In the Face of Change
normal course of business (to our detriment) but definitely should not be neglected during times of change when the quality of our working conditions suffers. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Flow, 1990) has carefully described several interrelated conditions that will support the development of intrinsic motivation that are useful for managers to recognize and act upon. Recognizing these conditions can provide leaders with additional ―power tools‖ to effectively manage and lead people during the storms and stresses of change (both positive as well as negative). You probably will not find these principles to be very surprising because they are common sense descriptions of uncommon wisdom. One of the basic principles of good management is that people operate under clear rules that are specifically defined and consistently applied—in both word as well as in deed. Second, people need to have the perception of achievable goals that are within their grasp. In order to know if we are on the right path to success we all need intermediate objectives with timely and realistic feedback. The perception of choice and control over our actions are essential features promoting intrinsic motivation. Last, if we are allowed (indeed, encouraged) to use our multiple intelligences strengths as a means to accomplish our tasks then our motivation will be at it‘s highest. See box. Conditions Promoting Intrinsic Motivation 1. Clear rules. Are the rules under which the people are operating clearly defined? Have they changed? Are people receiving mixed messages? Are your Policies and Procedures clear and specifically defined so that they can be followed from the top down through middle management to the line supervisor and into the daily tasks of the worker? If there is any confusion or uncertainty then motivation and performance may be impaired. When reviewing the ―rules‖ it is important to discover if there is any discrepancy between the explicit ―formal‖ rules expressed in policy and the less obvious, unspoken, implicit rules as evidenced in daily practice. Any conflict between the explicit and implicit rules can result in underperformance, low morale and decreased motivation. 2. Achievable Goals. If the performance goals are set too high or too low then they can actually undermine performance motivation. The most effective goals will be
ETHOS GUBERNAMENTAL
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