I used to think of my kids as childish as they hogged a toy for themselves or pouted when someone else got a treat they didn’t have.
Recently, it dawned on me.
They aren’t acting childish.
They’re acting human.
I call it the “Me” filter and understanding how it works goes a long way in understanding what motivates people.
When someone at work comes to you and says, “Hey, I just got a raise,” is your first response “Wow, that’s really great?”
Or is it something darker, more akin to “Hey, what about me, how come I didn’t get a raise?”
The “Me” filter.
If you’ve watched TV or read this space then you know that I spent 10 days in Europe in May covering Erie’s trade delegation.
I don’t know about your company, but my company is not usually doling out thousands of dollars to send people halfway around the world.
So the announcement that we were taking the financial hit to create a tactical news advantage over our competitors during a key advertising period should have been greeted with cheers among the co-workers.
Instead, there were mutters; “Why do THEY get to go?” “What deal did THEY make?”
The real question, of course, is "Why can't I go?"
The “Me” filter.
In journalism schools they teach students to find out not only what’s happening but to also learn why it’s happening, usually with the admonishment “Follow the Money.”
Money is always a key motivation in any deal but as I’ve gotten older I realize that’s it’s not the only factor.
Many times it’s not even the biggest factor.
If you want to understand motivation, you must understand ego, and it leads one to wonder just how many opportunities have we lost over perceived slights between community leaders over the years?
It doesn’t surprise me that we act this way; I see the beginnings of it in my children all the time.
But aren’t we supposed to be the adults?