How to Motivate Top, Middle, and Bottom Performers

I started listening to a new podcast called Hidden Brain by NPR. It discusses and breaks down the hidden intricacies of the human mind. The one I listened to, that sparked this blog post, talked about motivations and how our brain feels when we are motivated. The interesting spin was that people generally don't feel more motivated after winning or being rewarded; they feel much more motivated when they are so close to a goal that they can taste the victory. You can listen to it here.

This isn't to be confused with rewarding top performers for exceeding their goal; instead it's entirely related to internal motivations and "almost winning." Winning doesn't necessarily create more motivation, but instead more drive is created when we get close to a win.

So using this psychological theory, how can you motivate your top, middle, and bottom performers with "near victories?"

1. Visualize the Win

We can take a cue from the nonprofit playbook. One example that immediately comes to mind is why and how people donate. We should look at the meter with the amount donated. That's where this "near victory" can be found.

Consider these scenarios:

1. If the meter was at 20 percent, would you donate now or would you wait?
2. Or, if the meter was already at 80 percent, would you feel the urgency to donate now?