Why Motivation is the Gold Nugget of Corporate Wellness
Motivation is a word thrown around like confetti
Introduction
Motivation is more than just a buzzword in today's corporate world. In fact, I feel the word ‘motivation’ is thrown around like confetti!! Yet it is important to understand what motivates someone to enhance engagement, create a culture of wellness, and become a top workpalce that attracts and retains top talent.
But what is motivation? Motivation is something I am constantly curious about. It is an everchanging target. But it is something that has intrigued me for years and something that elevated my skill as a personal trainer and corporate wellness consultant.
I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of true motivation, especially intrinsic motivation. Understanding what drives individuals from within can significantly enhance their performance, engagement, and overall satisfaction.
Watch the Video Here!
Listen to the Podcast Episode Here!
My Journey with Motivation
My journey with motivation began in college when I studied the book Psychocybernetics. This book introduced me to the concept of self-esteem and its profound impact on motivation. I learned that motivating others starts with understanding and boosting their self-esteem.
In 2000, I became a fitness instructor and then a certified fitness trainer in 2002. During these years, I discovered a crucial truth: if you can uncover what motivates someone, their success rate skyrockets. This realization fueled my passion for motivation and set the stage for my career in corporate wellness.
Click Here to read this article on Psychocybernetics.
The Science of Intrinsic Motivation
Research has consistently shown that intrinsic motivation is a more powerful driver of long-term success compared to extrinsic motivation. According to a study published in Harvard Business Review:
Employees who are intrinsically motivated are three times more engaged and perform better than those driven solely by external rewards.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within. It’s about finding personal satisfaction and purpose in the task itself. For instance, an employee who finds joy in solving complex problems will be more motivated by challenging projects than by financial incentives alone.
Motivating Across Generations
Motivating a diverse workforce requires understanding what drives each generation. Here's a breakdown of motivational factors for Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z:
Baby Boomers (1946-1964)
Recognition and Respect: Baby Boomers value acknowledgment of their experience and contributions. They appreciate traditional rewards like promotions and titles.
Job Security: Many are nearing retirement and value stability.
Work Ethic: They take pride in their work and appreciate when it is recognized.
Gen X (1965-1980)
Work-Life Balance: Gen X values flexibility and the ability to balance their professional and personal lives.
Autonomy: They prefer to work independently and appreciate having control over their tasks.
Skill Development: Opportunities for professional growth and learning new skills are highly motivating.
Millennials (1981-1996)
Purpose and Meaning: Millennials want to feel that their work has a meaningful impact.
Collaboration: They thrive in team environments and value open communication.
Continuous Feedback: Regular feedback and opportunities for improvement are important to them.
Gen Z (1997-2012)
Innovation and Technology: This generation is motivated by cutting-edge technology and innovative projects.
Career Advancement: They are ambitious and seek rapid career progression.
Workplace Culture: A positive, inclusive, and socially responsible workplace is crucial.
The Consequences of Unmotivated Employees
Unmotivated employees can significantly harm a business. They are more likely to:
Decrease Productivity: Lack of motivation leads to lower efficiency and output.
Increase Turnover: Unmotivated employees are more likely to leave, increasing recruitment and training costs.
Damage Morale: Their disengagement can spread to other team members, creating a toxic work environment.
As I like to say, unmotivated team members will tell you how to do business instead of the other way around. It's crucial to identify and address motivational gaps to prevent these negative outcomes.
Strategies to Enhance Motivation
Since unmotivated team members will tell you how to business its important to identify strategies that will help you boost motivation.
Here are some strategies to boost motivation within your team:
Personalized Development Programs
Identify Individual Goals: Understand what drives each team member and align their roles with their personal goals.
Professional Growth: Offer opportunities for skill development and career advancement.
Personalized development programs are a powerful strategy to motivate your team. By focusing on individual goals and professional growth, you can create a more engaged and productive workforce.
Identify Individual Goals: Start by understanding what drives each team member. Conduct one-on-one meetings to discuss their personal and professional aspirations. By aligning their roles with their personal goals, you make their work more meaningful and satisfying. This personalized approach helps employees see how their contributions fit into the bigger picture, increasing their motivation and commitment.
