I was thinking recently about the psychology of motivation, prompted by an article that discussed the evil genius of Apple. The author portrayed head honcho Steve Jobs as a meddling micromanager who pretty much scares the pants off his staff. Seriously, the dude makes people cry. That’s in stark contrast to the leaders of many other high-tech behemoths, who offer employees flex-time, foosball, and free lunches. (Presumably, there’s not much weeping involved.)
Yet both approaches result in stellar, market-shaking work. So which style motivates best?
I’ve had bosses who were screamers and bosses who were spineless, ones who motivated with money and others who made empty promises. But the boss who got the best out of me provided what I craved most: feedback and recognition. He made me feel important and valued, and in return, I gave him my top-notch performance.
That strategy won’t perk productivity in everyone, so it makes me wonder what works for you.
Loading ...(Image by Roy Blumenthal via Flickr, CC 2.0)
