expect others to earn our trust yet they are supposed to trust us
because of our position? When people truly trust each other, the
team dynamics flow so much more easily and openly.
- People want to do the right thing.People want to live values
that are consistent with their aspirations. Values are a common
ground by which dialogue flows and decisions are pondered. People
have an implicit understanding of lines not to be crossed. - Freedom is the essence of motivation.The freedom to choose
is a fundamental human need. The more that need is restricted
unnecessarily, the more frustrated a person will become. Only when
we create environments based on self-direction and mutual
accountability will we capture the potential of people. Organiza-
tions are organic and capable of evolving naturally. - People are naturally driven to make things better and seek mean-
ing in their work.Just challenge a group to make a contribution and
watch the level of energy rise. There is a yearning for meaning in
life and in work. People will do things for a cause that they will not
do for money. Watch how people work when they are proud to tell
people where they work and how they contribute. - People have great capacity and need to learn and grow.The
need to learn and grow is as natural as the need to eat. Unfortu-
nately, many jobs have been designed to limit training costs
and to ensure control. Abraham Maslow noted after one of his
first days working in a company that “any job not worth doing
is not worth doing well.”^5 Jobs must be designed so that every
person, regardless of pay level, can learn, grow, and make a
substantial contribution. Higher expectations will lead to higher
performance in the right environment, but not if the leader’s
expectations of a group communicates a vision of mediocrity. Dare
to be great. - People prefer responsibility to dependency and interest to bore-
dom.In the right conditions, work is as natural as play. We need to
be engaged and responsible. Too many management practices rob
people of the ability to be responsible. Empowerment too often
means that “I have the power, and if I trust you, I’ll share power
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