{"id":113300,"date":"2023-09-15T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=113300"},"modified":"2023-09-21T13:27:20","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T17:27:20","slug":"how-to-motivate-people-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-motivate-people-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Motivate People at Work: The 6 Motivation Patterns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you have a hard time getting your team members or colleagues to enthusiastically engage in a new project? Does it seem like they’re on a page that doesn’t even exist in your book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to influencing language<\/a> expert Shelle Rose Charvet, if you learn how someone is motivated, you can consciously match their frame of reference and speak in a language they understand. She discusses six motivation patterns in a workplace context, but you can use her insights in any setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to learn how to motivate people<\/a> at work by speaking their motivation language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Motivate People at Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Charvet says that you can learn how to motivate people at work by understanding six motivation patterns. The majority of these patterns are based on a dichotomy between two opposites. According to Charvet, this doesn\u2019t mean that people are either one or the other<\/strong>\u2014rather, the patterns form a spectrum, and individuals often fall somewhere in between. For example, while some people prefer to work with a team and others prefer to work alone, there are also those who equally enjoy working with others and by themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtues of the Middle Ground<\/strong>

The middle of the motivation pattern spectrum may be the most desirable, especially if you\u2019re in a leadership role. In The Dichotomy of Leadership<\/em><\/a>, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin<\/a> assert that every characteristic of a good leader<\/a> becomes counterproductive when taken to the extreme. Thus, as a leader, you should attempt to strike a healthy balance between ideals in everything you do.

This may also apply to motivation patterns. For instance, a leader who can only work in collaboration with other people might struggle with tasks no one can help with (like writing reports to a senior manager), while a leader who can only work alone may struggle with tasks that require teamwork (like leading brainstorming<\/a> meetings.)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Motivation Pattern #1: Active or Passive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first motivation pattern we\u2019ll discuss refers to someone\u2019s readiness to spur themselves into action<\/strong>: Are they active <\/em>or passive<\/em>? (Charvet calls this the \u201cLevel\u201d category.) Active people progress toward their goals as quickly as possible, while passive people<\/a> tend to wait and analyze the situation<\/a> until the perfect opportunity arises or someone else pushes them into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can tell someone is active if they speak in short, direct sentences that emphasize simple cause-and-effect sequences, asserts Charvet. To communicate effectively with an active person, mirror this effect. For example, you could say, \u201cWe\u2019re downsizing to keep this branch profitable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, passive people speak in long, often meandering sentences that highlight the subtle complexities of a situation. To break downsizing news to a passive person, you might say, \u201cAlthough there\u2019s great work being done in every department, it\u2019s likely that we\u2019ll start running a deficit unless we downsize to reduce our current expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivation Pattern #2: Positively or Negatively Incentivized<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second motivation pattern describes whether someone feels more motivated by the promise of a reward or by the threat of negative consequences<\/strong>: Are they positively<\/em> or negatively <\/em>incentivized? (Charvet calls this the \u201cDirection\u201d category.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Charvet, someone who\u2019s positively incentivized will frequently talk about their goals\u2014what they want to achieve and add to their life. For example, they might excitedly tell you, \u201cIf this project succeeds, we\u2019ll have the only product of its kind on the market.\u201d On the other hand, someone who\u2019s negatively incentivized will tend to talk about their fears and problems\u2014what they want to keep out of their life. They would emphasize that \u201cUnless we get this product to market quickly, we\u2019ll fall behind our competitors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To influence someone to take action, talk to positively incentivized people about opportunities they can gain and negatively incentivized people about threats they should avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivation Pattern #3: Self-Validated or Validated by Others<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The third motivation pattern refers to how people decide what to do and how they assess if they\u2019re doing it well<\/strong>: They\u2019re either self-validated<\/a> <\/em>or validated by others<\/em>. (Charvet calls this the \u201cSource\u201d category.) Self-validated people only want to work if they believe they\u2019re successfully doing something important. People validated by others only like working if someone like a boss or coworker tells them they\u2019re doing a good job at something important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-validated people make frequent judgments about their work and the work of others: For example, they might say, \u201cMy presentation at today\u2019s meeting went well. Although I was a little less organized than Justin, my visual aids got my point across well.\u201d In contrast, people validated by others defer to other people\u2019s opinions when judging someone\u2019s work: \u201cI think I had a good presentation today. Justin told me he was impressed, and I saw Michelle nodding a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charvet notes that because they\u2019re so self-assured, persuading someone self-validated to change their mind can be a challenge. If you\u2019re trying to influence them, make sure to give suggestions rather than instructions. <\/strong>For instance, you could say, \u201cIf you want your message to be as clear as possible, you may want to cut each of your presentation slides down to a couple of bullet points.