Since younger generations are never going away (and more and more are coming all the time), it’s time to take action (Get off your ass-ets) to find out what those of the younger generation really want from their work and how to reward them for what they are motivated by.

While at times we think they are so different, we can also fall into the trap of believing they should be motivated by what we are motivated by.

To avoid this trap, keep in mind that the Golden Rule is not always so golden. As one of the tenets of all major religions, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” may be a fine principle to follow with general acts of kindness, but it can be the kiss-of-death when it comes to managing and motivating others. Why?

Because it’s all about YOU! Incentivizing others with what is personally rewarding for you might completely miss the mark for them.

So when it comes to engaging others, we must follow the Platinum Rule, “Do unto others as THEY would have done unto THEM.” Best way to do this? Figure out what they are motivated by. There are several ways you can do this: Assess, Observe, or Ask (AOA).

ASSESS..

The first way to determine what someone is motivated by and the intensity of that passion is to have them complete a Motivators Assessment. If you work with us, you may already have that person’s Motivators Assessment as we almost always include this when we utilize the DISC Assessment.

If there is someone (candidate OR current employee) that you would like to learn what drives them at a deeper level, use the code below to access a complimentary version of our DISC & Workplace Motivators Assessment.

Then if you’re so inclined, you can even schedule a 20-minute debriefing session with us. We will be able to give you some ideas as to what will work with this person and maybe even more important, what WILL NOT work!

OBSERVE..

If you’re unable to use an assessment to uncover someone’s motivation, it isn’t too hard to figure out if you’re paying attention. It’s been said you can determine a person’s values when you see how they spend their time and money. “Tell me what you value and I might believe you,” management guru Peter Drucker once said, “but show me your calendar and your bank statement, and I’ll show you what you really value.”

So… what do they like to do? Where and to whom do they gravitate? What activities do they get “lost in” and lose track of time?

We are often so quick to assume a young person doesn’t have the capability to do a good job and we often overlook the lack of motivation they may have for that particular task. Have you ever seen a teenager clean their room when a friend coming over is on the line? Suddenly everything you’ve been asking them to do for days (weeks? months?) is done in a matter of minutes – with gusto!

Many times, if you ask young men what they like to do in the spare time, you’re going to hear “video games.” As maddening as this can feel, instead of just assuming they are “lazy,” ask them about the particular games they play and what they like about them. Don’t be surprised if you hear them talk animatedly about things like; teamwork, competition, overcoming obstacles, moving to next levels, mastery and ultimately, winning. All those things we wish they would find in their work.

So what if we were able to emphasize some of those elements at work?

ASK..

The last way to find out someone’s primary motivator might be the most simple. If you can’t assess them and observing them hasn’t given you a real indication of what they value, you can always ask!

However, this does come with a warning. Often times, employees don’t know themselves well enough to know what they are motivated by. This is especially true of younger people.

If you ask them, what do you really want – most will say “More money!” This is a default answer that even the older generations fall victim to.

The best way to get around this automatic answer is to ask, “If you had all the money you needed, what would you still want to be doing at work?”

Here are some additional questions you can ask to suss out their interests:

• What’s your favorite task/assignment been so far?
• What did you like about it?
• What’s been your least favorite task/assignment?
• What didn’t you like about it?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• What do you love to do so much you lose track of time?

~ Nancy Roberts
The DISC Wizard