I. Avoid Using Campaigns as Motivation
Many favor campaigns as motivators. They create a whirlwind that blows over quickly. The initial excitement fades into nothingness. Whether it's a courtesy campaign, a cleanliness campaign, a writer's campaign, a suggestion campaign, or a quality improvement campaign—they're all just forms. And for Chinese people, formalistic approaches are the least effective.
Chinese culture values substance. Motivation must be embedded in daily routines to cultivate lasting habits and sustainable practices. Campaigns typically rely on a driving force. When this individual remains focused, enthusiasm follows; when their attention shifts, the campaign fades. Such campaigns inevitably falter—a pattern consistently proven true.
II. Avoid Arbitrarily Setting Precedents in Motivation
While motivation should avoid rigid adherence to rules, it must adapt to circumstances. However, the greatest pitfall is arbitrarily setting precedents. As the saying goes, "Good deeds are hard to initiate," for if others follow suit, it may become unsustainable—leading to regret.
To demonstrate decisiveness, a manager might rashly agree without thorough consideration. Once the promise is made, saving face becomes a priority, making it difficult to go back on one's word. Thus, even when aware of the error, one persists, compounding the mistake into something far worse.
Being decisive does not mean speaking recklessly; it means standing firm once a decision is made. Therefore, careful deliberation before committing is essential to avoid putting oneself in an untenable position. When managers habitually create exceptions, subordinates may craft situations that trap them unwittingly. Enthusiastically agreeing in the heat of the moment often leads to bitter regret afterward.
No one should arbitrarily set precedents. This is the first step in cultivating institutional awareness and establishing a spirit of lawfulness. Seeking innovation and change must follow lawful procedures.
III. Avoid Grandstanding When Motivating
When you finally allocate funds for motivation, some feel compelled to make a big spectacle, ensuring everyone knows about it to justify the expense. This grandstanding mentality often backfires on motivation.
Those subjected to such grandstanding inevitably feel like monkeys being paraded for others' amusement. Among the spectators, some revel in the spectacle while others resent the artificiality. While some are motivated, others become demoralized. For the organization as a whole, the gains and losses are evenly balanced.
IV. Incentives Must Not Deviate from Group Goals
Goals serve as the common standard for incentives, ensuring fairness. All incentives should align with objectives, demonstrating at minimum that managers act impartially—not favoring individuals based on personal preference, but prioritizing organizational needs to maximize talent utilization. Deviations from goals should not be rewarded; instead, they must be corrected by redirecting efforts toward collective objectives. This fosters unity of purpose and collaborative achievement.
Any behavior deviating from group objectives must not be incentivized, lest such centrifugal forces grow stronger. When motivating subordinates, managers must guide them to self-adjust, align their efforts with group goals, and fulfill their responsibilities.
If a manager rewards actions that deviate from the goal, others will perceive the manager as favoring arbitrary behavior. Consequently, they will focus on discerning the manager's preferences and strive to curry favor to gain advantages. Once this becomes a prevailing practice, it creates an environment where opportunists thrive, inevitably harming the achievement of overall objectives.
V. Effective Communication is Essential in Motivation
When communicating, consider the feelings of third parties to avoid unintentionally offending others. For instance, showing excessive concern for Person B may provoke resentment from Persons C and D. Therefore, carefully select communication methods for individual or group interactions, and consider appropriate intermediaries to prevent complications and unnecessary consequences that diminish the effectiveness of motivation.
Motivation requires effective communication to foster mutual understanding and positive resonance. For instance, if a company intends to reward Employee A but decides to gift him a portable TV without consulting him, it could backfire. Suppose Employee A had just purchased one a week prior. Even if the company offers to exchange it for another appliance from a designated vendor, this causes significant inconvenience to Employee A.