Page 181 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

THE WHY OF WORK

they are arriving tomorrow), so he assumes that these factors
will motivate the teenager. But none of these things matter
to the son. He is motivated by entirely different goals: avoid
difficult work that adds no value to my life and get my paper
done. Dad is trying to motivate the son to work toward out-
comes that matter to Dad, but the son has other aims.
Employees are no different. The things about a job that
matter to them may be entirely different from what matters
to an employer or to another employee. If the leader (Dad)
wants to impact the son’s behavior, he needs to figure out
what matters to the son and show him what behavior will
lead to that outcome.

DAD: Your room is a mess. Better clean it up.
TEEN: I don’t have time. I have a paper due.
DAD: That’s important. When is it due?
TEEN: Tomorrow. I’ve been working on it, but I still have a lot to do.
DAD: How can I help?
TEEN: Well, could you proofread it for me when I’m done?
DAD: Sure. I’ll proofread if you’ll work on your room. You’ll need a break
from writing by that point anyway. Deal?
TEEN: Deal.

Other goals and interests that might motivate a teenager to
clean his room: Son wants to join the Marines—Dad knows
that the Marines expect a high level of personal neatness.
Son wants to impress his girlfriend—Dad suspects that dirty
underwear on the floor will not be a turn-on. Son wants the
car—Dad can tie this privilege to room cleanliness.
Leaders who know the goals and outcomes that are impor-
tant to their employees can help employees get what they
want, not just what the leader wants. Of course employees

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