What Is McClelland's Human Motivation Theory?

Transcript

[Presenter] Managing a group of people with different personalities is never easy. But if you're managing or leading a team, it's essential that you know what motivates them.

McClelland's Human Motivation Theory allows you to understand what makes people tick. This can then help you to give praise and feedback effectively, assign them suitable tasks, and keep them motivated, satisfied, and energized.

According to psychologist David McClelland, we all develop three motivating drivers. These are psychological needs that develop according to our culture and life experiences. One of these will usually become our dominant motivating driver. Let's look at each in more detail.

1. Achievment

Achievers like to solve problems and to reach targets.

If you are motivated mainly by achievement, you'll likely enjoy setting and accomplishing goals – and take calculated risks to reach them. You regularly seek feedback and tend to prefer to work alone.

2. Affiliation

Alternatively, you might be motivated more by a need for affiliation. This means you value relationships above everything else.

People who are motivated by affiliation want to belong to groups; they have a desire to be liked. They also favor collaboration over competition, and dislike risk or uncertainty.

3. Power

Finally, if you are motivated mostly by power, you like to control and influence others. You want to compete and win arguments, and you enjoy status and recognition.

To use McClelland's theory effectively, think about each of your team members and decide which of the motivators best apply to them.

Say you've got a team member who thrives on overcoming difficult problems or situations. They manage processes well, hit their targets, and like to know how you think they're doing. They're an achiever. When you give them feedback, make it honest and balanced: they want to know what they're doing right and wrong so that they can improve.

You might have another team member who rarely speaks during meetings. They usually agree with the group, work hard to manage conflict when it occurs, and become uncomfortable when you talk about doing high-risk, high-reward projects. This person is likely to have a strong need for affiliation. If you manage someone like this, be personal. Ask them how they're doing, not just at work, but outside of it, too. Remember that this kind of person is often not comfortable standing out, so give praise and feedback privately, rather than in front of others.

Or, let's say one of your team members always takes charge of the group when you assign a project. They speak up in meetings, enjoy debating and persuading, and are great at delegating to others. They also like to be in control when it comes to decision-making. This team member is likely driven by power. When providing feedback to this team member, be direct. Keep them motivated by helping them to work on and progress toward their career goals.

Let's recap.

McClelland's Human Motivation Theory says that everyone has one of three main driving motivators. These are achievement, affiliation, or power.

Achievers like to solve problems and achieve goals. People with a strong need for affiliation, value relationships above anything else. While those who are motivated by power like to make decisions and be in charge.

When you know what motivates your team members, you'll be in a much better position to give helpful feedback, to delegate skillfully, and to manage your people successfully.