There are thousands of books about business success, but most are based upon the author's personal observations and consulting experience. That raises a question: Is there any science to business success?

Surprisingly, you can find a great deal of science in the five basic principles:

We may live in the information age, but human beings are genetically identical to human beings who lived in the Stone Age. Back then, what separated humans from apes was the part of the brain called the neocortex, which in humans is huge compared with other mammals.

An important element of the huge neocortex are what neuroscientists call "mirror neurons"--brain cells that fire both when we do something ourselves or when weobserve somebody else doing the same thing. When a storyteller tells astory with emotion, those emotions are echoed in the listener's mirrorneurons.

According to psychologist Brian Sturm at the University of NorthCarolina, swapping relatable stories brings people closer together andbuilds trust, making them part of the same tribe and therefore appropriateas business partners.

Though stories connect people emotionally, people quickly forget facts provided outside the context of story. In fact, most people forget 90 percent of the information presented to them within "a relatively short period of time."

Therefore, though you will need facts and information to verify and buttress your stories, your success depends upon the stories you tell, because the stories you tell are how your customers and investors decide what it means to do business with you.

More: How to Tell a Business Story

Many companies encourage working long hours under the belief that paying fewer people to do more work increases profit. That belief, however, is unfounded.

According to studies conducted by Ford Motor Company early in the last century, the sweet spot for worker productivity is around 40 hours a week. Adding additional hours creates only a minor increase in productivity that turns negative in three to four weeks.

The problem is that overworked people start making avoidable errors, which then take additional time to correct. The solution, of course, is to "work smarter." But what does that mean?

It certainly doesn't mean adding more technology; there's an obvious correlation between the amount of technology in business and the extension of the workday. Technology makes it easier to work ever longer hours.

The only real way to work smarter is to spend your time doing the things that matter rather than the things that don't. This is a practical application of the Pareto Principle, the economic law that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your actions.

In the business world, the Pareto Principle is best known as the rule of thumb that "80 percent of your sales come from 20 percent of your clients" or sometimes "80 percent of your sales come from 20 percent of your salespeople."

However, Pareto patterns apply to almost all human activity, which means that in most companies only 20 percent of the effort expended generates 80 percent of the results. As a corollary, 80 percent of the effort generates only 20 percent of the results.

You can therefore make yourself and your company more successful by doing more of the 20 percent that really matters and less of the 80 percent that doesn't. BTW, this is the scientific basis for the intuitive notion of core competency.

More: The Surprising Secret of Time Management

Conventional business wisdom says your organization will succeed more easily and quickly if you hire as many top performers as possible. In other words, the more superstars on your team, the better your team.

This philosophy lies behind concepts such as stack ranking, in which "a work force is graded in accordance with the individual productivity of its members," and best practice, in which you attempt to recruit candidates who resemble your current top performers.

Though that all sounds reasonable, it doesn't work in practice. Stack ranking results in all sorts of weird and dysfunctional behavior, because employees are goaled on looking good while making others look bad.

Indeed, superstars tend to become successful at the expense of others, according tostatistical analyses of a database of more than 400,000 salespeople and 700 sales forces conducted by Chally Worldwide.

"In practice, top performers often depend heavily on internal resources and connections that if made available to everyone on the sales staff, might damage other parts of the business," explains Chally CEO Howard Stevens.

Business success, however, is always a team effort, which means that successful companies must hire people who can put their egos aside and help everyone to become more effective and efficient.

According to a study recently conducted at MIT and published in the Harvard Business Review, the most effective teams "talk and listen in equal measure, equally among members while lower performing teams have dominant members, teams within teams, and members who talk or listen but don't do both."

It need hardly be said that the latter behaviors are characteristic of superstars rather than team players.

In other words, your company will be more successful if you hire above-average performers who work together as a team than superstars who succeed at the expense of everyone else.

For the past few decades, many companies have tended to look upon corporate ethics as an expense. The assumption is that it's more profitable to cheat than to play fair, as long you don't get caught.

However, groundbreaking research by emeritus business professor and authorRobert B. Cialdiniindicates that cheating generates huge hidden costs, even when leaders think they're getting away with it.

According to Cialdini, employees who know that their company is cheating fall into two categories: those who feel a conflict of values and want to leave, and those who feel perfectly fine with it.

Many of the best employees fall into the first category, which creates expensive churn and turnover. Because turnover costs can easily be two to three times the yearly cost of an employee, the result of cheating is a lower profit margin.

What's worse, the employees who are OK with corporate-level cheating are OK with personal cheating, which explains (among other things) why rogue trading has become so common in the financial industry.

In other words, rather than an unnecessary expense, creating an ethical corporate culture avoids unnecessary expenses that will be incurred even when that company gets away with cheating.

