One of the most helpful definitions of motivation is the statement that says that people are motivated to perform an action that directly results in satisfying their personal needs (Certo & Certo, 2011). In the context of an organization a corporate leader, manager, and team leader would do well if he can align the needs of the group with that of the individual.
It is therefore crucial to understand the basic needs of the worker and then communicate the goals and objectives of the organization in such a way that the employee and the employer is looking at the same thing and working towards one goal. This is easier said than done and if one would like to proceed in this course of action then one of the skills that has to be developed is the ability of the manager to communicate well and persuade people to make the organization’s needs as their own.
There are two important things to consider. First of all is the skill of the leader or manager to determine the specific needs of the workers. In the case of Jack Cooper and his team he has to figure out how to find common ground between his need to implement an Internet strategy and the employers’ needs.
It is not enough to simply talk about needs. The leader must communicate to them using specific terms. The ability to communicate with power is only possible if the speaker is able to develop a message that directly addresses the needs of the recipient of the message. It is therefore not unusual for Jack Cooper to spend a great deal of time motivating his workforce. If left on their own they would not find Internet strategy appealing.
It is Maslow’s self-actualization needs that Jack Cooper must utilize to develop a message that would motivate his people (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2010). He had to convince them that they can increase their value if they learn more about Internet strategy. Cooper must explain to them that before they came to this company they had very little knowledge about this strategy and must consider it a privilege to receive free training with regards to learning this cutting-edge concept.
Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that Jack Cooper may succeed in motivating employees and yet create a detrimental effect for the whole organization. This can be understood if one will take a close look at the kind of investment needed to motivate people and change their mindset regarding a particular idea that they have very little knowledge or an idea that they are not interested to learn.
By investing time and other resources Cooper may succeed but at the same time it can use up tremendous amounts of resources and at the same time it is possible that the organization may lose focus on the bigger picture and simply put all their energies in learning about Internet strategy when their primary goal is to sell pharmaceutical products.
Conclusion
It can be said that motivation as a concept is easy to understand. However, the actual step of motivating another person is easier said than done. It requires both knowledge and skill. It requires knowledge about the target audience. It also requires the skill of an effective communicator. The leader must possess both in order to connect with the people working under him or her. This is important in order to rally a group of people that can perform difficult tasks and achieve goals.
References
Certo, S. & T. Certo. (2011). Modern Management: Concepts and Skills. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Pride, W., R. Hughes, & J. Kapoor. (2010). Business. OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.