MOM Makes Things Happen

Recently, I was engaged by the author of a new business book on the politics in the office regarding Power, Affiliation and Achievement. She asked me if I would read and review her book, so we scheduled a call to get to know each other. In preparation for the call, I was researching her company and learned something new.

I learned that MOM makes things happen. Well, you probably knew that, but what is cool here is that this MOM stands for Motive, Opportuntity and Means.

No behavior can occur without all 3 components co-existing or ALL behavior requires all 3 components to exist. A great example is the detective program where folks are trying to solve the crime and find the bad guy. Each case requires research and reasoning to identify who has the Motive to commit the crime (a reason to do it), the Opportunity to commit the crime (were they even around or have an alibi) and a Means to commit the crime (did they have access to the resources required, like a gun).

So, how does this apply to business? Well, that's a big question, but not so hard to summarize.

If you need someone to take care of a need in your business, then keep MOM in mind.

Motive: Does the person you are picking have the MOTIVE to do the job? Do they feel challenged, aligned, interested and/or passionate about doing the job?

Opportunity: Does the person have the OPPORTUNITY to do the job? Do they have the time and freedom to do the job or do you have them doing other jobs as well?

Means: Does the person have the MEANS to do the job? Does the person have adequate training and resources to do the job.

This simple, yet powerful, acronym can save your company time, money and energy just by thinking about MOM when you hire or select someone for a role in your company. It does not matter if your hiring the receptionist or the CEO, MOM is the only way to go.

BTW, the author is Linda Sommers. She is a rock star in CEO coaching and decision theory. Her new book is called Beyond Office Politics: The Hidden Story of Power, Affiliation and Achievement in the Workplace.