Husky Jerk.png

Blog

 

Carrot or Stick: Do You Know Your Motivation?

One of the first books I ever remember reading was, The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. It’s still one of my favorites. One particular line from that book hit me the minute I read it, and it’s stuck with me for over 20 years. He wrote, “People would rather be drawn by love than chased by fear.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Let’s play it out. If you gave me a task to move a horse from here to there (which is a pretty common task for most kids), there are many ways to accomplish that. Here’s one, I could grab the reins and start pulling, and if the horse is in a good mood, I might get lucky. But, if the horse is cranky, I could be in for a fight.

I’m hoping for the best, but I’m prepared to muscle through it, if necessary. 

The problem with this approach is that it’s too unpredictable. It also relies too much on your own strength, and maybe on a little bit of luck, too. An alternative is to acknowledge that the horse is already pretty good at moving itself. If I can motivate the horse to move in the direction I want it to go, I’ll be much better off. 

If I were the horse, I’d definitely have a preference for how I’d like you to motivate me. I’d like to be drawn forward by something enticing, like a carrot. That would do it. However, I also don’t enjoy being swatted with a stick, so that would motivate me pretty well, too. The fear of that momentary sting is definitely enough to get me going.

So, which is it, the carrot or the stick? The reality is that both motivations—the carrot and the stick—move the horse. 

Whether you choose the carrot or the stick may be a matter of asking, “What’s my best option right now?” Or, maybe you need to ask, “What’s my best option long-term?” The stick is usually more immediately effective, but it may not create the best dynamic over time between you and your team.

When you apply this principal to the work you’re doing or the culture you’re creating, paying attention to the natural patterns, workflows, behaviors, beliefs, and values of your people is the difference between getting there quickly or taking an unnecessarily long time.

This excerpt is taken from Chapter 23 of You Little Jerk. For more insight on how to build culture at home or at work, visit youlittlejerk.com.

Larry HubatkaComment