More: When Leaders Cheat, Companies Lose

There's no simpler way to put it: Science says that stress is the No. 1 enemy of success. According to the American Psychological Association, stress results in a host of health problems, including headache, muscle tension, muscle pain, chest pain, fatigue, upset stomach, insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation, lack of focus, irritability, depression, eating problems, addiction, and social withdrawal.

Health problems of this sort don't just result in productivity-killing absenteeism but also (when combined with the work-longer-hours ethos) presenteeism, in which staff members go to work even when ill with a communicable disease.

In business, the main sources of stress are the sense that there's too much work to be done and a climate of fear based on the (often accurate) belief that management will punish failure.

There are, of course, many outwardly successful companies that have this type of hard-driving, fear-based culture. However, such companies do eliminate stress on a regular basis--by discarding and then replacing employees who become too burnt out to function.

However, because turnover costs money, a more effective approach is to create an environment that is inherently less stressful by implementing Principles 1 through 4.

More:6 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress

Having a strong, meaningful story creates a sense of community. Only doing what's important reduces both busywork and overwork. Building teams rather than spotlighting prima donnas reduces conflict, as does encouraging honesty and trust.

Not every successful business embodies all five principles, but if you read some of those thousands of books about business success, I'd wager you'll find that all successful businesses implement at least four of them.

See more here:
Personal Success Defined in 5 Scientific Principles | Inc.com

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Your techniques on personal discipline have really got me on track. I have always lacked discipline and I somehow thought by avoiding my responsibilities and my goals I was avoiding work - now I know that I was actually creating more work for myself. Since I have created new habits of self discipline I find that my life is easier and better than ever. Thank you Brian Tracy.

Danny T - Miami, FL

I have read and reviewed most of Brian Tracy's previously published books and hold him high regard because he has helped so many people to overcome the barriers to their personal as well as professional development, especially when many (if not most) of the limits are self-imposed. Tracy agrees with what Henry Ford observed long ago: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right. When climbing mountains, ladders, whatever, attitude usually does determine altitude. But he also realizes that many people feel overwhelmed by their circumstances, have no self-confidence, and need help in the form of sound, practical, step-by-step advice. Tracy positions himself as a counselor, not as a cheerleader. In this book, he shares his thoughts about a process of reinvention that can enable almost anyone to achieve whatever goals they may have.

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Whenever I feel like I am getting off-track with my goals, I listen to my Brian Tracy CDs. It absolutely helps me refocus, set new goals and reminds me why my goals were important and what I have to do to achieve them. I also have my staff listen to the CDs to improve their sales capabilities and to motivate them towards success.

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Brian Tracy's materials definitely stand out as the best I have seen and read. I started reading his books six months ago. My lifestyle has change abundantly since then! I have implemented his action points with amazing results within my office team, and relationship with my family and friends. A million thanks to Brian Tracy.

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Your employees may be more motivated if they understand the primary aim of your business. Ask questions to establish how clear they are about your company's principles, priorities and mission.

Questionnaires on employee motivation should include questions about what employees are tolerating in their work and home lives. The company can eliminate practices that zap motivation.

It is often assumed that all people are motivated by the same things. Actually we are motivated by a whole range of factors. Include questions to elicit what really motivates employees, including learning about their values. Are they motivated by financial rewards, status, praise and acknowledgment, competition, job security, public recognition, fear, perfectionism, results...

Do your employees feel they have job descriptions that give them some autonomy and allow them to find their own solutions or are they given a list of tasks to perform and simply told what to do?

If your company has made redundancies, imposed a recruitment freeze or lost a number of key people this will have an effect on motivation. Collect information from employees about their fears, thoughts and concerns relating to these events. Even if they are unfounded, treat them with respect and honesty.

Who is most motivated and why? What lessons can you learn from patches of high and low motivation in your company?

First, the company needs to establish how it wants individuals to spend their time based on what is most valuable. Secondly this needs to be compared with how individuals actually spend their time. You may find employees are highly motivated but about the "wrong" priorities.

Do they feel safe, loyal, valued and taken care of? Or do they feel taken advantage of, dispensable and invisible? Ask them what would improve their loyalty and commitment.

Do they feel listened to and heard? Are they consulted? And, if they are consulted, are their opinions taken seriously? Are there regular opportunities for them to give feedback?

Your company may present itself to the world as the 'caring airline', 'the forward thinking technology company' or the 'family hotel chain'. Your employees would have been influenced, and their expectations set, to this image when they joined your company. If you do not mirror this image within your company in the way you treat employees you may notice motivation problems. Find out what the disparity is between the employees image of the company from the outside and from the inside.