Professional Growth: Offering opportunities for skill development and career advancement is crucial. Provide access to training programs, workshops, and courses that help employees enhance their skills and knowledge. Encourage them to take on new challenges and responsibilities that align with their career goals. By investing in their growth, you demonstrate that you value their development, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and loyalty.
Implementing personalized development programs not only boosts individual motivation but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement. When employees feel supported in their growth, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and committed to your organization's success.
Recognition and Rewards
Acknowledge Achievements: Regularly recognize and celebrate individual and team accomplishments.
Tailor Rewards: Customize rewards to match the preferences of different generations.
One effective strategy to motivate your team is through recognition and rewards. By acknowledging achievements regularly, you can celebrate both individual and team accomplishments, fostering a sense of pride and fulfillment.
Tailoring rewards to match the preferences of different generations ensures that each team member feels valued in a way that resonates with them. For example, Baby Boomers might appreciate traditional rewards like promotions and titles, while Millennials might value experiences or opportunities for personal growth.
Create a Positive Work Environment
Promote Work-Life Balance: Implement flexible work arrangements.
Foster Inclusivity: Create a culture where everyone feels valued and included.
Creating a positive work environment is crucial for maintaining motivation. Promote work-life balance by implementing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours. This helps team members manage their professional and personal lives more effectively, reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction.
Additionally, fostering inclusivity is essential—create a culture where everyone feels valued and included. This can be achieved through diversity and inclusion initiatives, team-building activities, and open communication channels.
Encourage Open Communication
Feedback Mechanisms: Establish regular feedback sessions to understand employee concerns and suggestions.
Transparent Leadership: Leaders should be approachable and transparent about company goals and changes.
Encouraging open communication is another key strategy. Establish regular feedback mechanisms, such as one-on-one meetings or team surveys, to understand employee concerns and suggestions. This not only makes employees feel heard but also provides valuable insights for improving the workplace.
Transparent leadership is equally important; leaders should be approachable and clear about company goals and changes. When employees trust their leaders and understand the organization's direction, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated.
Implementing these strategies—personalized development programs, recognition and rewards, creating a positive work environment, and encouraging open communication—can significantly enhance your team's motivation. By addressing the unique needs and preferences of each team member, you'll foster a more engaged, productive, and committed workforce.
The Role of Corporate Wellness Programs
Corporate wellness programs play a vital role in motivating employees. These programs should be designed to address the unique needs and motivations of a diverse workforce. Here are some ideas:
Wellness Initiatives
Fitness Programs: Offer on-site gym facilities and fitness classes tailored to different preferences.
Mental Health Support: Provide resources like counseling services and stress management workshops.
Nutritional Guidance: Promote healthy eating through workshops and healthy meal options.
Engagement Activities
Team-Building Events: Organize activities that foster collaboration and team spirit.
Employee Recognition Programs: Regularly acknowledge and reward employee achievements.
Conclusion
Motivation is the cornerstone of a thriving workplace. By understanding and leveraging intrinsic motivation, companies can unlock the full potential of their employees.
Remember, if you don't know what motivates your team, your initiatives will end up like throwing spaghetti at the wall.
To truly propel your business to the next level, and then to the next, find the gold nugget of motivation within each team member.
As Buzz Lightyear says, "To infinity and beyond!" 🚀✨
Motivating your team can be challenging, but with the right approach, it can lead to remarkable outcomes. Recognize the unique motivators across generations, implement personalized wellness programs, and foster an environment where everyone feels valued and inspired. By doing so, you'll not only attract and retain top talent but also achieve top workplace status.
Motivation isn't just a word—it's the key to unlocking your team's potential and driving your business forward.
