The One Sure Thing That Motivates People

Last week I met with a new client at a café.  Nate (name changed) has been hired to increase profits at a family-owned design business.  He’s MBA smart and good at what he does.  Only problem – he’s managed to tick-off most of his colleagues and a fair number of customers within six months!  Nate knows he can increase profits and take the business to the next level – if only people would stop giving pushback.  He’s frustrated that people don’t see things his way and he doesn’t understand why.

While we were talking, a server came by our table with his order.  Nate didn’t acknowledge her with even a simple “thanks.”  It might seem nit-picky of me to have noticed but the last time we were at this café he didn’t thank the server.  The little things are the big things because they reveal so much about a person.

While I’ve enjoyed my conversations with Nate – he’s friendly, respectful and seems genuinely interested in improving his skill set – I’m fascinated by his lack of curiosity for other people.  This lack results in his forgetting basic social etiquette with the “help.”  And I think that’s how he thinks of anyone working for him!  When I pointed out that saying “thank you” is polite in a social setting and critical in a work setting, he was taken aback.

He incredulously asked, “Why should I thank people for doing their job when I’m paying them?  Shouldn’t that be enough?”

Perhaps that “should” be enough; however, for most of us, it’s not.  Because we’re psychological creatures, we all have a deep-seated need to be seen and appreciated.  Not coddled.  Recognized.

Later, he shared that he wants to increase efficiency with the head bookkeeper.  He told her the story of how Goldman Sachs (a firm he’d worked for) distinguishes itself with a rigorous system that reduces error to virtually nil.  And that’s what he wants – an error free bookkeeping department because fewer errors means greater profit.  He’s frustrated, though, because bookkeeping gave him pushback.

I suspect Goldman aims for an error-free protocol not just because of profits.  “Error-free” is platinum customer-service and that’s what separates the good from the great – customer service, not profits.  Most people are motivated by and take pride in reputation before profit. 

I told Nate that the architect Mies van der Rohe claimed, “God is found in the details.”  He got excited because that’s what he had told the bookkeeper – that “the devil is found in the details.”  I burst out laughing.  Mies found God in the details and Nate finds the devil.  Which motivates people best?  He was sheepish when I asked him that question.

What about you?  What is it like to work with or for you?!