Blaire Palmer 2004-12.

Use the questionnaire guidelines above when creating content and subject matter for your employee motivation and satisfaction questionnaires and surveys. Here are some additional tips about questionnaires and surveys structure, format and style:

Create a clear, readable 'inviting' structure. Use 'white-out' boxes for answers, scores, and for check-boxes, which clearly show the parts which need completing. Use a clear 11 or 12 point (font) typeface. 10 point is difficult to read for some people. Avoid italics and fancy graphics - they just make the document more difficult and more time-consuming to read. Look at the writing tips and techniques for other useful pointers in creating good printed communications. Apply the same principles if your survey questionnaire form is online (ie., screen-based).

Where possible try to use specific questions with multiple-choice answers, rather than general 'open-ended' questions. Specific questions improve clarity and consistency of understanding among respondents, and a multiple-choice format enables the answers to be converted into scores which can be loaded into a spreadsheet and very easily analysed. General or vague questions on the other hand tend to lead to varying interpretation (or confusion) among respondents; also, by inviting an open-ended answer you will generate lots of narrative-based and subjective opinions, which might be very interesting, but will be very time-consuming to read, and even more time-consuming to analyse, especially if you are surveying a large group of employees.

Here is an example:

Open-ended question: What do you think of the Performance Appraisal System? (This will produce varied narrative responses = difficult to analyse.)

Multiple-choice question: Rate the effectiveness of the Performance Appraisal System in providing you with clear and agreed training and development: Good/Okay/Not Good/Poor (By asking respondents to check boxes or delete as necessary the multiple-choice answers will produce extremely clear answers to a specific question that can be converted into scores and very easily analysed)

Use four options in multiple-choice questions rather than three or five. Three and five options typically offer a middle 'don't know' or 'average' selection. Using four, with no middle cop-out will ensure that everybody decides one way or the other: satisfactory or not, which is what you need to know. Mid-way 'average' non-committal answers are not helpful, so avoid giving respondents that option. If you go to the trouble of creating, managing and analysing a huge staff survey surely it's a good idea to produce as much meaningful data as possible.

Certain questions are suitable for numerical or percentage scoring by respondents, in which case use such a system (again ensure you avoid offering scores which equate to 'average' or 'don't know'). For example:

Score-based question: Score the extent to which you enjoy your work: 1-5 = don't enjoy, 6-10 = enjoy. (By providing a clear differentiation between do and don't, this 1-10 scoring system gives a wide range of choices, and at the same time a clear result.)

Check with a sample of respondents that they understand the draft questions in the way you intend, before you print and issue the questionnaire to all six hundred or however many staff. Designing questionnaires and communications in isolation can produce strange results - not just politicians get out of touch - so check you are actually on the same planet, in terms of your aims, language and meaning, as the people whose views you seek.

Make sure you explain to all staff beforehand that you'll be publishing the survey findings, and then afterwards ensure you do so. And then act on the findings. If your MD/CEO is not fully behind your initiative, then go work for a different company whose MD/CEO properly supports the concept of consulting the folk whose efforts underpin his success (not to mention his share options, second home and Porsche etc.)

Allow people to complete the survey questionnaires anonymously. If helpful to you and you have a purpose for doing so, you can ask people to identify which department/region/office they belong to, assuming such information is genuinely useful to you and you can handle the analysis.

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. Break complex questions into digestible parts. Keep the survey to a sensible length - probably 20 minutes to complete it is a sensible limit of most people's tolerance. You can always follow up later in the year with another survey, especially if people enjoy completing it, and they see that the feedback and analysis process is helpful to them as well as the employer (see the point about MD/CEO support above).

By all means at the end of the questionnaire invite and allow space for 'any other comments', or better still try to guide respondents towards a particular question.

On which point, wherever it is necessary to ask an open-ended question, use the words 'what' and 'how' rather than 'why', if you want to discover motives and reasons. What and How will focus respondents on the facts objectively, whereas 'why' tends to focus respondents on defending themselves.

Examples:

It's okay to ask: What factors could be changed to help staff enjoy their work more in the XYZ depot?

Whereas it's not very clever to ask: Why is there such a crap attitude among staff at XYZ depot?

The second example is daft of course, but you see the point.

In this excellent guide article by motivation expert Blaire Palmer, ten central points (for some, myths) of employee motivation are exposed and explained, many with real case study references and examples.

When Michael started his own consultancy he employed top people; people he'd worked with in the past who had shown commitment, flair and loyalty and who seemed to share his values. But a few months down the line one of his team members started to struggle. Jo was putting in the hours but without enthusiasm. Her confidence was dropping; she was unfocused and not bringing in enough new business.

