autonomy and freedom for him, aspects that constitute his esteem called "high."
Self-actualization needs
Self-realization is the ultimate goal of the human being, and what will give him the happiness and stability so longed for and persecuted. Here I insist on the importance of promoting integrity and consistency in all aspects of life, in a company it can help the development and satisfaction of the human being, not just the worker, which brings countless benefits for both parties, employer and employee.
Positive reinforcement
Basically this technique consists of recognizing and reinforcing a behavior that has brought positive results, it is not a reward, such as a bonus in the check, but the personal recognition of the leader and teammates when it has been possible to hire a difficult new account, an excellent report has been delivered, when you have managed to coordinate an activity efficiently, or when you have refused to commit fraud to the detriment of the company's economy, etc.., so that the person creates new and correct paradigms, which he will repeat when he realizes the positive result. The admiration and good reputation that comes with a job well done is what will make you feel satisfied, and will restore your self-esteem. With more confidence in himself, he will undertake the next task with renewed impetus, he will begin to set goals and he will believe himself capable of achieving them.
Positive thinking
It sounds hackneyed and is generally associated with pathetic self-help books for losers. Well, stop to think that maybe those losers will stop being so if they start thinking positively while the one who mocks them from the heights of their superiority complex will get stuck in their wrong paradigms. And to know that it is the superiority complex that judges, that is, the inferiority projection, it is enough to see if there is congruence between what the individual says he wants from life and what he has. If you have not obtained it, and you do not blame yourself but the circumstances of your life, in other words, your paradigms, you definitely need positive thinking to start making conscious and successful decisions.
The company can hire motivational seminars for its employees, which is not superfluous, and promote group dynamics, such as those observed in certain places, in which the work team meets every certain time and literally cheers. However, it is not strictly necessary to convey that positive thinking to your employees; apart from treating it fairly and with dignity, two attitudes are enough, practiced daily more than just pronounced words: Want and power.
The employee must learn by example to know that he is able to fulfill all his assignments successfully and even exceed expectations, that he is able to work as a team for the good of all, out of loyalty and commitment to his company, that he is capable of offering an excellent product or service to the client, and, from all this, you will obtain invaluable personal satisfaction, which will help you in your integral development.
Conclusions
- Success is a balance between various orders of life that brings us happiness and not only economic and material well-being. The company can contribute to this balance in the lives of its workers, satisfying their integral needs to the extent of their competence. satisfied and self-realized will be motivated to work better. It is possible to break with the wrong paradigms and create new positive paradigms in employees, teaching them to become aware of their ability and to exercise honesty and teamwork. With the dynamics of positive reinforcement and Positive thinking, everyone involved in a business benefits widely: employers, employees, and customers.
Self appraisal
- Have you investigated the paradigms of your collaborators regarding how the company wants things to be done? Have you invested time in expanding this information clarifying the objective and the steps to reach it, so that the workers improve their performance? Have they taken all the pertinent measures for the safety, protection and satisfaction of their employees? Are only successes rewarded and mistakes punished, or is a positive result reinforced? This is the difference between achieving good results out of commitment rather than authoritarian control. Does your group work more as a team or individually? Is there consistency in leadership to teach positive group programming by example?
