Dedicated to Igniting Brilliance in Your Organization
Issue: 2
Fall 2008
Hello, welcome back!
As the leaves start to change and the air turns crisp a reflective mood falls over many people, it is fall. But not just any fall, a Presidential election, economic turmoil, and unstable organizations fill the daily news. What is the motivating driver behind the news? The fall SPARK issue is a great resource for learning about motivation. The main article discusses the Four-drive model of employee motivation and the Spotlight article discusses a unique workshop on motivation, which is anything but ordinary.
We hope you enjoy the latest issue. Please read on.
The Four-Drive Model of Employee Motivation
The Purpose: Provide an overview of how the Four-drive model works
How do you motivate employees to achieve the highest level of performance possible? This has been one of the enduring dilemmas of organizations throughout history. A recent Harvard Business Journal article by Nohria, Groysberg and Lee (July-Aug 2008) sheds some light on a new model of employee motivation that can help organizations solve this age old issue. In the article, they present the framework of the Four-drive model of employee motivation, indicating that the four main drivers of employee motivation are: (a) the drive to Acquire, (b) the drive to Bond, (c) the drive to Comprehend, and (d) the drive to Defend. These four drives account for most of the spectrum of an employee's motivation.
The Drive to Acquire: this is the drive that we most associate with motivation at work. As the article indicates, "we are all driven to acquire scarce goods that bolster our sense of well-being." This drive is typically addressed through an external reward system (e.g., pay, bonus, incentives, recognition). The key to an effective and successful reward system revolves around how it operates and how it differentiates between good and poor performance.
Organizations can influence this through improving how their reward system provides feedback on good or poor performance, ensuring that their employees understand their total reward opportunities, and creating variable pay options that provide clear linkage to an individual's increased performance.
The Drive to Bond: the drive to bond is focused on creating positive personal relationships between people and the organization. We readily see how people become attached and form friendships with their coworkers. This is a positive motivator as it creates a sense of belonging, camaraderie, and unity.
Organizations can influence the drive to bond through providing more opportunities to build friendships and enhance camaraderie. Creating a culture that encourages friendships, provides opportunities for bonding (e.g., social gatherings, sponsoring sports teams, or community work), and implements various teambuilding programs all can help increase this drive.
The Drive to Comprehend: we are curious by nature and want to make sense of things in the world around us. The drive to comprehend does not disappear at work - in fact, it can be argued that it is enhanced. We are driven to understand how we fit in, what things mean, how to solve and overcome challenges, and to make meaningful contributions.
Organizations can influence the drive to comprehend through a number of avenues including how they design individual jobs (do they include variety, challenge, learning?), continuing education, training, professional development opportunities, and seeking employee input into strategic and operational decisions.
The Drive to Defend: as humans we have a fight or flight response that activates when we are threatened. This response is also activated when a belief, a cohort, or an organization we associate positively with is threatened. Of the four drives, this is the only one which is reactive. It is activated in situations such as when external forces threaten the company, when different business units compete for the same budget, or when change is instituted in the company. The drive to defend is our response to protect what we have created and believe in.
Organizations can influence the drive to defend by ensuring that people have a positive image or relationship with the organization. Creating a culture that is focused on meeting the needs of individuals and focusing their time, energy and resources on the "competition" instead of internal turf wars.
In summary, we believe that this is one of the most comprehensive and powerful models of employee motivation we have experienced. Our work with reward systems, teambuilding, training, experiential learning, and organizational culture has been refined through an integrated approach that combines the theoretical aspects of the model and practical aspects of our experience and more enhancements to our offerings will be coming down the road. If this introduction to the Four-drive model has aroused your interest, we would be delighted to discuss the model and its applicability to your workplace.
Spotlight - Motivation: Anything but Ordinary
The Goal: To coah managers on the what, why, and how of motivation
What is the one thing in today's economic situation that organizations need in order to be successful?
Motivated employees.
Recently, The Lantern Group conducted a full day customized workshop on Motivation and it was anything but ordinary. As the 30 managers from a large manufacturing company entered the room they observed something very different than what they had become accustomed to during their previous workshop experiences. The room was not set up in an orderly fashion. There were plastic tables, plastic chairs, big comfy chairs, balloons, pumpkins, and even colorful plastic tablecloths all dispersed throughout the room. The reactions on the managers' faces were a mixture of shock, confusion, anticipation, and hesitation. This was not going to be an ordinary workshop. Motivation was the topic of the day and the workshop opener was designed to fully ignite each manager's motive for learning by engaging them in a hands on, brains fully engaged activity.
The managers embarked on a motivation journey, discovering what makes motivation so important for organizations today. In the past, many organizations took the efforts of their employees for granted; they needed them in order to get things done and thus to succeed in business, but there were other levers that were being pulled to ensure profitability. In the current economy, employees are no longer viewed as a separate part of the business channel - they are now an integral part and critical to the overall health and economic success of organizations.
The heart of the workshop looked at: (a) what motivates employees to live up to their full potential, (b) how do you motivate appropriately, and (c) how do the four drives of employee motivation help power organizational success? By the end of the workshop, the 30 managers could answer these questions and had the tools to implement effective motivation strategies back at work.
As stated by one manager, "It gives a competitive edge to have a motivated workforce."
By understanding why motivation is important - and how to motivate their workforce - these 30 managers have taken a huge step forward in ensuring their organization's economic success and future sustainability.
Take A Quiz!
Congratulations to Brent Boston for winning the last Take A Quiz. Brent received an iTunes Gift Card for his reward. Brent is a copywriter who works with the Lantern Group on their incentive compensation rollouts. Brent lives in Plymouth, MN, has two lovely children and owns a small farm where the Boston family likes to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Are You Ready for Some Football?
If it is Fall then it is time for football. Test your football knowledge and win a prize! The first person to e-mail the correct answers to
will be recognized in the next SPARK! newsletter and receive an iTunes Gift Card. Good Luck!
1. What yard line must a football team drive to, to reach the "red zone"? a. 25
b. 20
c. 10
d. 50
2. How many points was a touchdown worth in 1911? a. 16
b. 8
c. 5
d. 6
3. What three NFL teams had lost four Super Bowls each, through 1996?
a. Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins
b. Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings
c. New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers
If you have any questions or just want to say Hi, we would love to hear from you.
Enjoy the many activities of Fall; apple picking, cider, and homemade apple pie. Remember that igniting brilliance in your organization is just one SPARK! away.
How do you motivate employees to achieve the highest level of performance possible? This has been one of the enduring dilemmas of organizations throughout history. A recent Harvard Business Journal article by Nohria, Groysberg and Lee (July-Aug 2008) sheds some light on a new model of employee motivation that can help organizations solve this age old issue. In the article, they present the framework of the Four-drive model of employee motivation, indicating that the four main drivers of employee motivation are: (a) the drive to Acquire, (b) the drive to Bond, (c) the drive to Comprehend, and (d) the drive to Defend. These four drives account for most of the spectrum of an employee's motivation. 
What is the one thing in today's economic situation that organizations need in order to be successful? 
Congratulations to Brent Boston for winning the last Take A Quiz. Brent received an iTunes Gift Card for his reward. Brent is a copywriter who works with the Lantern Group on their incentive compensation rollouts. Brent lives in Plymouth, MN, has two lovely children and owns a small farm where the Boston family likes to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
