LPM&T Newsletter Excerpt - Q1 1999

Motivating Associates, by Ann Kruse

As a management consultant, the question I am most often asked is some variation on the theme of "How do I motivate people?" Although the question is always the same, the meaning behind it differs from situation to situation. One person wants to know how to get people to do what he wants them to do. In another situation, people are already doing it, but the manager wants more of it (greater quantity, higher quality, speedier production, etc.). And in yet another situation, the manager would like to see people working with more enthusiasm, more energy, more willingness to put in extra effort and to take initiative.

In a law firm, associates are the most expensive and most valuable asset of the firm. Each associate represents a sizeable investment. And so making sure associates are doing the right things, doing them well, and doing them with enthusiasm are all critical factors in the firm's prospects for future success.

So how is your firm doing at motivating associates? When an associate appears to be "unmotivated" do you know what to do?

In this article I will present a model I developed as a quick and easy way to help managers analyze the situation and apply appropriate solutions where lack of motivation or poor performance appears to be the problem.

The model is shown in Figure 1. When a person is performing well, three elements are present: (1) she knows what is expected of her; (2) she knows why she should do it; and (3) she has the capability (the how) to do it well. Everything needed for performance is found in these three elements, which are represented in Figure 1 as three intersecting circles.

If any one of these elements is missing, the result will appear as lack of motivation or poor performance. How do you know which of the three is missing? The diagnostic part of the model is found in the three places where two circles overlap. In each of these places, two elements are present, and one is missing.

• Ÿ If the associate seems to be saying "I would do it if I could," then both "What" and "Why" are present. She understands the assignment and wants to do it, but she can't. Something in the "How?" elements is missing. This could be skills, information, tools, time, or other resources.
• Ÿ If the associate seems to be saying, "I could do it if I wanted to," then you know that What and How are present. He understand the assignment and has the skills and tools to do it. But something is missing in the "Why?" element. Do intrinsic and extrinsic rewards exist for the assignment? Is another assignment a higher priority?
• Ÿ If the associate seems to be saying, "I would do it if I knew what it was," you have a capable, motivated employee who is confused by an unclear assignment or conflicting priorities. The "What?" element is lacking.

If all three elements are present, then the associate is saying (as shown in the center, where all three circles overlap), "I will do it!"

When an employee seems to "lack motivation," use this simple visual tool to break down the problem into pieces that are concrete and manageable and to narrow the field of possible solutions. Often the problem is not in the employee; the problem is that the manager or the organization has failed to provide something that is essential for effective performance, either clear goals, clear instructions, skills, tools, or the appropriate rewards.

When the firm consistently provides associates and other employees with the three elements in this model, you will be taking a big step toward motivating people, drawing out their best performance, and eliminating performance problems.