Motivating Employees: Use People Interests When Making Assignments

If you are struggling with ways to motivate employees, try looking at what they "like" or "dislike" about working with people. Why? Because getting the best from your employees is not just about matching assignments with skills. It is also about matching assignments with interests. And research shows that when employees are interested in what they do, they perform better. Assigning tasks based on "people preferences" is just one way to match assignments with interests. Start with these four options:

People Option One – Working With Large Groups: First, determine what is considered a "large" group in your organization. Second, think outside-the-box when identifying opportunities for employees to work with these groups. Perhaps there is a chance to make a 5-minute introduction to a large audience. Or maybe delivering an update on a project is an option. The point is to look for opportunities in everyday work situations.  Then, whenever possible, make assignments based on the "people preferences" of your employees. 

People Option Two – Working With Small Groups: For this option think about situations involving three or more employees. Look at upcoming projects or meetings. Consider situations within your immediate office or in other departments. If there is a match between the skill-set required for the assignment and the number of participants, consider "both factors" when making the assignment.

People Option Three – Working With A Partner: Here, think about instances where employees have to train someone, share information, or collaborate on an assignment. The interaction could be short, long, or something in-between. Bottom-line, when the task involves working with one other person, assign it to someone who prefers this level of people involvement.

People Option Four – Working Alone: For those who prefer a solitary experience, individual assignments provide numerous chances to work alone. But so do assignments where multiple people are involved. To uncover "working alone" options, consider specific tasks like research, analysis, or review. All projects require these or similar tasks. Look for these tasks and assign them to employees who crave them.

Use People Interests As A Motivation Tool

Finding ways to match assignments with skills as well as interests is just good management strategy. Looking at preferences when it comes to working with "numbers of people" is just one way to explore employee interests. So the next time you are trying to motivate employees, don’t just think about the number of skills they have; think about the number of people they will work with.