Michael explained to Jo the seriousness of the situation. Without new business he would lose the company and that would mean her job. He showed her the books to illustrate his point. He again ran through her job description and the procedures she was expected to follow. He told her that he was sure she was up to the job but he really needed her to bring in the new business or they would all be out on their ear.

Jo told Michael that she understood. She was doing her best but she'd try harder.

But a month later nothing had changed. After an initial burst of energy, Jo was back to her old ways.

No matter how experienced a leader you are, chances are at times you have struggled to motivate certain individuals. You've tried every trick in the book. You've sat down one-to-one with the individual concerned and explained the situation. You've outlined the big vision again in the hope of inspiring them. You've given them the bottom line: "Either you pull your finger out or your job is on the line". You've dangled a carrot in front of them: "If you make your targets you'll get a great bonus". And sometimes it works. But not every time. And there have been casualties. Ultimately if someone can't get the job done they have to go.

The granddaddy of motivation theory, Frederick Herzberg, called traditional motivation strategies 'KITA' (something similar to Kick In The Pants). He used the analogy of a dog. When the master wants his dog to move he either gives it a nudge from behind, in which case the dog moves because it doesn't have much choice, or he offers it a treat as an inducement, in which case it is not so much motivated by wanting to move as by wanting choc drops! KITA does the job (though arguably not sustainably) but it's hard work. It means every time you want the dog to move you have to kick it (metaphorically).

Wouldn't it be better if the dog wanted to move by itself?

Transferring this principle back in to the workplace, most motivation strategies are 'push' or 'pull' based. They are about keeping people moving either with a kick from behind (threats, fear, tough targets, complicated systems to check people follow a procedure) or by offering choc drops (bonuses, grand presentations of the vision, conferences, campaigns, initiatives, etc).

Blaire Palmer's experience has enabled her to work with a wide range of individuals and groups from a variety of backgrounds. Some of these people are highly motivated themselves, but struggle to extend this state of mind to the people they manage. Other people are at the receiving end of KITA motivation strategies that (obviously) aren't working on them. These people know they 'should' be more engaged with their work. Sometimes they fake it for a few months but it's not sustainable. In this paper Blaire identifies some common assumptions about motivation and presents some new paradigms that can help motivate more effectively.

By adding these coaching tools and motivation principles to your capabilities you should find the job of leading those around you, and/or helping others to do the same, more of a joyful and rewarding activity. Instead of spending all your time and energy pushing and cajoling (in the belief that your people's motivation must come from you) you will be able to focus on leading your team, and enabling them to achieve their full potential - themselves.

Ultimately, motivation must come from within each person. No leader is ever the single and continuing source of motivation for a person. While the leader's encouragement, support, inspiration, and example will at times motivate followers, the leader's greatest role in motivating is to recognise people for who they are, and to help them find their own way forward by making best use of their own strengths and abilities. In this way, achievement, development, and recognition will all come quite naturally to the person, and it is these things which are the true fuels of personal motivation.

By necessity these case studies initially include some negative references and examples, which I would urge you to see for what they are. How not to do things, and negative references, don't normally represent a great platform for learning and development.

In life it's so important always to try to accentuate the positive - to encourage positive visualisation - so, see the negatives for what they are; silly daft old ways that fail, and focus on the the positives in each of these examples. There are very many.

One of the most common assumptions we make is that the individuals who work for us are motivated by the same factors as us. Perhaps you are motivated by loyalty to the company, enjoying a challenge, proving yourself to others or making money. One great pitfall is to try to motivate others by focusing on what motivates you.

Marie, a director in her company, was being coached. She was a perfectionist. Every day she pushed herself to succeed and was rewarded with recognition from her peers. But she was unable to get the same standard of work from her team members. In the first few weeks of her coaching she would say, "If only people realised how important it was to put in 110% and how good it felt to get the acknowledgment, then they would start to feel more motivated".

But it wasn't working. Instead people were starting to become resentful towards Marie's approach. Acknowledgment was a prime motivator for Marie so to help her consider some other options, she was helped to brainstorm what else might motivate people in their work. Marie's list grew: 'learning new skills', 'accomplishing a goal as part of a team', 'creativity', 'achieving work-life balance', 'financial rewards' and 'the adrenaline rush of working to tight deadlines'. Marie began to see that perhaps her team were indeed motivated - it was simply that the team members were motivated in a different ways to her own.

If the leader can tap into and support the team members' own motivations then the leader begins to help people to realise their full potential.

