While researching what I should write about this week, I realized that I have never written about HR (Human Relations) and leadership here.
What a f*** up on my side because I believe that great people are the number one key ingredient to scale the impact of your nature venture.
After all, what is a nature business or an environmental NGO?
A simple piece of paper.
You and your employees are the ones that bring it to life.
People are behind the strategy, the work on the ground, the marketing efforts, the sales approach, etc.
So today, let’s look at how to get the most out of your team by better understanding what motivates them professionally and personally. In other words, getting to know their moving motivators.
P.S.: the information shared in this article is beneficial for many use cases. If you are currently looking for a job, you can reflect on what you are looking for, apprehend your B2B partners, and understand your own actions better. This content is a keeper.
Why developing a motivation approach with your team is crucial?
Without a motivated team, you can say goodbye to your impact ambition.
You want to rewild 3 countries in the next 10 years?
People are the ones that carry your vision. So you need employees who are engaged and enthusiastic about it to make it happen.
This doesn’t mean people can’t have bad days; we all do. But if you remember the Pareto Principle I was talking to you about a few months ago, we should aim for team members to be motivated 80% of the time.
One of the best examples you have probably seen numerous times is in sports. The underdog team beats the bigger one because they are so pumped up about this game.
As leaders of biodiversity businesses or nature NGOs, we strive for the same thing.
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What are moving motivators, and can they help you with your team?
In his book Management 3.0, Jurgen Appelo came up with a framework that can help you biodiversity hero understand how your employees are motivated.
The concept is called: Moving Motivators. It consists of ten different motivators. They are based on the work of psychologist Frederick Herzberg and his theory of motivation in combination with hygiene factors.
The idea is that each team member has to rank their intrinsic and extrinsic motivators based on their preferences & feelings. Tricky reflection for them, but they should really rank them from the most important to the least.
At the end of the exercise, you have a much better perspective on what truly gets your employees out of bed — providing you with the magical angle to motivate each team member to a maximum.
What are the 10 moving motivators cards?
1. Goal/Purpose: “I have the feeling that the work has meaning and contributes to a greater purpose.”
Now especially in our nature field, we quickly have prejudices and assume that this is the number one motivator for all your employees.
Sometimes, you would be surprised by what comes out at those workshops.
Maybe that is the case, and for your entire team, that is the number one motivator. However, you might also have been working with some handbrakes in the past months because their primary motivators are different ones.
Example: Their purpose is to rewild nature.
2. Mastery: “I have the desire to improve my skills and expertise.”
This motivator is the most important for some because they are curious people and ultimately want to master their crafts. They aim to dig deeper or become the best in their field.
Example: They want to master how to rewild certain species in the best possible way.
3. Curiosity: “I’ve got plenty of interesting things to explore and ponder.”
Some people need to be constantly stimulated with new tasks and experiences. They like to research, analyze, ask questions, and read more about a specific topic before switching to a new one. (one of the reasons I started Wild Business Mates is because I love to consult, read, and write about many different things).
Examples: They like to jump into different teams, tackle different tasks, and ask many questions.
4. Honor: “I feel proud that how I work aligns with my values.”
Some of us can be very strict with ourselves, while others can bend their values more.
Try to find out who sits in front of you.
Example: values like honesty, loyalty, authenticity, fun, etc. are reflected in their work and upheld by them.
💡 Bonus tip: if it is the most important motivator for them, finding out what those unshakeable values are is fundamental.
5. Acceptance: “The folks around me like what I do and who I am.”
This is relevant if you have team members who are or feel like in the minority in your team. It can appear in various ways, including quirky humor, a sharp way of communicating, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
Example: my first love is wildlife, and I could talk all day about it. Working with people who share the same interest in animals and biodiversity makes me feel in the right place with the right people.
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6. Power: “I’ve got enough say in what goes on around here.”
Ok, you are probably the boss. But some people are most motivated when they feel they can influence what is happening.
Example: They want a position not for the title but for the strategy, responsibilities, and decision-making opportunities that come with it.
7. Freedom: “I can do my thing and handle my responsibilities on my own.”
Free like a bird.
Some of your employees appreciate freedom and flexibility more than others. They feel like in a cage if you restrict them.
Example: They like to work from home or abroad. They want to work at different times of the day.
8. Relatedness: “I’ve got great connections with the people I work with.”
Work, purpose, and power are all nice, but some people don’t give a damn.
The most important motivator for them is the social connections they make by teaming up with you for a great cause.
They don’t see just colleagues but true friends.
Example: They refer to the company as a family or host many events to get people to socialize more.
9. Order: “There are enough rules and guidelines to keep things steady.”
What would the world look like without rules, right?
Some of your team members feel constrained when they hear the word rules; others can’t get enough of them.
It is your job to find out how most of your employees tick.
Example: They have a fable for clear, defined, documented structures and processes.
10. Status: “People I work with acknowledge and value my position.”
For some of your team members, having the title and status is crucial because it gives them a feeling of accomplishment.
Example: They frequently mention their job title and refer to their status inside the company.
Now, we all are motivated by those 10 moving motivators, but their order of importance always differs from one person to another.
As a leader of your nature venture, it is crucial to figure out and remember each of your employees’ top 3 moving motivators.
If you do that and focus on stimulating those motivators, it is very likely you see your nature venture productivity going through the roof.
Your turn: what are your teammates’ moving motivators?
5 actions to start using this motivation approach with your team
- Block yourself 30min next week to discuss with your team. How motivated are they right now? Maybe you work at full capacity and don’t need to tackle this.
- Depending on your motivation approach, block yourself 1 to 1 or a team meeting to do the moving motivator exercise.
- Document the top 3 moving motivators of each of your team members somewhere where you keep notes about them (e.g., weekly 1 to 1, yearly review, feedback form, etc.)
- Determine for each team member if you currently stimulate these motivators enough. If not, find ways to do it.
- These reflections can be challenging as a leader because we all have biases, and you can’t always share your thoughts openly. Set up a 30-minute free call with me to get some unbiased reflection on how to motivate your team.
Cheat sheet to boost the moving motivators of your team
In a nutshell: Moving motivators can help you boost your team’s productivity by figuring out how each team member is motivated from an intrinsic and extrinsic perspective.
Book: Management 3.0 – Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders by Jurgen Appelo
Workshop: Learn more about this motivation approach with the moving motivators workshop.
Tool: Here is a great tool you can use with everything set up already. You just need to gather your team. Miro moving motivators digital workshop.
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Motivating your team is not always easy.
Each single team member has some different motivators that they value the most.
The moving motivators exercise will help you gain the clarity you need to boost your team’s productivity and engagement.
And, as you can imagine, higher productivity of your team = bigger impact on your nature venture
See you next week. Have a wild one!
Oliver
🦧 Whenever you are ready, there are 2 ways we can help you:
- 1-to-1 business consulting. Detailed and personalized consulting to double the impact of your biodiversity organization in the shortest possible time. Not sure how to get the most out of your team? Let me take a look.
- Wild Business Mates in Action. Wild Business Mates help you execute in areas you are struggling with. Tech, Marketing, Sales, Communication, etc.
