Do you dig a dangling carrot?

A somewhat growing undercurrent in the Virtual Assistant industry is the notion of working for incentives offered by clients for creating big results. I was asked this morning what I think of it, and I thought I’d share it here—with all of you.

Right out of the gate, I want to be clear that I’m not talking about anyone's being asked to meet reasonable metrics—which are fine and appropriate in just about every conceivable business relationship I can imagine. I’m talking incentives that push people to try to go beyond the reasonable metrics, or that seek to make them responsible for outcomes that really aren't theirs to be responsible for.

So having said that, I hate incentives. But there’s a reason for that. I’m not extrinsically motivated. And I hate incentives for VAs because they tend to be used to make Virtual Assistants responsible for things that aren’t their responsibility (like increased sales—which is really something that either belongs in the hands of the client, or a sales person).

About this intrinsic/extrinsic thing…

If you are extrinsically motivated (motivated by things outside yourself, and enjoy earning bonuses, awards, rewards, and the like) then incentives probably make sense to you. You like the idea of competition—with others or yourself. You like the hunt. You like trying to go for something possibly unobtainable. You get juice from it all.

If, on the other hand, you are intrinsically motivated (motivated by things inside yourself, like what’s learned by doing, or how it feels to do something well, or the satisfaction gotten from making a great contribution, and the like), then incentives probably make zero sense to you. You do your best all the time—you don’t need or want someone trying to elicit more because if you had it to give, you’d already be giving it. For you, incentives probably feel demoralizing, or at least really icky.

But some clients try to incent VAs. Some business models, espoused by Virtual Assistants and often clients themselves, are based on performance-based incentives.

Are they good or are they bad? Neither. Or both, really. It just depends on what motivates you as to which side of that line you stand on.

If it’s extrinsic and you love incentive, risk, and the feeling of being a proverbial Lamborghini on a flat stretch of road with no cops in sight, then maybe you should take incenting clients out for a spin and show them just who’s boss.

But if it’s intrinsic, and the thought of someone offering you something to get on a gerbil wheel, and then dangling a carrot to make you stay on it, run faster, and do more, makes you want to sit down like a mule and refuse to budge, then just refuse. Don’t even waste a moment of your time with anyone who even hints about incentives, and stop listening to people who tell you that there’s a holy grail of skill sets you must master. Truly. You are enough. You do enough. Right now, even.

And this is the point, and today’s Bit O’Moxie: know what motivates you. You can’t fight City Hall, they say, and I’ll add that you can’t fight your own nature with any degree of success. So knowing what motivates you will absolutely bring you one giant step closer to the practice of your dreams. And if that’s not a truly good incentive, I honestly don’t know what is!

Comments

[Pat Williams]

I'm just entertaining the commission model with a new client. I'll still get paid per hour but if the product is wildly successful, as a result of my ideas, I get a bonus. I think this is win/win. Working for full commission? Forget it. The work is too dependent on other people's performance and ability to make the sale. I can see some situations where this would be beneficial, but you're absolutely right about motivation. Mine is intrinsic. I work hard because I am motivated by the simple goal of being proud of my accomplishments. If I can learn something new in the process - it's golden. Money is just a means to an end: survival and travel.

[Mary-Lou Ashton]

I just got asked about this very thing this morning and I am not into carrots and they certainly are not my favourite vegetable. Once again Stacy you have communicted this so precicely for me that I now understand why I don't like carrots :-)

MLA

[Merri Taylor, Here2Assist]

Thanks for this, Stacy. I haven't really thought about what motivates me in terms of extrinsic/ intrinsic rewards. By what you described, I'm on the intrinsic side of the line, although, I can float for a week if I'm acknowledged or recognized in some way. And the part about mastering a core set of skills really hits home with me as I have 2 or 3 on my list that I've been wanting to learn or get certified in. But, I've been questioning if further training is something I can afford right now. It's nice to know that I'm enough, right now. :)

[Maggie]

Thank you. I recently had someone asking me to work on a commission basis and told her that I prefer not to. I agree that it had the potential of asking me to be responsible for sales or bookings and as a VA I choose not to make that one of the services that I offer. I prefer to work with clients who value me for the services that I offer and who compensate accordingly.

[Ben]

Do you think it is possible that Adam Smith assumed that all human beings are extrinsically motivated? Is the 'invisible hand' without?

[Terry MacRae]

This whole concept of offering incentives to VAs is seductive to me, probably because I'm not extrinsically motivated. I, too, have been approached as a VA to perform sales functions with added rewards, and I turned it down because I love what I do as a VA and don't want the pressure of performing as a sales person. I've been involved (and still am) in some sort of sales venture all of my adult life. But those opportunities are outside my VA life, and I perform (sales) for the love of the product, the connections I make, and for my own satisfaction. Thanks for addressing this topic and for sharing your thoughts and wisdom. I just might share this with my VTP (http://www.assistu.com) students for a thought-provoking discussion.

[Beatrice]

That's a mold-breaker. Great tkhinnig!