What’s Your Cause?

It’s a no-brainer: for employees to give their best performance, they need to be motivated. So what’s the trick? A cause.

Rather than focusing on day-to-day goals or the paycheck, research shows one of the most effective ways to motivate a team is with a cause that guides actions and decisions. It gives employees a purpose.

“People will do almost anything for a cause, and it’s often not the same with a job,” Susan G. Komen for the Cure founder Nancy Brinker tells PINK. She would know – she uses inspirational leadership to keep her team feeling like they’re improving the world. “It’s important to me that [my employees and volunteers] understand, believe and are part of where we are going.”

While some bosses try to motivate using negative forces like control, threats or competition, generally cooperation, recognition and challenges prove more effective.

Experts say it’s easier to help others if you start with self-motivation – once you discover your own cause and purpose it’s easier to get others to believe in and work towards the same goals.

Bonus PINK Link: Every company needs a purpose. Here’s how to find it.

PINK Profile: Meet Brinker, our Top Woman of the Week! In our exclusive interview, she talks about her new book, running one of the biggest cancer charities in the world and the true meaning of succes.

By Caroline Cox

“It is this belief in a power larger than myself and other than myself which allows me to venture into the unknown.” Maya Angelou