Clayton Christensen is remarkable. He’s been punching out quite a few books over the last few years. Many of them business focused and not exactly “light reads”. He recently came out with a book titled How Will You Measure Your Life? This is a book focused on life and priorities. I highly recommend it and more post are to come referencing this book.
Hygiene Factors
In the book he references a concept called the Hygiene Factor — a motivational theory from the works of Frederick Herzberg. The theory relates to other topics on Leading Saints. Hygiene factors are maintenance factors the help employees at work avoid dissatisfaction (i.e. status, compensation, job security, work conditions, company policies, and supervisory practices). As long as employees feel they are being paid enough, being recognized enough, and so on they will be more apt to stay motivated and engaged. If a manager understands this principle he can make quite a difference with those he leads. Clayton Christensen shares a story about learning this principle from a management perspective:
As Owen Robbins, a successful CFO and the board member who chaired our compensation committee at CPS Technologies, once counseled me, “Compensation is a death trap. The most you can hope for (as CEO) is to be able to post a list of every employee’s name and salary on the bulletin board, and hear every employee say, ‘I sure wish I were paid more, but darn it, this list is fair.’ Clayton, you might feel like it is easy to manage this company by giving incentives or rewards to people. But if anyone believes that he is working harder but is being paid less than another person, it would be like transplanting cancer into this company.” Compensation is a hygiene factor. You need to get it right. But all you can aspire to is that employees will not be mad at each other and the company because of compensation. p33
Finding the sweet spot in the hygiene factor is important for those that manage and lead, however it is only half the battle. “If you instantly improve the hygiene factors of your job, you’re not going to suddenly love it. At best you just won’t hate it anymore. The opposite of job dissatisfaction isn’t job satisfaction, but rather an absence of job dissatisfaction. They’re not the same things at all.” (p. 33)
I remember jobs of mine in the past that have focused on my hygiene factors. All my bills were being paid from my salary with a little left over, so I was able to give full focus and creativity to my work projects. I have had other jobs (commission sales) that take away the hygiene factors. In those situations I was distracted by the thought of whether I would be able to pay my mortgage at the end of the month. Focus was much more difficult and creativity was out the window. I made many more mistakes and lost more sales than I should have because I wanted them too badly.
Elder’s Quorum Hygiene Factors
So what about from a LDS leadership perspective. Do hygiene factors have just as much impact on those we lead in our church groups? How can you as a leader make dissatisfaction disappear so that members can focus on building the kingdom?
What is required to make dissatisfaction disappear for members of your ward/quorum/group?
- A leader that is sincere
- Feeling cared for
- Easy connection to learn from the Holy Ghost
- Feeling included in all groups
- A feeling of non-judgement
- A feeling of gratitude coming from others
What is required to make dissatisfaction disappear for members serving in callings?
- A feeling of purpose
- A feeling of contribution
- A feeling that your leader (bishop) believe in you and your abilities
- No wasted time in meetings
Think of the scenario when the Elder’s Quorum President has stood up and talked about all the blessings being lost because home teaching is not being done consistently. This is similar to a boss coming in and docking your pay because you aren’t accomplishing your work load to his satisfaction. The feeling of being a good steward in the Lord’s kingdom is a hygiene factor. If you mess with hygiene factors you aren’t going see positive results. This doesn’t mean the issues of not home teaching doesn’t need to be addressed — just don’t take them on a guilt trip. Instead of talking about the blessings they — as individuals — will be losing, focus on the blessing those they teach will be gaining. You leave hygiene factors out of the discussion and suddenly they all feel they are part of an important goal to improve the lives of others in the ward.
What are other examples how hygiene factor in your quorum or group?
This is the first of a series of posts that analyze the thoughts and principles taught in the book How Will You Measure Your Life? Read the NEXT POST in this series.
Thanks for this post. I'm new to this website, but love the idea of it. Having led in the church, and being a woman, i have experienced my own challenges and blessings when serving in callings.
Anyways – I'm excited to check out the book.
As far as hygiene factors are concerned…with my own experience, I didn't really need a lot of pep-talks or pats on the back. I tried to work hard in my calling, and went to the Lord for guidance. Often, I find that the Lord can help to make us feel satisfied in our work.
That being said, I have had leaders who have tried to "rally" us by telling us things like, "You have a good young women's program. But good is the enemy of great." There were also times when we just got straight criticism. This was difficult because while I felt confirmation from the Lord on doing a good job, the bishop or other leader was saying the opposite. It took me a lot of time to filter through what the Leader was saying, and finding the true nugget of spiritual advice that we were supposed to receive in order to better fulfill our callings.