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People validated by others are much easier to influence\u2014just strongly assert what you believe to be true or cite the standards of others: \u201cYou should keep your slides more concise. Michelle always responds well to a focused presentation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivation Pattern #4: Reliable or Innovative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fourth motivation pattern describes how attached someone is to one specific way of solving a problem<\/strong>: They\u2019re either reliable <\/em>or innovative<\/em>. (Charvet calls this the \u201cReason\u201d category.) Reliable people identify one way to solve a problem and strive to consistently repeat their successes in the same way, while innovative people are always on the lookout for new and better ways to solve the same problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can tell someone is reliable if they describe their actions as if they were out of their control, writes Charvet. For example, a reliable person would tell you \u201cI had to stay six hours overtime last week to finish up that urgent project.\u201d Innovative people, on the other hand, will dissect the factors influencing every decision they make and highlight the other choices they could have made: \u201cI could have left that project for Monday rather than putting in extra hours, but I wanted my boss to see how dedicated I am. Plus, I thought it\u2019d be nice to grab an overtime bonus before the holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To communicate effectively, mirror the other person\u2019s view of problem-solving: Emphasize either the one right way to do something or the variety of options they have when approaching it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivation Pattern #5: Eager for Change or Content With Stability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fifth motivation pattern we\u2019ll discuss refers to how often someone wants to upend the status quo<\/strong>: Are they eager for change<\/em> or content with stability<\/em>? (Charvet calls this the \u201cDecision Factors\u201d category.) That is, do they want to constantly shake things up in their life or keep things the same for as long as possible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When thinking about the past, people who are more eager for change will highlight how much things have changed\u2014they might say, \u201cRunning a nonprofit is much more fulfilling than my career managing restaurants.\u201d Someone content with stability with the same r\u00e9sum\u00e9 would focus on the things that stayed the same: \u201cI\u2019ve been a manager for the last 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to influence someone eager for change to do something, emphasize how exciting and new it is (\u201cGoing to college would be a whole new adventure for you!\u201d). If they\u2019re content with stability, emphasize how it\u2019s similar to things they\u2019ve done in the past (\u201cI think continuing your education would really help you maintain your personal growth\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Research shows that people naturally become less eager for change and more content with stability as they age<\/a>. Experts theorize this is because many older people settle into pursuits that require long-term investment\u2014such as a lifelong career or raising children<\/a> and grandchildren\u2014and they shy away from change to protect the life they\u2019ve built. Thus, if the language someone uses doesn\u2019t overtly lean toward change or stability, you may be able to use their age to decide whether to influence them with more change- or stability-oriented language\u2014at least until you get to know them better as an individual.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivation Pattern #6: Ideals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The sixth motivation pattern is a bit different than the other five\u2014instead of existing on a spectrum between two types, people can express this pattern in infinite ways. Charvet argues that everyone has a unique set of ideals,<\/em> specific words that represent the things or attributes that are most important to them<\/strong>. (Charvet calls these ideals \u201cCriteria.\u201d) For instance, if someone says they love their job because they\u2019re working toward a noble mission and get to spend time with a supportive team<\/a>, \u201cnoble mission\u201d and \u201csupportive team\u201d might be two of their ideals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck<\/em><\/a>, Mark Manson contends that one major way you can improve your life is to intentionally choose your ideals<\/a>. According to Manson, many people make themselves miserable by choosing to care about ideals that are out of their control, destructive, or untethered from reality\u2014for example, the ideal of being the most well-liked salesperson on the team. He recommends choosing to care more about ideals that are controllable, constructive, and based in reality\u2014for example, the ideal of taking personal responsibility for your life.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you refer to one of someone\u2019s ideals using different words, it won\u2019t mean the same thing to them. Charvet contends that a person\u2019s ideals\u2014the words themselves<\/em>\u2014are tied to myriad emotional memories that give the words their motivating power. Thus, when trying to communicate with or influence someone, only refer to their ideals using their exact words<\/strong>. To return to our example above, you could convince that person to volunteer at your organization by emphasizing the noble mission<\/em> you and your supportive team<\/em> are looking to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The fact that particular words represent a vast well of emotional memories shapes the way that corporations market their products. In How Brands Grow<\/em><\/a>, Byron Sharp contends that the purpose of advertising is to spread positive emotional memories related to a specific brand<\/a>. Brand assets, including a brand\u2019s memorable name and slogan, act as symbolic shorthand for all the pleasant experiences you\u2019ve had purchasing from that brand. For this reason, when a brand changes its brand assets, it often backfires\u2014for example, after the soda brand Sierra Mist changed its name to Starry, it severed its connection to the positive memories its customers associated with the specific words \u201cSierra Mist.\u201d)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you have a hard time getting your team members or colleagues to enthusiastically engage in a new project? Does it seem like they’re on a page that doesn’t even exist in your book? According to influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet, if you learn how someone is motivated, you can consciously match their frame of reference and speak in a language they understand. She discusses six motivation patterns in a workplace context, but you can use her insights in any setting. Continue reading to learn how to motivate people at work by speaking their motivation language.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":89914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,14,42],"tags":[1267],"class_list":["post-113300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-management","category-motivation","tag-words-that-change-minds","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Motivate People at Work: The 6 Motivation Patterns - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You can learn how to motivate people at work by understanding their motivation patterns and using language to match. 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