Since the 1980's, research has shown that although we know that we are motivated by meaningful and satisfying work (which is supported by Herzberg's timeless theory on the subject, and virtually all sensible research ever since), we assume others are motivated mainly by financial rewards. Chip Heath, associate professor at Stanford University carried out research that found most people believe that others are motivated by 'extrinsic rewards', such as pay or job security, rather than 'intrinsic motivators', like a desire to learn new skills or to contribute to an organisation.

Numerous surveys show that most people are motivated by intrinsic factors, and in this respect we are mostly all the same.

Despite this, while many leaders recognise that their own motivation is driven by factors that have nothing to do with money, they make the mistake of assuming that their people are somehow different, and that money is central to their motivation.

If leaders assume that their team members only care about their pay packet, or their car, or their monthly bonus, this inevitably produces a faulty and unsustainable motivational approach.

Leaders must recognise that people are different only in so far as the different particular 'intrinsic' factor(s) which motivate each person, but in so far as we are all motivated by 'intrinsic' factors, we are all the same.

When some people talk, nearly everyone listens: certain politicians, business leaders, entertainers; people we regard as high achievers. You probably know people a little like this too. You may not agree with what they say, but they have a presence, a tone of voice and a confidence that is unmistakable. Fundamentally these people are great sales-people. They can make an unmitigated disaster sound like an unqualified victory. But do you need to be like this to motivate and lead?

Certainly not. Many people make the mistake of thinking that the only people who can lead others to success and achieve true excellence, and are the high-profile, charismatic, 'alpha-male/female' types. This is not true.

James was a relatively successful salesman but he was never at the top of his team's league table. In coaching sessions he would wonder whether he would ever be as good as his more flamboyant and aggressive colleagues. James saw himself as a sensitive person and was concerned that he was too sensitive for the job.

James was encouraged to look at how he could use his sensitivity to make more sales and beat his teammates. He reworked his sales pitch and instead of focusing his approach on the product, he based his initial approach on building rapport and asking questions. He made no attempt to 'sell'. Instead he listened to the challenges facing the people he called and asked them what kind of solution they were looking for. When he had earned their trust and established what they needed he would then describe his product. A character like James is also typically able to establish highly reliable and dependable processes for self-management, and for organising activities and resources, all of which are attributes that are extremely useful and valued in modern business. When he began to work according to his natural strengths, his sales figures went through the roof.

Each of us has qualities that can be adapted to a leadership role and/or to achieve great success. Instead of acting the way we think others expect us to, we are more likely to get others behind us and to succeed if we tap in to our natural, authentic style of leadership and making things happen. The leader has a responsibility to facilitate this process.

While it's true that not everyone has the same motivational triggers, as already shown, the belief that some people cannot be motivated is what can lead to the unedifying 'pep-talk and sack them' cycle favoured by many X-Theory managers. Typically managers use conventional methods to inspire their teams, reminding them that they are 'all in this together' or that they are 'working for the greater good' or that the management has 'complete faith in you', but when all this fails to make an impact the manager simply sighs and hands the troublesome employee the termination letter.

The reality is that motivating some individuals does involve an investment of time.

When his manager left the company, Bob was asked by the site director, Frank, to take over some extra responsibility. As well as administrative work he would be more involved in people management and report directly to Frank. Frank saw this as a promotion for Bob and assumed that he would be flattered and take to his new role with gusto. Instead Bob did little but complain. He felt he had too much to do, he didn't trust the new administrator brought in to lighten his workload, and he felt resentful that his extra responsibility hadn't come with extra pay. Frank was a good manager and told Bob that he simply had to be a little more organised, and that he (Frank) had complete belief in Bob to be able to handle this new challenge. But Bob remained sullen.

So Frank took a different approach: He tried to see the situation from Bob's point of view. Bob enjoyed his social life, but was no longer able to leave the office at 5pm. Bob was dedicated to doing a good job, but was not particularly ambitious, so promotion meant little to him. Bob was also expected to work more closely now with a colleague with whom he clashed. Then Frank looked at how Bob might perceive him as his boss. He realised Bob probably thought Frank's hands-off management style meant he didn't care. To Bob it might look as if Frank took no direct interest except when he found fault. Finally, Frank looked at the situation Bob was in to see if there was anything bringing out the worst in him. He realised two weeks of every month were effectively 'down-time' for Bob, followed by two weeks where he was overloaded with work. Having set aside his assumptions about Bob and armed with a more complete picture from Bob's point of view, Frank arranged for the two of them to meet to discuss a way forward.

Now the two were able to look at the real situation, and to find a workable way forward.

While there is no guarantee that this approach will always work, 'seeking to understand', as Stephen Covey's 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' puts it, is generally a better first step than 'seeking to be understood'.

It's easier to help someone when you see things from their point of view.

