Moving motivators

While researching what I should write about this week, I realized that I have never written about H.R. (Human Relations) and leadership here.

What a f*ck up on my side because I believe that great people are the number one key ingredient to scale the impact of your nature venture.

After all, what is a nature business or an environmental NGO really?

A piece of paper.

You and your employees are the ones that bring it to life.

People are behind the strategy, the work on the ground, the marketing efforts, the sales approach, etc.

So today, we look at how to get the most out of your team by better understanding how you and your team are getting motivated.

P.S. The framework I will share is beneficial for many use cases. If you are currently looking for a job; you can reflect better on what you are looking for; understand your B2B partners better; understand your own actions better, etc.

This framework is a keeper.

Why is a motivated team crucial?

Without a motivated team, you can say goodbye to your impact ambition.

You want to rewild 3 countries in the next 10 years?

People are the ones that carry your vision. So you need motivated employees to execute your vision.

This doesn't mean people can have bad days; we all do. But if you remember my Pareto article, we should strive for your employees to be motivated 80% of the time.

One of the best examples you have probably seen numerous times is in sports. The underdog team beats the bigger one because they are so pumped up about this game.

As leaders of biodiversity businesses or nature NGOs, we strive for the same thing.

How can I motivate my team?

To answer that question correctly, you need to understand what motivates them, and that's what I want to focus on today.

In his book Management 3.0, Jurgen Appelo came up with a framework that can help you biodiversity hero understand how your employees are motivated.

The concept is called: Moving Motivators. It consists of ten different motivators. These motivators are based on the work of psychologist Frederick Herzberg and his theory of motivation and hygiene factors.

The idea is that each team member has to rank these based on their preferences & feelings. Tricky reflection for them, but they should really rank them from the most important to the least.

At the end of the exercise, you will have a much better perspective on what truly gets your employees out of bed — providing you with the magical angle to motivate each team member to a maximum.

Introducing: The 10 Moving Motivators

1. Goal/Purpose: "I have the feeling that the work has meaning and contributes to a greater purpose."

Now especially in our nature field, we quickly have prejudices and assume that this is the number one motivator for all your employees.

Sometimes, you would be surprised by what comes out at those workshops.

Maybe that is the case, and for your entire team, that is the number one motivator, but you might also have been working with some handbrakes on in the past months because their primary motivators are different ones.

Example: Their purpose is to rewild nature.

2. Mastery: "I have the desire to improve my skills and expertise."

This motivator is the most important for some because they are curious and genuinely master their crafts. They want to keep digging deeper or become the best in their field.

Example: They want to master how to rewild certain species in the best possible way.

3. Curiosity: "I've got plenty of interesting things to explore and ponder."

Some of us need to be constantly stimulated with new experiences (one of the reasons I started Wild Business Mates is because I love to consult, read and write about many different things).

Examples: They like to jump into different teams, tackle different tasks, and ask many questions.

4. Honor: "I feel proud that how I work aligns with my values."

Some of us can be very strict, while others can bend their values more.

Try to find out who sits in front of you.

Example: Values like Honesty, Loyalty, Authenticity, Fun, etc. are reflected in their work and upheld by them.

Bonus tip: If it is the most important motivator for them, try to find out what those unshakeable values are.

5. Acceptance: "The folks around me like what I do and who I am."

This is obviously relevant if you have team members that are in the minority in your team. That can be skin color, sexual orientation, religion, etc.

But it can also be things like quirky humor, way of communicating, etc.

6. Power: "I've got enough say in what goes on around here."

Ok, there is you in your nature venture. But some people are most motivated when they feel they can influence what is happening.

Example: They want a position not for the title but for the strategy, responsibilities, and decision making opportunities that come with it.

7. Freedom: "I can do my thing and handle my responsibilities on my own."

Free like a bird.

Some of your employees appreciate freedom and flexibility more than others.

They feel like in a cage if you restrict them.

Examples: They like to work from home or abroad. They want to work at different times of the day.

8. Relatedness: "I've got great connections with the people I work with."

Work, purpose, and power are all nice, but some people don't give a damn.

The most important motivator for them is the social connections they make at work.

They don't see just colleagues but true friends. 

Example: They refer to the company as a family or host many events to get people to socialize more.

9. Order: "There are enough rules and guidelines to keep things steady."

What would the world look like without rules, right?

Some of your team members feel constrained when they hear the word rules; others can't get enough of them.

It is your job to find out how most of your employees ticks.

Example: They have a fable for clear, defined, documented structures and processes.

10. Status: "People I work with acknowledge and value my position."

For some of your team members, having the title and status is crucial because it gives them a feeling of accomplishment.

Example: They frequently mention their job title and refer to their status inside the company often. 

Now, we all are motivated by those 10 moving motivators, but their combination will always differ.

As a leader of your nature venture, it is crucial to figure out and remember each of your employees' top 3 moving motivators.

If you do that and stimulate those motivators, you will see your nature venture productivity going through the roof.

Your turn: Let's increase your team's productivity by understanding their moving motivators

5 actions to start motivating your team better

1. Block yourself 30min next week to reflect on your team. How motivated are they right now? Maybe you work at full capacity and don't need to tackle this.

2. Depending on your approach, block yourself 1to1 or a team meeting to do the moving motivator exercise.

3. Document the top 3 moving motivators of each of your team members somewhere where you keep notes about them (e.g., weekly 1to1, yearly review, feedback doc, etc.)

4. Reflect on each team member if you currently stimulate these motivators enough. If not, find ways to do it.

5. These reflections can be challenging as a leader because we all have biases, and you can't always share your thoughts openly. Set up a 30min free call with me to get some unbiased reflection on how to motivate your team.

Cheat sheet to boost the motivation of your team

In a nutshell: Moving motivators can help you boost your team's productivity by figuring out how each team member is motivated.

Book: Management 3.0 - Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders by Jurgen Appelo

Workshop: Here is some more info about the workshop in detail. Moving motivators workshop.

Tool: Here is a great tool you can use with everything set up already. You just need to gather your team. Miro moving motivators digital workshop.

Before you go.

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Motivating your team is not always easy.

Each single team member got some different motivators that they value the most.

The moving motivators exercise will help you gain the clarity you need to boost your team's productivity.

Higher productivity of your team = bigger impact of your nature venture

See you next week. Have a wild one!

Oliver

🦧 Whenever you are ready, there are 2 ways we can help you:

1. 1-to-1 business consulting. Detailed and personalized consulting to double the impact of your biodiversity organization in the shortest possible time. Not sure how to get the most out of your team? Let me take a look.

2. Wild Business Mates in Action. Wild Business Mates help you execute in areas you are struggling with. Tech, Marketing, Sales, Communication, etc.