SOUTV: Executive Job Survey: Senior Executive Motivators

Catherine: Hi Mark, regarding the research you conducted into executive career decision making, what did you discover about how these people are motivated? Mark: Catherine, remember we interviewed quite similar people, these people are aged between 36 and 55 and they’re all senior executives. And we found that these senior executives are motivated by being able to make a contribution themselves. They are being able to contribute to their own endeavors. Catherine: So what do you mean by their own endeavors? Mark: They say your people are not like me, the level executives, yeah they boycott to get to a senior role, now they want to be able to be given the scope to make a contribution through their own efforts and this is important to them, it’s not so much around working for the right brand or working in the right industry, it’s being able to make a contribution through their own endeavors. Catherine: So, it sounds to me that career motivators at the senior level are quite different? Mark: Yes, I think people work hard to climb up the corporate ladder so they can get to a position of influx. And this is what the research is telling, these people really do want to be able to have the scope, to be able to trust their own judgments and make those decisions to have an impact. Catherine: So does that mean senior executives are more able to sickle? Mark: Well self believes an important quality of being a senior executive. These are people that have to make quick decisions in important issues so they have to trust their own judgment, whether it’s self leaders from the ego or whether it comes from a deeper place, I think that depends on the individual. And interestingly though, these people also are telling us that a second important motivating factor for them is working with other good people and so paradoxically perhaps, they're saying on the one hand they want to achieve a luck through their own efforts, but they're also saying they highly value working in a comfortable supportive environment. Catherine: So, employ good people and give them space and time and a good team to succeed? Mark: Quite simple really, isn't it? Catherine: Thank you for the insight Mark. Mark: Thank you.