You cannot motivate other people!

"But of course I can motivate other people...at least I'd like to be able to." I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you cannot motivate other people.

Traditionally, we've tended to look at motivation as a process whereby one person "does" something "to" another. We've succeeded in convincing ourselves that motivation is a magic spell we cast on others to get them to do the things we think are important. I call it the "Caveman Theory" of motivation, whereby we club people on the head with our ideas.

Evidently, the "Caveman Theory" doesn't work. At the recent Alpha Delta Pi Leadership Conference in Ft. Collins, Colorado, four hundred chapter officers, chapter advisors, and national officers said the biggest chapter problem they faced was "getting people to do things," or motivation.

One of the obstacles in motivating others is that people do things for their reasons, not yours. Something gets done because someone has a reason for doing it. The reason is meaningful to the doer, but isn't necessarily meaningful to anyone else. For example, if you don't believe that people do things for their own reasons rather than yours, try to get someone to do something he/she doesn't want to do. Most people will balk at your feeble attempt.

Another problem in trying to motivate others is that all people are motivated. Everybody has their reason for doing things. The person who stays in bed instead of going to class on time is just more motivated to stay in bed than to go to class on time. But motivated nonetheless.

We've tended to view motivation as an either/or situation--one is either motivated or is not. If we accept this proposition we'll spend our energies trying to determine 'who is" and "who isn't" motivated. If, on the other hand, we realize that all people are motivated, the task of motivation isn't so imposing.

You cannot motivate other people. But you can create an environment in which people will motivate themselves. You can establish a climate that provides opportunities for members to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

The key to creating motivational environments is getting to know your group members as well as possible. What are each person's strengths and weaknesses? What kind of work are they good at and not so good at? What kind of rewards do they respond most to? What do they need to become more successful?

How do we get this information? At the Leadership Conference we completed an instrument which enabled us to look at our personalities and how certain personality types possess particular strengths and weaknesses. But you don't have to get people to fill out a questionnaire to find out what people are good at or what they need to be successful. Observing people in a variety of situations can tell you a lot about their tendencies. And don't hesitate to ask your group members how they feel about themselves in certain situations or what they feel to be their strengths and weaknesses.

In addition to individual needs, there are some universal things that all group members need. All people need a sense of belonging, a share in planning group goals, purpose in what they are doing, knowing what's expected of them, responsibilities that are challenging, goals that are being met, being in on things, and confidence in their leaders. Fulfilling these needs will help you create that motivational environment.

Another of the ways you can create a motivational environment is to eliminate those situations in which people are doomed to fail. Often our group members are placed in situations of high expectations but with little expertise. Failure is almost guaranteed in these situations. Motivational environments are those that give group members opportunities to succeed by allowing them to demonstrate what they are most capable of doing. This consideration can be applied to election of chapter officers, appointment of committee members and chairpersons and even in the assignment of chapter house maintenance duties.

There's a final key to creating motivational environments. Here's a rule you can follow that will enable you to become an effective motivator. TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU WILL GIVE OTHERS WHAT THEY WANT, THEY WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT! It's the key to motivating, persuading, selling, managing, leading--getting people to do things. But there are a couple of things you need to know before you can make it work.

You must first give others what they want. You have to know what they want, and how to give it. And you have to know what you want and what you're willing to give to get it.

The "Caveman Theory" is as extinct as the cavemen themselves. Motivation is not a "club." It's a way of life, a way of giving people what they need most--YOU!

Eddie Peters is a former Coordinator of Greek Affairs at the University of Iowa. His firm, Personal Development Consultants, conducts training in leadership and organizational effectiveness. This article is reprinted from The Adelphian of Alpha Delta Pi, Summer, 1980.