One way to motivate people is by using emotion. Vince Lombardi was a master of fear motivation. His players knew if they didn't perform they would pay the price of a tongue-lashing, extra work, or some other punitive indication of Vince's disfavor.
I believe fear motivation is always risky. It worked for Vince in Green Bay during the sixties because he had the talent to win. The negative sense of suffering Vince put the Packers through forced them to bond together as a group; when they won, the players forged a powerful sense of attachment to their teammates. What could easily have turned to hatred for Lombardi turned to love in the wake of victor-winning made it all worth it.
But if you don't win, fear motivation quickly backfires. There's no payoff to make players feel it's "worth it." And with all the emphasis on "individual rights" since the sixties, I don't think fear motivation can be very effective today.
I always believed knowledge could motivate a person. The better prepared you were, the better you felt and more confident you became in your ability to perform.
The goal-setting we've talked about became a means of motivating the team, as well as indviduals. When we finally achieved success in reaching our goals and winning football games, the Cowboys' winning tradition itself became one of the greatest motivators.
Another important factor in getting the best out of a player or an employee is making sure you have him in the right spot. When I saw someone who wasn't producing up to the level of their skills, someone who showed more talent than production, I automatically began looking for another spot to use him.
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