Understanding how your staff thinks is the key to motivation

I was driving to school one day about a month ago when I heard this report on NPR. I found it fascinating because sometimes I have a hard time understanding the mindset of my students, who so often think about the world differently than I do.

As adults, sometimes we talk about "the good old days." To us, that includes just taking pleasure in a job well done -- not doing a job because it's going to get us some kind of recognition. Well, it's not just us who struggle with students who seem to be overly sensitive to criticism or need constant praise to work hard. It's a trend that's carrying over into the workplace:

Companies are hiring consultants to help manage the "over-praised" Me Generation. The result? Kudos for showing up to work on time! Awards for getting a report in! Forget Employee of the Month — how about Employee of the Day! Some managers are resistant, saying the only praise they ever got was a paycheck.

I know I'm not always real good at doing the kinds of things the reporter talks about in this piece, and as I search for ways to motivate my staffs, I'll be trying to do some of this stuff better -- even though I often don't understand the constant need for it.