As a manager, you are expected to motivate! Whether you want to or not, whether you feel up to it or not, motivating others is part of your responsibility as a manager.

Unfortunately, there are many things about motivation that people, including many managers, do not understand.

For example, do you know that motivation is not permanent? That it’s something that needs to be done regularly, like bathing and eating?

A lot of people are under the impression that motivation comes from jumping up and down, snorting, whooping, hollering, and cheering. All of that might help, and in some situations it may be necessary, but it’s not really what motivation is all about.

To help you motivate your staff, the three A’s of Motivation:

1. Awareness. Be sure you understand why we do the things we do. Take a look at the word "motivation" and you’ll see two words coming together to form that one word. "Motive" and "action" make up "motivation."

So, it’s fair to say motivation means a motive to take action. People always have a reason for doing what they do. To properly motivate them, you have to get to know them. What’s most important to them?

As you become more aware, you’ll notice that motives usually come in three forms: fear, incentive or growth. People are motivated by fear, but the result is short-term motivation. People are motivated by incentive, which is a step up from fear, but not everyone gets excited by the same incentives. People are also motivated by growth and this is by far the best and longest lasting motivator.

Wise managers who want to be motivators will find the areas of personal growth their people need and want and then strategize ways to deliver "growth" benefits.

2. Analysis is the second A. As a manager, you must educate yourself about the attitudes and perceptions of your staff. What are they thinking? What’s happening to them? You’ve got to know this information.

Don’t allow assumptions to guide your management decisions. Base your decisions on education. To do so, analyze every situation so that you know what’s going on.

3. The final A is Action. Get involved in motivating your staff. Find out what they need, be sure you understand their experiences, and then do something about it. Provide the "growth" opportunities that will motivate your staff. Also, get your staff involved in the work. Don’t do the job yourself. Empower your staff to get involved. That’s motivating!

Successful managers who motivate people are aware, they analyze, and they take action. Now you know the three A’s of Motivation -- so go out there and motivate some people today.