Management by Whose Objectives? (HBR Classic) (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)

This is an enhanced edition of HBR article R0301H, originally published in 1970 and re-published in January 2003. HBR OnPoint articles include the full-text HBR article, plus a synopsis and annotated bibliography. In this 1970 classic HBR article, Harry Levinson shares practical insights into the mysteries of motivation and takes a fresh look at the use and abuse of the most powerful tools for inspiring and guiding complex organizations. He argues that to motivate people successfully, management must focus on the question, "How do we meet both individual and organizational requirements?" When we make assumptions about individual motivations and increase pressure based on them, we ignore the fact that people work to meet their own psychological needs. Commitment must derive from the individual's wishes to support the organization's goals. Yet, the individual's desires are entirely absent from most performance measurement systems; managers assume that these desires are perfectly aligned with corporate goals and that if they're not, the individual should move on. Self-motivation occurs when individual needs and organizational requirements converge. Successful management systems begin with the employee's objectives. The manager's task is to understand the employee's needs and then, with the employee, assess how well the organization can meet them.