Motivation in a Project Environment

TCM 710 Project Leadership Overview of Chapter 2 Volume 2

From:
Verma, Vijay . The Human Aspects of Project Management Human Resource Skills for the Project Manager, Volume Two. Upper Darby, PA: Project Management Institute.

General Overview of Motivation

What is motivation? Basic motivational process

Internal drives within a person that causes that person to willingly devote extra effort in a specific, goal-directed manner.
The six core phases in the motivational process
Identify a persons needs Create drives Select goal-directed behavior Perform the task Receive feedback Reassess needs and goals

Complications in the motivational process

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Motives can only be inferred and cannot be seen Needs are dynamic in nature People rank and select their motives differently People apply different energy levels in pursuing their motives

Theories of Motivation
Content theories of motivation (within)
Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Physiological needs: food, water, and shelter Safety and security needs: safety, stability and protection from physical/emotional harm Social or affiliation needs: affection, friendship, acceptance, love and belonging Esteem needs: self-respect, self-worth, autonomy, and personal sense of achievement Self-actualization needs: a persons drive to become what he or she is capable of becoming lifelong process

ERG Needs Theory

Existence needs: material needs food, water, shelter, salary, working conditions Relatedness needs: social needs establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships Growth needs: esteem/self-actualization individuals efforts to explore opportunities for personal development and growth

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Theories of Motivation
Content theories of motivation (within)
Motivator/Hygiene Theory
Hygiene Factors: compensation, working conditions, relationships with peers, supervisors and subordinates, level of supervision
Maintenance factors

Motivating factors: opportunity for advancement, achievement, recognition, growth and sense of responsibility

Achievement Motivation Theory

The need for achievement: the drive to excel, succeed and achieve performance standards The need for power: to influence the behavior of others The need for affiliation or association: desire for friendly and close personal relationships at work
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Theories of Motivation
Process theories of motivation
Theory X-Theory Y
Theory X: dislike work and avoid it; lack ambition and little capacity for problem solving or creative thinking; motivated by lower level needs Theory Y: high performance expectations; creative, imaginative, ambitious and committed to goals; self-disciplined; motivated by higher needs People have a central need to achieve a sense of competence and this need continues to motivate people even after competence is achieved Good fit between task and organization leads to competence Intention to work toward a goal as a major source of job motivation Motivation comes from an individuals internal drive and desire to achieve goals

Contingency Theory

Goal-Setting Theory

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Theories of Motivation
Process theories of motivation
Expectancy Theory
Assumes people think seriously about how much effort they should put into a task before doing it Depends upon: effort-performance linkage, performancereward linkage, and valence

Reinforcement Theory
Human behavior is shaped by the previous positive or negative outcomes of experienced by a person

Equity Theory
People are motivated by their desire to be treated equitably Perception of unfair allocation of rewards leads to conflict and problems
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Motivation and Project Management

The project managers motivation to manage
Favorable attitude toward authority
To achieve excellence Helps PM obtain support for their actions

Desire to compete with other managers Desire to exercise power

Desire for a distinctive position

Ability to take charge, make decisions and even take disciplinary action when necessary
Acquired by taking a position of high visibility and by initiating things that invite attentions, discussion and popularity Getting work out, staying on top of routine demands, and gaining satisfaction from it

Sense of responsibility

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Motivation and Project Management

Why does motivation depend upon?
Project culture
Stresses openness, teamwork, effective communication, and a clear understanding of plans and expectations

Project reward system

Non-monetary recognition by peers and other stakeholders, the gaining status through project performance and the ability to influence that results from that status Promotions and increase in remuneration

Work content
Participants can be motivated by the intellectual challenge of their tasks, working on a variety of projects, work-related travel opportunities and networking

Environment
Availability of support systems and enthusiastic PMs

Supervision
Impacted by quality and quantity or supervision

Previous success Competition

Between teams and other organizations

Believing in what you do

Most powerful intrinsic motivator

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Guidelines for Creating a Motivational Project Environment

Factors related to project tasks/jobs
Incorporates Herzbergs essentials of a good job

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Direct feedback Client relationship New learning Scheduling Unique expertise Direct communications authority Personal accountability

Guidelines for Creating a Motivational Project Environment

Factors related to personal drives
PM must create an environment that enhances motivating factors and eliminates conditions that may keep people from producing their best work
Use appropriate methods of reinforcement Eliminate unnecessary threats and punishments Assign project personnel some responsibility and hold them accountable. Encourage employee to set their own goals Relate tasks to personal and organizational goals Clarify expectations and ensure that project team members understand them Encourage project participants to engage in novel and challenge activities Dont eliminate anxiety completely

Factors related to project managers

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Guidelines for Creating a Motivational Project Environment

Factors related to project managers
Dont believe that liking is always correlated with positive performance Individualize your supervision Provide immediate and relevant feedback Exhibit confidence in your project team Show interest in each team member and their knowledge Encourage individuals to participate in making decisions that affect them Establish a climate of trust and open communication Minimize the use of statutory position powers Listen to and deal effectively with employee complaints Emphasize the need for improvements in performance, no matter how small Demonstrate your own motivation through behavior and attitude Criticize behavior, not people

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Guidelines for Creating a Motivational Project Environment

Factors related to organizational climate/environment
To create a favorable work environment
Make sure that accomplishment is adequately recognized Provide people with flexibility and choice Provide an appropriate mix of extrinsic rewards and intrinsic satisfaction Design tasks and environments to be consistent with employees needs Make sure that effort pays off in results Be concerned with short-term and long-term motivation

Recognize, increase and help!

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Putting It All Together From Theory to Practice

Set goals and get everyones acceptance and commitment (buyin) Follow SMART goal setting Match people to jobs
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding/Results-orients and have a Timeline

Recognize individual differences Link rewards to performance Individualize rewards Check the system for equity Dont ignore money
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People should be capable to do the job and want to do the job

Rewards and recognition should be visible and tied to specific outstanding results Employees should perceive that the rewards they get are according to the results they produce

Money is a major reason people work