Most would agree that good people are essential to business success. Yet many good people do not contribute as much as they could do because they lack that magic quality - motivation. So what makes the difference, and how is it relevant to you in your work?

In his book 'Leadership and Motivation', John Adair looks at the factors that influence motivation in a business context and identifies some specific drivers in the context of Action-Centred Leadership.

The Fifty - Fifty Rule

Reviewing the evidence, Adair concludes that people are motivated half from within and half by the environment they work in, and particularly by the quality of leadership they experience. Leaders are often interpreters of values, needs and challenges at work - and how they do this can have a major impact on others' motivation. Adair's 50/50 rule is also an invitation to leaders to take responsibility either for being part of the problem or of the solution.

Motivating Others

Adair identifies 8 key ways in which leaders influence others to feel motivated and therefore more engaged in their work:

• Be self-motivated - you can't light a candle with a dead match
• Select people who are motivated - prone more to action than 'hot air'
• Treat everyone as an individual - avoid the temptation to generalise or categorise people; remember that everyone is unique and has their own story
• Set challenging yet realistic targets - achieve the task and grow the person
• Remember that progress motivates - ensure small 'wins' along the way
• Create a motivating environment - focus on what works rather than faults
• Provide fair rewards - be consistent and match the relative value of the contribution to the reward
• Give recognition - people respond to personal acknowledgement

"It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to find ability in others is the true test"