Network Marketing - Management Theory And Building A Network Marketing Business

Building a Network Marketing Business is not so much about managing people as it is about leading others. You can manage from a very selfish vantage point but to maintain longer term leadership demands the ability to be others oriented. It means you do what is best for the people.

It has been noted that "the extent to which you are able to transform your self-concern into other-concern will determine your effectiveness in getting others to follow along." Often the role of the leader is to get out of the way.

However, looking at some management theory may give insight into better ways to motivate, empower, and lead others in you network marketing business. One such management theory is Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory.

What Is It?

It a nutshell it defines satisfaction and dissatisfaction as disparate descriptors. It states that the opposite of satisfaction is not dissatisfaction. The opposite of satisfaction is lack of satisfaction. The same pattern holds true for dissatisfaction. While at first this may sound like the theory plays with words, don't give up yet. I'll explain. It has to do with the way we perceive our needs being met.

It has to do with the source or causes of the feeling our needs are met or not. Factors which my cause you to be dissatisfied are what Herzberg calls "hygiene issues". What causes you to be satisfied are called "motivators"? These can be illustrated as follows:

Hygiene issues are things like: pay; company policies, relationships with bosses, work conditions; relationships with peers; etc. Motivators could include factors such as: liking the work; recognition; challenge; achievement; opportunity for advancement; and relationship with peers.

Notice that I included relationship with peers in both categories. If you have a negative relationship with your peers at work, it may be a source of dissatisfaction or a hygiene issue.

However, if you have a great relationship with your peers, it may be a great motivator since all of us have an innate need for community. Negative relationships often mean that we feel outside of their community or that no community exists.

How Does This Relate To Network Marketing?

How does this relate to network marketing? In network marketing you may be looking to replace your employment with something more entrepreneurial, which is a business of your own. You will do that through building a community of others that you will lead. Herzberg theory can be modified to assess your own issues within the business and those of the community you build.

For example, many people are in situations where they love their work, they feel a high sense of achievement, and are highly motivated. And yet, the pay may be low, they may not like the policies under which they work or some other factor. For example, a missionary doing social work in a third world country might feel that way. Highly satisfied and yet dissatisfied at the same time.

The same can be true with the people you lead in your network marketing business. They may not like the pricing structure, they may not like negative comments that sometimes occur, or may get discouraged when others quit the business. Leaders need to do the best they can to take care of these hygiene issues. Often this requires training and information.

In the network marketing business, motivators are important because remuneration is based upon personal achievement. In the early days remuneration can be a source of dissatisfaction. The same is true for realtors, insurance agents, and others involved in sales. However, that doesn't mean that your network will not have a great sense of satisfaction.

How Do You Apply This Theory?

Effective networking organizations will train their people how to develop themselves (achievement), be mentored (peer relationships), and learn of opportunity for advancement. All of these can serve to help the community you build to feel a high degree of satisfaction.

However be warned. As high as the satisfaction (motivator) levels may be, if the hygiene factors are not taken care of, they can often cause erosion of the motivators to the degree that the motivators are not strong enough to keep the person in the community. It is important to keep a good balance between the two.

Remember that as the leader, you still have limited abilities. You cannot make people do anything. The people in your business are building independent businesses. If they won't learn methodology and then apply it to be personally successful in the areas that can lead to dissatisfaction, you cannot make them. You can only create the environment for them to succeed.

You need to provide the training and environment to deal with both hygiene issues and motivators. If you deal with hygiene issues only, your community will be unmotivated and drift away. If all you do is motivate but don't help them with the hygiene factors, they will eventually see the motivation as hype.

Make plans to encompass both sets of factors. You can start by analyzing your present training, mentoring time, and meetings. Look at which factors you need to work on. Sometimes you have to polish the dull side to see the bright side. Keep the balance. You will be a better leader if you do.