We are always told how valuable listening is as a leadership tool and encouraged to do more of it. So, when we remember, we listen really hard, trying to catch every detail of what is being said and maybe follow up with a question to show that we caught everything. This is certainly important. Checking your email, thinking about last night's big game and planning your weekend certainly stop you from hearing what is being said.

But there is another important aspect to listening and that is: Listening Without Judgement.

Often when an employee tells us why they are lacking motivation we are busy internally making notes about what is wrong with what they are saying. This is pre-judging. It is not listening properly.

Really listening properly means shutting off the voice in your head that is already planning your counter-argument, so that you can actually hear, understand and interpret what you are being told. See the principles of empathy.

This is not to say that 'the employee is always right', but only when you can really understand the other person's perception of the situation are you be able to help them develop a strategy that works for them.

Listening is about understanding how the other person feels - beyond merely the words that they say.

What happens if, at their meeting, Bob admits to Frank that he doesn't see his future with that company?

What if he says the main reason he is demotivated is that he isn't really suited to the company culture, and would be happier elsewhere? Has Frank failed?

Not necessarily. It's becoming more widely accepted that the right and sustainable approach is to help individual employees to tap in to their true motivators and understand their core values. Katherine Benziger's methodologies are rooted in this philosophy: Employees who 'falsify type' (ie., behave unnaturally in order to satisfy external rather than internal motives and drivers) are unhappy, stressed, and are unable to sustain good performance.

Effort should be focused on helping people to align company goals with individual aspirations. Look at Adam's Equity Theory to help understand the complexity of personal motivation and goals alignment. Motivation and goals cannot be imposed from outside by a boss - motivation and goals must be determined from within the person, mindful of internal needs, and external opportunities and rewards.

Sometimes the person and the company are simply unsuited. In a different culture, industry, role or team that individual would be energised and dedicated, whereas in the present environment the same person doesn't fit.

Sometimes 'success' doesn't look the way we expect it to. A successful outcome for an individual and for a company may be that a demotivated person, having identified what sort of work and environment would suit them better, leaves to find their ideal job elsewhere.

You succeed as a leader by helping and enabling people to reach their potential and to achieve fulfilment. If their needs and abilities could be of far greater value elsewhere, let them go; don't force them to stay out of loyalty. Helping them identify and find a more fitting role elsewhere not only benefits you and them - it also enables you to find a replacement who is really suited and dedicated to the job.

True leaders care about the other person's interests - not just your own interests and the interests of your organization.

When asked what brought about lack of motivation at work, the majority of people in research carried out by Herzberg blamed 'hygiene factors' such as working conditions, salary and company policy. When asked what motivated them they gave answers such as 'the sense of achievement', 'recognition', 'the opportunity to grow and advance' and 'greater responsibility'.

Herzberg's findings about human motivation have been tested and proven time and gain. His theory, and others like it, tell us that the factors that demotivate do not necessarily motivate when reversed. The conventional solution to dissatisfaction over pay levels would be to increase pay in the belief that people would then work harder and be more motivated. However, this research shows that whilst increasing wages, improving job security and positive working relationships have a marginal impact, the main factors that characterise extreme satisfaction at work are: achievement, recognition, interesting work, responsibility, advancement and growth.

So it follows that leaders who focus on these aspects - people's true motivational needs and values - are the true leaders.

Help people to enrich their work and you will truly motivate.

Many managers hope to motivate by setting their people challenging targets. They believe that raising the bar higher and higher is what motivates.

Tracey was an effective and conscientious account manager. Her boss habitually set her increasingly tough objectives, which Tracey generally achieved. However, in achieving her targets last month Tracey worked several eighteen-hour days, travelled extensively overseas, and had not had a single weekend break. Sometimes Tracey would mention to her boss that the effort was taking its toll on her health and happiness.

When Tracey handed in her latest monthly report, her boss said, 'You see? It's worth all the hard work. So, don't complain about it again.'

Her boss's belief was that Tracey would get a sense of satisfaction from completing an almost impossible workload. He was relying on her sense of duty - which she had in bucket-loads - to get the job done.

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employee motivation - BUSINESSBALLS LTD

Personal Development Helping Student-Athletes Score Big in Education, Athletics, and Life

Personal Development is committed to the growth of the total student-athlete. We appreciate the commitment student-athletes make to their academic and athletic goals and the time they invest in these pursuits. Personal Development aims to support student-athletes in these endeavors and encourage them to pursue a well-rounded college experience.

Through targeted programming Personal Development helps student-athletes maximize their personal potential. We aid student-athletes in their transition into higher education, equip them with the skills necessary to meet challenges they may face, and prepare them for life after graduation.