So, I guess what I'm saying is, In my own experience, there are times when I have had the "negative" hygiene factor going on, and I feel dissatisfied and frustrated. The Spirit can do a really good job on providing the "positive hygiene factor" when we serve. When this happens, even if I'm in a difficult calling, I feel that my sacrifice is sanctifying and I feel hopeful and rejuvenated.
I also think that teaching the true principle behind whatever needs improvement (for example – with home teaching, a leader could teach the principle of stewardship) can help to provide an environment where the Spirit can help dispel dissatisfaction while gently prodding us to improve.
My recent post FHE – The Bible
Welcome to Leading Saints. I am glad you are enjoying the site. Please pass it on and tell others that would benefit from it.
I look forward to other comments from you.
I like how you applied the theory to the Elders Quorum, but it doesn't quite match the description of the theory you gave earlier: "As long as employees feel they are being paid enough, being recognized enough, and so on they will be more apt to stay motivated and engaged.". Either that statement is not an accurate interpretation of the theory, or your adaptation to the Elders Quorum doesn't correctly apply it. Besides, that statement is poorly supported by motivational research, which shows consistently that wage and recognition have very little to do with employee motivation and satisfaction, and may in fact interfere with it
My explanation may not have come out as clear as it should have. My overall point is that a big hygiene factor for Elders attending Elder's Quorum is simply wanting to feel valued in the quorum just like someone at a job wants to be feel like they are paid enough (or valued enough). Elders want to feel like they are up to par with their blessings and not told they are losing blessings. In a job you get paid by money and in a quorum you get paid by blessings. Don't mess with people's pay when they don't perform and don't mess with people's blessings when they don't perform. I still don't know if I am stating that as clearly as I want but hopefully you get my point.
I think you are misunderstanding the hygiene factor related to motivation (which is probably my fault for trying to explain it accurately). You are correct that the research shows that wage and recognition have very little to do with employee motivation. In other words, you aren't going to make people more motivated by simply paying them more or telling them they will be rewarded for doing something. That's why the following quote is so important, "The opposite of job dissatisfaction isn’t job satisfaction, but rather an absence of job dissatisfaction." The theory isn't saying you have to pay them more in order for them to be motivated and satisfied…it is saying you have to pay them what they feel they deserve so they don't feel dissatisfied. Once they are not dissatisfied they can then start working on becoming satisfied. The double negative is used there because dissatisfaction isn't the same as satisfaction.
I hope I am explaining myself clearly. Help me clarify these points if you it is making more sense.
I appreciate your comment and perspective.
Thanks for your posting.
It is important that we all learn that brothers in an elders quorum are not employees, so to speak, and the quorum president is not the manager, so to speak, who is supposed to use the employees to produce results. We approach so much of our church service with this mindset, and this is understandable given our American culture but it is also unfortunate. This mindset surely did not exist in the old days, such as when Jethro sat in his tent in Midian and presided over the priesthood there.
Every elder is a man. He deserves respect for that. Every elder presides in righteousness in his own home, with his own troubles there. He deserves respect for that. Every elder bears God's holy priesthood. He deserves respect for that. All the members of the quorum are brothers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their quorum president is a first among equals, if you will allow, and he ministers to each of them as individuals.
The elders quorum is not a workforce to be managed by the president. The quorum is a brotherhood to be ministered to by the president. The dignity of the individual members needs to be upheld.
A particular elder's decision not to home teach this month is his decision — it does not reflect negatively on the quorum or the quorum president, and neither the quorum nor the president should negatively judge this brother for his decision — rather, they still love him as they did last month. The president ministers to him individually, intensely or lightly as the situation suggests.
Well said.
This seems to be a difficult dynamic for many leaders to understand. I wonder if it is because they, as leaders, receive so much pressure to perform in regards to home teaching that they become more of a manager than leader.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to future comments from you.
I am treating my home teaching assignment with as just as much importance as the High Priest GL. He handed me a slip of paper in passing. I have NEVER had a PPI while in the HPG.
And yet, he does not understand why HT stats are so low.
I love that book.
I also found the milkshake chapter to be of particular value here. What need arises in our lives that we are hiring the Church to fulfill? Or the home teachers to fill? etc.
We spend so much time trying to improve the milkshakes (i.e., the programs, home teaching) without really asking what are people coming for. I know there’s the whole they need to come and get the ordinances and baptism and sacrament and learn the doctrine, and so forth, but on any given Sunday or group of Sundays, someone(s) might be coming for a different reason. They might be buying the milkshake for a different reason. Are we providing the type of milkshake they need on any given Sunday?
Why would people hire a home teacher? Some might hire him for a rushed monthly visit at the end of each month. But more likely, each family has different needs for which they hire the home teacher. We need to spend more time figuring out why we’re being hired.