Think you know the answer to “what motivates professional women to do better….be better and succeed in business?” You might be as surprised as I was from the discussion at our recent CEO/Executive Panel Forum in Orange County.
A few women shared that “having a purpose and mission” was important. Others felt that having a passion for what they did in business and how they maintained integrity and ethics in doing the job was a critical motivating factor. What fascinated me was that no one…..not one single woman in the room cited “money” or “profits” as the driving force to what motivates them.
Surprised? I was. So much so that I brought this up among our attendees. After a bit of shock, laughter, and comments, many reluctantly shared that “yes,” money is important and, of course, critical in business…BUT…..it was definitely not the driving force to what motivates them to succeed.
According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Pink cites three keys to better performance and motivation in business:
1 – Autonomy: Our desire to be self-directed. This is key if you want you and your employees to be engaged. This differs from managing in that managing doesn’t produce engagement, only compliance.
2 – Mastery: Our personal desire to get better at something, to do something well and this provides a sense of satisfaction.
3 – Purpose: Meaning is important! People want to give their lives for more than the bottom line, something that is bigger than themselves.
There’s always great dialogue, conversation and shared experiences at our monthly breakfast panels! If you are a b2b woman who leads…..people, teams, projects or companies……why don’t you join us and experience the exchange of powerful ideas for advancing in business among peers who ‘get you’…….and who strive to find opportunities that support you professionally?! For more information on our CEO/Executive Panel Forums, check out our upcoming event calendar. Interested in learning more about Connected Women of Influence? Contact us here.
About Your Columnist
As the CEO and Co-Founder of Connected Women of Influence, Michelle Bergquist is a passionate advocate for women in business. At Connected Women of Influence, we believe that more women need to lead in business and everything we do is center-focused on designing platforms, programs, connections and collaborative opportunities for b2b women to prosper, succeed and lead the way in business today!
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