Employees who are inspired by the company's mission, or at least the project they're working on, usually do the best work. You want to show them how they play a part in the whole scheme of things. Let them know how what they contribute is important. I did not buy American made cars for many years because I believed that Americans didn't like their jobs any more. I figured that if I wanted good craftsmanship, I would need to buy foreign.

But if American managers take a look at how to motivate each employee to do their best, that's a different story. Can you do that? We know that everyone wants their pay, but what else do they need to keep coming to work day after day? Even better, what would help them to really want to come to work and do their best? You have to admit that a stack of green paper and coins isn't all that exciting. We really want the things that money can buy. Earning money is just as much about being interested in our careers, as it is about the money.

So think about each person working for you for a moment. Can you see what it is that each one values in their work? Maybe one person is particularly organized and values efficiency. Another really works to make the world a better place. Still another may be working in order to come up with new ways of doing things. Others are leaders who excel at taking charge, whom people naturally want to follow.

People definitely work for more than one reason. There are those who work to serve others. Some people love to tell stories. That would be your best salesperson! Others are great with information. They can find the best information out there on anything and everything. It just comes naturally to them.

Try looking at your own work in the same way. Which of these seven factors motivate you the most? Probably one or two really work for you, and the others are not your strong suits. You need to know which of these abilities you need from the people you manage so you can choose them according to their strengths and manage them to grow in those areas. Efficiency, service, information, innovation, leadership, storytelling and inspiration are the seven basic reasons people do the work they do.

Everyone can do well with one or two of these abilities. If you know your own strengths and the special strengths of each person you supervise, you can manage them better to produce great results in terms of the company's mission. They will think you're the best manager they ever had if you notice these traits, value them, and encourage them to work in these terms. Each member of the team will be more willing to do their best, give a little bit more and produce the very best work when they can work for more than just a paycheck.

Now we don't mean you should create an idealistic work environment where no one has to do anything they don't like. This is simply about how to be a more effective manager of people. It's a way to make the most of the people you have, as well as with your own work. Most managers know they will get more valuable work from each person they supervise if they understand that person, their skills and their reason for wanting to do the best job. Think about how much that could be worth to you!