Kathie Owen, Corporate Wellness Professional
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Transcript:
Today. Let's talk about motivation. But not motivation. Like you think, because motivation to me is a buzzword. But it is something that I geek out about and we want to know how to motivate our teams as corporate wellness professionals. And it's, it's kind of an important thing, but it's tricky. They heard me say that before motivation is tricky. And today I'm going to give you ways to motivate your team. Especially in different stages of their life. As well as what. Is the best motivation for anybody that will last consistently. Yeah, that's what we're talking about today. You know, motivation is not just a buzzword. It is the key to unlocking the gold inside your team. But the thing is, is motivation is a word that's thrown around like confetti. Oh, let's motivate the team. Let's motivate this. Let's get more productive. Let's motivate productivity. What that's too abstract. It's too. Difficult to figure out. But the thing is, is I have been a geek about motivation since college. And when I first was in college, I wrote a paper on the book. Psycho-Cybernetics I've done a video on the book as well, but Psycho-Cybernetics is all about building self-esteem and working on building motivation within you. And when I first read that book, which was a long time ago. I got insight into motivation. And then I became a personal trainer. I became a fitness instructor and. A good fitness instructor, a good personal trainer knows how to motivate their clients, knows how to motivate their team. But what kind of motivation, Kathie? Because that is the key. We want to know their intrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivation comes from the inside. It's going to assure me that my client is going to do what I asked them when. I'm trying to fill, fill their plan in their fitness routine or fill their workouts. The way they want to. But if you don't know what intrinsically motivates somebody, you're not going to get the results as a personal trainer, as a coach, as a corporate wellness professional. And when you are working with a team, there's a lot of intricacies that go inside there. Let's discuss. You're listening to Kathie's coaching podcast. I'm your host, Kathie Owen. On this channel. We talk about Reality Transurfing, corporate wellness, fitness, and more. And today we're talking about motivation and why it is gold for you to understand what motivates your team and your corporate wellness programs. Research from the Harvard business review. Shows that employees who are intrinsically motivated are three times more engaged and perform better than those driven by external rewards. So I think it would be a good idea to understand what intrinsically motivates my team, but that's where the work comes in. And. Aye. Like I said, I've always geeked out about motivation because I found that was the key that unlocked the success. Seriously across the board. That's not chat GPT going, oh, unlock the key to success. That is Kathie Owen going, Hey, this is how we find success in our clients as a personal trainer and ourselves as a person who wants to be motivated to do something. In our teams to find what intrinsically motivates them. But when we're working with a team, we've got to consider several factors. Number one is generations. Each generation has different motivators. So we want to compile the different motivators that go with each generation. We interrupt this episode, because if you are looking for ways to motivate your team, sign up for our newsletter because every week I provide information on. Sending an email to your team on providing motivation. Why I say what I say and what it goes into this. Now my email newsletter, it consists of my clients that are personal training clients, as well as my corporate wellness professionals. They coincide. This is how they coincide because they both go together in a fun way. I show I share a wellness. Wednesday type tip. Share, maybe a recipe. I share maybe a food label thing. The ideas are endless. Anyways, be sure to go to Kathie owen.com and sign up for our newsletter today. Let's get back to the episode. We have the baby boomers. They were born in between 1946 and 1964. The baby boomers are mostly considering retirement. But they're still in the workforce. There's still plenty of them and companies that I work with. So, how do we motivate the baby boomers? This is a small population, but we still want to consider what motivates them. Recognition and respect is number one. And baby boomers actually value acknowledgement of their experience and contributions. They appreciate traditional rewards like promotions and titles. They're also motivated by job security. Many are nearing retirement and value stability. And work ethic. They take pride in their work and appreciate when it is recognized. So we'll go to gen X. They were born in between the years of 1964 and about 1980. They value work-life balance. They value, flexibility and the ability to balance their professional and their personal lives. Autonomy. They prefer to work independently and appreciate having control over their tasks. And skill development. Opportunities for personal growth and learning new skills. Are highly motivating for them. Highly motivating. Let's talk about millennials. They also take up a big part of the workplace population. Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996. They value purpose and meaning millennials want to feel that their work has a meaningful impact. They value collaboration. They thrive in a team environments and value, open communication. And continuous feedback, send regular feedback and opportunities for improvement because that is important to them. And then we have gen Z gen Z was born in between 1997 and 2012. They are the smaller population in the workplace. They value innovation and technology. This generation is motivated by cutting edge technology and innovative projects. They value career advancement. They are ambitious and seek rapid career progression and workplace culture. A positive, inclusive and socially responsible workplace is crucial. Why did I discuss the different populations as you can see, there's a wide variety of motivators and we want to include everyone. We want to have a diversity of things in our culture that aspires to each generations motivators. One of the ways that I work with companies is I will do assessments and I will see what motivates the team. What's the biggest motivator, but I include each of these values. And each of these generations. What motivates them, because we want to know what the biggest motivator is. There are commonalities and there's also things that are not common. And we want to find what's the biggest motivator. Because if we provide that for them, they're going to be more productive and there are consequences for not motivating your team. And you want to know that that's why these assessments are so important. These assessments provide you with valuable ideas and tools and you have to be consistent. You'll hear me say that word all the time. Be consistent. Because consistent behaviors is what's going to send you to the next. Level and be able to motivate your team in a way that actually motivates them, not what you think motivates them, because your program is not going to work unless you realize what motivates them. So there are some consequences. For motivating your team. Let's talk about those. Unmotivated employees can significantly harm a business. I've seen this happen so many times and it has to do with change management a lot. But if you do not motivate your employees properly. What's going to happen is your employees are going to tell you how to run your business, as opposed to you telling them how they're going to run your business. And it's a tricky thing just like motivation. It's a very tricky thing. But let's discuss some of the consequences that happen when you don't motivate your team properly. You have decreased productivity. Lack of motivation leads to lower efficiency and output. Just like I just said it, they go into places where they just don't. Care. They're not going to try to help you run your business the way it needs to be run. As opposed to. You running your business. The way it needs to be run. You'll have an increased turnover. You're going to lose those prized employees. Unmotivated Employees are more likely to leave increasing recruitment and training costs. And even more, it's been proven that a loss of an employee, even at a low level in your company could cost you double their salary. Why... That's your employees telling you how to run business as opposed to the other way around. And then another consequence of unmotivated employees is you have damage to your morale. We've all felt that before everybody gets bummed out. Just depressed and you know what, because of the negativity bias. That negative in your morale is bigger than. The positive. Did you think about that? I know, right. It's weird. Like I said that negativity bias. It's always bigger than the positivity bias. And this disengagement can spread to other team members and create a toxic work environment. Seen it happen so many times. And it's crucial to identify you're unmotivated members and then find what motivates them. That's where that assessment comes into play, because you can find what exactly motivates your team. And then inspire them that way. Here's some strategies to boost motivation with your team. Number one personalized development programs. Understand what drives each team member. And align their roles with their personal goals. Offer opportunities for skill development and career advancement. This is where that assessment comes into play because you want to identify. Individual goals. What are their goals? Why are they working there? That's kind of important to know. Why do you work here? What do you value? Identifying if their values align with your values is important and that can happen in the interview process as well. And provide professional growth, provide ways for the team to learn their, their personal skills that they want to develop. And what I like about pay comm, which is what one of the companies I use uses is it has an area where you could take personal development. You could even take how to deal with. A disgruntled employee. Oh so much. And recognition and rewards. I just talked about this in one of my previous. videos and rewarding your team for things done. Right. And recognizing them is crucial. It's crucial for motivation because people like to be recognized and appreciated. You want to recognize individual and team accomplishments? And then customize the rewards to match the preferences of the different generations. As we talked about earlier. Number three, create a positive work environment. Promote work-life balance and implement. Flexible work arrangements. And foster inclusive inclusivity. Include everyone. That's what I mean. Create a culture where everyone feels valued and included. That is important. And, you know, I love a health fair for this reason because it gives, it gives us the opportunity to go, okay. We're including everybody. At in there, different things, you have different booths set up. In different areas. And everybody visits the one that they feel inclined to, not who you say they need to visit. And encourage open communication, establish regular feedback sessions, to understand employee concerns and suggestions. Be open to that. That's why I say consistent assessments. Is crucial. It's crucial just to have an understanding of what's motivating your team at the time and have an open communication be ready to take the feedback that's going to