Power and Incentives
by Miki SaxonI typically avoid political articles and comments because that’s not what you’re here to read, but I think that you’ll appreciate the applicability to business of the two articles cited below.
“By corrupting the language, the people who wield power are able to fool the others about their activities and evade responsibility and accountability.” Timothy Lynch, Cato Institute
This is from an article on how marketing spin rules communications these days, whether for reasons of obfustication, an effort not to offend, or a bow to political correctness, with the result of clouding the picture, sometimes to the point of opacity.
Whether it’s the government’s recent decision that people have “very low food security,” as opposed to being hungry, or slimehead arriving on the menu as “orange roughy” (at least this one makes sense) clear communications are under fire and in retreat.
I’ve been saying for years, that power stems from the control of either information or money, and I’ve always believed that information actually tops money when it comes to generating and wielding power.
Your MAP determines whether you’ll choose to corrupt communications and hoard information to achieve power or clearly communicate and share all the information that assures that your people can do their job in the most productive, innovative ways possible.
Nobody can force you, nobody can stop you, either way—it’s your choice.
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Over the years I’ve found vested self-interest to be one of the most powerful people motivators available and have written several posts about it.
The idea must have merit when you consider that a Sudanese cellphone billionaire is incentivizing African heads of state to act responsibly.
In this case the incentive is money, but not always.
As a manager, it’s up to you to discover each of your people’s hot buttons, i.e., what really turns them on, and then find a way to satisfy it in return for what you want in performance, innovation, etc. It’s an error to always assume that dollars will do it, or that what turns on one, turns on all.
Hot buttons are as individual as your people and don’t always involve tangibles.
Taking the time to learn what they are allows you to power your team as never before, which, in turn, should give you the ability to satisfy your own.