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The USC Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) Program is committed to providing the necessary support to assist all student-athletes in reaching their full potential academically, personally, and professionally. Our program includes academic advising, career development, community service, tutorial programs, and learning specialists, which are all aimed at promoting a philosophy of individual responsibility so as to encourage each student-athlete to value their educational experience.

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Management Theories > Motivation Theory

What is Motivation?

Motivation is the answer to the question Why we do what we do?. The motivation theories try to figure out what the M is in the equation: M motivates P (Motivator motivates the Person). It is one of most important duty of an entrepreneur to motivate people. (I strongly belive that motivating people with visionary and shared goals is more favorable than motivating through tactics, incentives or manipulation through simple carrot and stick approaches because motivating with vision is natural wheras the former is artificial and ephemeral).

Now, lets rise on the shoulders of the giants :

A Classification of Motivation Theories (Content vs. Process) Motivation theories can be classified broadly into two different perspectives: Content and Process theories. Content Theories deal with what motivates people and it is concerned with individual needs and goals. Maslow, Alderfer, Herzberg and McCelland studied motivation from a content perspective. Process Theories deal with the process of motivation and is concerned with how motivation occurs. Vroom, Porter & Lawler, Adams andLocke studied motivation from a process perspective.

Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs When motivation theory is being considered the first theory that is beingrecalled is Maslows hierarchy of needs which he has introduced in his 1943 article named as A Theory of Human Motivation. According to this theory, individual strives to seek a higher need when lower needs are fulfilled. Once a lower-level need is satisfied, it no longer serves as a source of motivation. Needs are motivators only when they are unsatisfied.

Alderfers ERG Theory

In 1969, Clayton P. Alderfer, simplified Maslows theory by categorizing hierarchy of needs into three categories:

Herzbergs Two Factor Theory

Frederick Herzberg, introduced his Two Factor Theory in 1959. He suggested that there are two kinds of factors affect motivation, and they do it in different ways:

1) Hygiene factors: A series of hygiene factors create dissatisfaction if individuals perceive them as inadequate or inequitable, yet individuals will not be significantly motivated if these factors are viewed as adequate or good. Hygiene factors are extrinsic and include factors such as salary or remuneration, job security and working conditions.

2) Motivators: They are intrinsic factors such as sense of achievement, recognition, responsibility, and personal growth.

The hygiene factors determine dissatisfaction, and motivators determine satisfaction. Herzberg theory conforms with satisfaction theories which assert that a satisfied employee tends to work in the same organization but this satisfaction does not always result in better performance. In other words, satisfaction does not correlate with productivity.

McClellands Achievement Need Theory

in his 1961 book named as The Achieving Society,David McClelland identified three basic needs that people develop and acquire from their life experiences .

Although these categories of needs are not exlusive, generally individuals develop a dominant bias or emphasis towards one of the three needs. Entrepreneurs usually have high degree of achivement needs.

Incentive Theory

Incentive theory suggests that employee will increase her/his effort to obtain a desired reward. This is based on the general principle of reinforcement. The desired outcome is usually money. This theory is coherent with the early economic theories where man is supposed to be rational and forecasts are based on the principle of economic man.

2. Process Theories about Motivation

Expectancy Theory

Expectancy Theory argues that humans act according to their conscious expectations that a particular behavior will lead to specific desirable goals.

Victor H. Vroom, developed the expectancy theory in 1964, producing a systematic explanatory theory of workplace motivation. Theory asserts that the motivation to behave in a particular way is determined by an individuals expectation that behaviour will lead to a particular outcome, multiplied by the preference or valence that person has for that outcome.

Three components of Expectancy theory are:

The equation suggests that human behaviour is directed by subjective probability.

Goal Theory

Edwin Locke proposed Goal Theory in 1968, which proposes that motivation and performance will be high if individuals are set specific goals which are challenging, but accepted, and where feedback is given on performance.

The two most important findings of this theory are:

Adams Equity Theory

Developed by John Stacey Adams in 1963, Equity Theory suggests that if the individual perceives that the rewards received are equitable, that is, fair or just in comparison with those received by others in similar positions in or outside the organization, then the individual feels satisfied.Adams asserted that employees seek to maintain equity between the inputs that they bring to a job and the outcomes that they receive from it against the perceived inputs and outcomes of others.

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A Brief Introduction to Motivation Theory

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By Michele Silence, MA

A recent study found that smoking hampers physical fitness (even in young, fit people) and smokers seem to have lower physical endurance than nonsmokers1. Even when smokers want to get fit, the task isnt always easy. Cigarettes push blood pressure up, increase the heart rate and make coughing and choking a real problem.

