I was in a store yesterday and overheard a conversation between two employees.  It seems there was a sales contest going on.  One employee clearly wanted to win.  The other, while he wasn’t sure he could actually win, made the following comment: “I don’t really feel the need to win, but I’m certainly not going to come in last!  Never let it be said that I’m the weak link in this chain.”

That’s an interesting dichotomy of views.  Both employees are obviously motivated — one by the desire to win, and one by the desire not to lose.  Which do you suppose is the stronger motivator?  The will to win can be powerful.  On the other hand, the will to not embarrass ourselves can be powerful as well.  Which would get you out of bed on a cold morning?  Probably both — for different reasons.

I don’t know which motivator is stronger.  They come from totally different paradigms.  The will to win says, “I’m good at what I do.  If I put my mind to this, and really go after it with all my heart, I’m pretty confident I could win.”  The desire not to lose says, “I’m not really confident I could win, even if I tried.  By the same token, though, I don’t think I could stand the embarrassment of being last.  I’m going to watch over my shoulder to make darn sure there’s at least one person behind me all the way to the end of this contest.”  So one comes from a high self-esteem, confident paradigm, and the other from a low self-esteem, unsure and non-confident paradigm.  Both are probably equally motivated, just for different reasons.

As you think about what motivates you (and your employees) ask yourself why this is such a powerful motivator.  Understanding what motivates you and why will go a long way to helping you succeed at what you do.  Understanding what motivates your employees will go an equally long way towards getting the most from them.  In all of this, one thing’s for certain:  everyone is motivated by something.    Don’t assume everyone’s like you.