As an observer by nature, I am always amazed at how
individuals operate within a variety of settings and circumstances. One of the
most fascinating topics to me has been motivation. I have seen people, who were
driven by success or responsibility, push themselves and their families to the
point of exhaustion, and wondered if they felt the results were worth it.
Naturally, if you live long enough, you get the chance to
see just about everything. I know that I am old enough to have witnessed how
my, my daughter’s, and now my grandchildren’s generations, differ in their
motivation. Naturally, we are motivated differently. In my youth, our life
styles were not the same as my grand children’s. I was more motivated by money
and what it could buy, simply because my parents grew up during the Depression
and were conservative in spending.
I hear employers complain about their workforce not being
motivated and I naturally ask what motivates their workers. Usually, the
clients look at me blankly; answering glibly, “nothing”; they shrug; or make
assumptions. Their reactions cause me to offer my “free” speech about self-worth
and how it is important to know what motivates others so they, the business
owner, can be a better manager. It is not always well received, but the facts
are true. If an employer dangles a 25-cent- to a dollar-an-hour raise over
someone’s head who is not motivated by money, but instead by “time off,” the
effort is wasted.
Since I feel motivation is something of great value, I am
interested in finding out what motivates business owners and how they stay
motivated.
Over the past 17 years, many women-owned businesses have
especially intrigued me regarding “What motivates them.” I have watched women
arrive at 4 a.m. to bake bread and stay until 11:30 p.m. to clean floors (small
business owners wear many hats).