In essence, youre poisoning your body with the cigarettes yet expect the same stressed organs to work hard during exercise. This puts a double strain on your heart, blood vessels, pulse, and blood pressure, as well as diminishes the oxygen levels in the blood.

Both exercise and smoking affect the same organ systems, but in opposite ways. While smoking decreases lung capacity, exercise increases it. In addition, as smoking increases your risk of having a heart attack, exercise decreases it. And then theres the issue of phlegmsmoking produces phlegm (which congests the lungs), while exercise breaks it up and rebuilds the lungs.

For more information on the effect of smoking when working out see the following article from TheDietChannel: Cigarettes: Will a couple per week affect your workout?

If youre a smoker who is ready to start exercising but not quite ready to quit smoking, think about some of the following health benefits of quitting2:

So, the good news is that you can start reaping health benefits the moment you take that last puff. Think about you can gainbeing able to breath fully again; enjoying the taste and smells around you, having a vibrant skin tone; and having more fun with your exercise program. Once you feel the difference, youll wonder why you didnt stop sooner. Do it today, its a choice you wont regret.

For more information on quitting smoking and avoiding weight gain see the following article from TheDietChannel: Smoking Cessation and Weight Gain: How to Quit Smoking and Avoid Gaining Weight.

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Why Smoking & Exercise Don't Mix | The Diet Channel

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Twister Heller Sale Barn Video Sales Really Nice, Ranch Raised Horses for Sale:Click on Geldings Mares

Call Twister: Hm 928 427 6335 or Cell 928 231 3657 We are now offering Consignment Horse Sales..Let us do the work!!! Attention...Barrel Racers, Ropers, Trail & Cowhorse Events...

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Take a look at "Tuffy" Video: An example of our horses for sale. Tuffy is a coming 4yr old 3x in Branding Pen...Congradulations to Art Porter, New Mexico rancher (Porter Angus) on his purchase of this really nice horse. Let us help you too!!! These Az Ranch Horses are raised outside, they grow up outside & know how to get around, they are handy in the rocks, nice minded, sensible &, gentle ....you need to try a Ranch Raised Quarter Horse, we have quality breeding,color, paints & attractive horses. We breed for "gentle". Located just north of Wickenburg, Az on Highway 89 North, you are cordially invited to visit our Facility.....we are happy to show you around. Ranch Horse Sales is one of our top priorities. Take a moment to watch our training preview videos.

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CERTIFICATE is issued upon completion of our Apprenticeship program. Twister Heller Az Horse Training Facility Start Colts-Tune Horses-Problem Horses

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Serving Local Arizona Communities

We are conveniently located just North of Congress, Ariz on Hwy 89 North...just a short driving distance from Scottsdale or Cave Creek Az. Simply drive the Carefree Highway heading to Wickenburg & Grand Avenue, turning West on Grand Avenue. Heading towards Congress is so simple...We are now connected through a new loop or bypass around Wickenburg and gives easy access to 89 North to Congress. See Our Map: Contact Page

National & International Students: Arizona is our home but have had the priviledge of proudly serving customers in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Iowa & East Coast Students, as far as New York, Pennsylvania & our Northern clients from the Dakotas to Canada. Also, special recognition is given to our European neighbors hailing from Belgium, England, Switzerland and Norway. Certainly our lives have been enriched from these gracious global neighbors.

Plan to visit us: Modern Ariz Equine Facility

Twister Heller Az Horse Sales & Horse Training Facility. Cowhorse bred horses for sale. Help for horse trainers, Quality Az Horse Training Student Training Facility, Professional Horseman Breeders Referral Program.

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Attention: Credit Card Options

PayPal: Set up your PayPal account (very secure option for credit card)...then just send using friend or family option to our email. Click on SEND option in top menu.

Intuit: Additional Fees applied Swiped Card: 2.75% Keyed IN: 3.75%

Breeders Referral and AQHA Professional Horseman

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Twister was born 8/24/1948. With 55 yrs expernience in the ranching, livestock industry always incorporating his passion with well trained, enjoyable horses. Having a hunger to see horses reach their potential, it just made good sense to helping your horses making any job easier. A great formula for a happy horse partner and a satisfied man. The early years were spent raised in Northern Nevada, being horseback since 4 years old. His Passion: Horses and a standard of excellence. Enjoys helping others reach their potential. Arizona resident since 1971. Started training horses at age 12. We have been married 30 years this coming July..... Together we enjoy 3 children, 3 grandchildren, and a traditional family/ western ranch lifestyle. Read More: About Us

Over a span of 30 years we are proud that Twister Heller has been featured and revisited in several issues of National and International publication Western Horseman Magazine, and most recently see the articles in Working Ranch Magazine. You will find several articles listed further: Click on: Publications and Links.

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