Page 211 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

190 � mAnAgIng the moBIle workForCe

recipe it’s almost impossible, right? Well, then why in the world do
you think you can motivate employees without having a deep under-
standing of them and their needs?
If you really want to motivate people, you need to have a profound
understanding both of human nature and of the human situation. Ev-
eryone has the same human nature. We have desires, wants, hopes,
and dreams. We fear, we avoid pain, we like to belong to a commu-
nity, and we want to be a part of something greater than ourselves.
Great leaders understand human nature. They know that people like
recognition, to have fun, and to be rewarded for their work. They
know that most people have a need for achievement and autonomy—
and that they hate to be micromanaged or to do meaningless work.
Understanding the virtual workforce is even more critical, because
you aren’t in a position to observe behavior. Bill Avey from Hewlett-
Packard knows the value of really understanding his employees. “You
need to have [technology] in order to be successful, but then the de-
terminant of whether or not it is successful is whether or not, from a
leadership perspective, you somehow bridge that gap and create . . .
personal relationships.” Those deep relationships form a foundation
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for understanding employee goals, insecurities, hopes, and personal
challenges.
Great leaders also understand that every single person is unique.
We have different personalities, are facing different circumstances,
and enjoy different kinds work. A young husband or wife with chil-
dren might be struggling to make ends meet, and so they would be
more motivated by immediate rewards. A person closer to retirement
might be more interested in more time off or having more social time
at work. Some like to sit in front of a computer all day, and some
like to work outside. The point is that if you don’t know each of your
employees, and what his or her motivational needs are, then you’re
shooting in the dark. Lori Coruccini says, “It becomes very important
to understand what’s motivating [mobile workers] to do what they
do every day and how to increase their performance and productivity
by understanding what’s driving them and working with the motiva-
tors. . . . Everybody is motivated by something different.” 9