come in and make the changes necessary. That's where a corporate wellness professional can slide right in. And be your undercover boss, take care of things. Tell you, give you your feedback of how your team is performing, and then also give your team feedback of what your managers want, and we want to know that by having these assessments or having a rewards program that. Identifies this. And have transparent leadership. Leaders should be approachable and transparent about company goals and changes. This. Is one of the ones that I just really love because it, it helps us to understand. Where there are pitfalls. You're wasting money on team members that are not led effectively. I'm just gonna leave that there. On the table. The role of corporate wellness programs. Let's talk about that. We have several different types of wellness initiatives. We can have a fitness program. You could have a gym for your employees that can be really inspirational and motivational. And I'll put pictures of our gym on these slides. So you can see what I'm talking about because I just revamped the gym at one of the companies I worked for. And it's. My ideal was to have it be motivational and inspirational for years to come. Even after I'm gone. I want it to be a place where you walk in and you feel like you want to work out. That's what I wanted. And that's what it became. You want to provide mental health support. There is so many different things and, and actually I do my health fair in April and it's mental health awareness month. So. Make that my theme and I provide mental health. Support and resources all throughout the year. Even on my wellness days, I provide mental health support. We also have the calm app available to our team that I work with. And that calm app is very beneficial for the team if they need some mental health support, because that's one of the things that calm prides itself on is mental health. And then you also want to provide nutritional guidance. You'd be surprised how many people don't know. That things about reading a food label or what is the nutritional value in this drink, as opposed to this drink? Why do we need this vitamin, as opposed to this vitamin, for example, we just had a wellness date with one of the companies that I worked for and our theme was. Immunity support. And I brought in a supplement person who brought in all these different supplements and explained to them. Why they needed this, why they needed that. And it's beneficial for people to understand, Hey, we're not getting all the nutrients we need from our food. So let's add them with a supplement. And. Let's see how that works and see how that helps your body. I'm also big on biohacking, which is a new wave of healthcare. It's a trillion dollar business. And what biohacking is, is being proactive in your health as opposed to reactive, which means we're going to take care of certain things like maybe taking supplements. Maybe doing red light therapy, maybe doing recovery. Ice baths all these types of things are biohacking our system. So we live longer. We feel better. We look better and. It's natural. That's what I like about it. Another thing that corporate wellness professionals can do is provide engagement activities. One of the things that I'm in charge of is the lunch and learns, which means they meet with an executive team member. And then 10. Team members meet with this person for during lunchtime. And it builds comradery. It builds mentorship. It helps with change management as well, because what happens is the team members get to see the executive in a regular position and talk to them and understand, oh, now I see why we changed this method as opposed to that method, or we're doing this now, instead of that. And the lunch and learns are very beneficial for this because it helps others to see what's going on inside the company all across. The whole company and it builds comradery. Engagement. That's what we're talking about. Another way you could build engagement is create a rewards program. And I just talked about this not too long ago, but I actually had a meeting with a company called Bonusly. And what they do is they provide like a social media platform where it. Rewards employees and they can go buy things with their rewards points. For example, let's say you're a team leader and somebody sends you some points for doing a great job as your team lead, or they help you help somebody. With a problem. And you got those points. Everybody in the team sees that. As well as it's like a social media feed. So it's like, okay. So-and-so got these rewards for being a good team leader and helping so-and-so with this problem. And. This helps build comradery. It also helps to build. Faith in the team and, and have a transparent leader. I love that platform. Um, I will have a link to that in the show notes and description below because it's very valuable resource for a corporate wellness professional to see how the team is doing. And who's winning more points as a leader, or who's winning more points for their performance in their job. And they want to do this because it intrinsically motivates. Them maybe, perhaps they want to buy an Amazon card with that, or they want to donate to their favorite charity with those points. This program is phenomenal. So, as you can tell, I'm kind of passionate about motivation. I think it helps so much in a team environment and understanding what motivates the team helps as well. And it is the cornerstone in your team. And if you lose that cornerstone. You know, what's going to happen. Your team is going to be lopsided. So we want to have that stone set in there and ready to go. All right. That's my episode for today. I trust that you found it helpful. If you know someone who could benefit from this, please share it with them. And until next time I will see you next time, peace out and Namaste.
