We are still surprised by the lack of understanding that many managers have about people. Many of them have been managing people for years, and yet they still don’t have a clue as to what makes people tick.

One of Intégro’s founders, Dr. Ralph Colby, developed a profound yet simple model that takes a lot of the mystery out of why people do what they do. He called it the Whole Person Concept.

As you can see from the graphic, it is also referred to as “the iceberg model”.

The behavior is clearly visible above the water line, and so much more below the waterline that others can’t see. The key to understanding people is learning more about what is going on below the waterline because behavior is initiated by what is going on within the person.

Why People are a Mystery to You

You typically get along well with, or at least understand people who are like you because you understand them… that is, their behavior makes sense to you. The people who are a mystery to you are those whose behavior does not make sense to you… what is going on inside of them (below the waterline) is so different from what goes on inside you.

There are three primary aspects of a person below the waterline that have an impact on how they behave:

• Thinking and Feeling
• Values or Beliefs
• Needs

Thinking and Feeling

The Thinking/Feeling aspect is closest to the surface and has the most direct impact on behavior. At any point in time, you are doing either what you think you should be doing, or what you feel like doing.

When the alarm goes off on a workday, do you feel like getting out of bed, or do you get up because you think you should? Many people think their way out of bed in the morning rather than leap out of bed with enthusiasm and energy. Thinking and feeling are often in conflict… so people have to make choices. Do I do what I feel like doing, or do I do what I think I should do… do the right thing?

What is the mindset of your employees when they come to work? Do they feel like being there or are they there because they believe they have to… they need the money? Are they proud to work for your organisation and passionate about what they do, or do they think it’s just a job?

How well your managers understand what motivates each of your employees will have a huge impact on the answer to that question. Managers who do not understand people often kill their employees’ enthusiasm and passion for their work… not intentionally, but simply through their ignorance of what motivates them.

Values or Beliefs

So where do thinking and feeling come from? The next layer down in our iceberg is Values or Beliefs. If you have strong beliefs in something – religion, politics, ethical business, family – you will feelstrongly about it and think about it a lot. For example, if you have very strongly held spiritual beliefs it will have a significant impact on how you think and feel, and therefore how you behave.

Your values have been shaped by your experiences throughout your life… where and when you grew up, your family, your religion, your education, and your own reflection about what is important for you personally.

Many of the people you work with will have had very different life experiences than you. They grew up somewhere different, were taught a different set of values by their family, and belonged to a different religion, or no religion at all. As a result, many of their values and beliefs are very different from yours… so whose values are right?

Most people believe that their own values and beliefs are right… but does that mean that someone who believes something different is wrong? Or that your values are better than another person?

This is where many managers come unstuck in getting the best out of their people… they judge people based on their own set of values and have no understanding of what the other person’s values are.

Yes, of course, there must be an agreed set of shared values that everyone in an organisation should operate by… honesty, doing quality work, being customer-focused, teamwork and personal responsibility are just some examples. But that doesn’t mean that everyone has to have the same personal values… unless those personal values clash with the business values.

Generational Differences

This lack of understanding of values is why we see so much stereotyping about different generations. We grew up at completely different times and possibly significantly different environments – of course, we have different values!

The whole point in understanding what makes people tick, especially people who are very different from you because of culture, gender, age, or even personality, is that different personal values are just different, rather than that different values are wrong!

You don’t have to agree with the other person, but if you want people to be engaged and perform at their best, you do need to understand what is important to them. Get curious about people and ask questions to determine what their values and beliefs are that may affect the way they operate in the workplace.

Needs

At the bottom of the iceberg are our Needs… subconscious psychological drives that result in instinctive behaviour. If you have a strong need for acceptance, you will tend to be friendly, even smile at strangers, and get satisfaction from doing things for others without seeking anything in return… consciously. Subconsciously the need for acceptance is driving that behaviour.

The Everything DiSC® behavioural model is a very useful tool for helping managers to understand an individual’s needs-motivated behaviour. It helps them understand the underlying psychological needs such as achievement, recognition,  acceptance, and correctness that drive their employees. Understanding how to create an environment where these needs are satisfied can have a significant impact on how committed and productive an employee will be.

The Whole Person Concept helps managers understand that there are two primary sources of motivation… needs and values. People will do what meets their needs – what makes them happy or satisfied – or they do what they believe they should do. The most passionate, motivated employees are those who believe in what they are doing and find the work very satisfying.

Focus on Employee Motivation

Passionate, committed employees love coming to work and go to extreme lengths to do their best every day.

What is the potential for growth in your organisation if all your managers and team leaders were more knowledgeable about their people? If all employees felt a strong commitment to your organisation and its purpose and vision, what difference would it make to productivity, customer satisfaction, staff retention, and profitability?

Written by Integro

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