I'm not a football fan. There, I said it. I'm the girl who watches the Super Bowl for the commercials, halftime show, and excuse to undo the top button of my pants after a day of what some might consider competitive eating. Outside of that, there's never been much motivation for me to watch the game.
That was, until I discovered proposition bets. Not the kind that predict that Hines Ward will catch a touchdown pass in the second half, but the kind that predict that Christina Aguilera will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" for over one minute and 54 seconds. Or that she'll hold onto that note in "home of the brave" for more than six seconds.
Now I've found my own way to enjoy what was otherwise to me a cluster of men in tights fighting for a ball on a day that has become an unofficial holiday. Not only do I understand proposition bets, but I find them extremely amusing, and therein lies my motivation to watch the game.
Companies often assume that all employees are motivated by the same thing: money. This is untrue. In fact, as Baby Boomers head to retirement, and more Gen X and Gen Y workers infiltrate the workforce, motivational factors have changed greatly. Work-life balance, flexibility, and having meaningful work have replaced money as a top motivational factor.
What this means is getting your employees to keep their heads in the game might involve figuring out how to find a way that they can connect to the work they are doing. Do that and everyone wins.
