Motivation Information |
Make Motivation Stick
Motivation is the elusive elixir. Not only does it help people do good work, and do it faster, but it also helps them feel good about it while they're doing it. Yet motivation always seems temporary, fleeting. We call a meeting, bring in a motivational speaker, and fire up the team. Yet, we know it won't last. What if we could make it last? What if we could make it easy for everyone on your team to stay motivated day in and day out, regardless of what was going on around them? You could expect higher levels of performance from everyone and create a team with an unstoppable can-do attitude. Despite its elusive nature, motivation is rather simple to understand. Motivation can be defined as a concerted effort to produce a desired result. So let's think about that for a moment. Why would anyone make a concerted effort to produce a result? Underlying all motivation must be a belief that winning is possible, that the result is attainable. When people stop believing that they can win, that they have little chance for success, their efforts directed at achieving that success fade. However, people can remain motivated day after day when they are playing a game they believe they can win. Motivation can be made a permanent part of your organization's environment when you provide the three keys that will allow your team members to believe that they can win, that they are unstoppable. What's the Plan? The first key is a strategy. A strategy is a best-guess plan that expedites the accomplishment of desired goals. Motivation depends on having a clear path to accomplishing a desired result. It's OK if every detail is not in place and a few variables exist, but the path to success must not be shrouded in fog. However, the plan must be complete enough to permit the belief in a successful end result. When the plan is in doubt, motivation is ruled out. While desire is a powerful motivator, so is anger. When Osama bin Laden was linked to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the wrath of angry Americans was focused on him. Emotions were high, and it would have been easy to fill an airplane bound for Afghanistan to hunt him down. If you were on that plane, imagine how your excitement and motivation would soon fade when you learned that the "plan" was to drop you into Afghanistan and let you figure out how to find Osama. Without a clear path for getting past the enemy and finding bin Laden, your early determination would soon turn to despair. We all need a plan that we believe can work. It's Tool Time! The second key to motivation is tools. To stay motivated, individuals must believe that they have access to the tools they need to execute the plan. No matter how wonderful the plan, excitement will fade as soon as people discover that resources are inadequate to permit delivery of the goods. This is the common de-motivator present in the "do more with less" admonition. Expectations of employees are raised and more is expected while resources are systematically removed. Left to their own cleverness, employees can often find ways to get more done with fewer resources if they are allowed to substitute a more productive resource for a more costly one. Unfortunately these "do more with less" initiatives often remove tools and resources without permitting for their replacement by the necessary cost efficient tools to get the higher expectations accomplished. When tools don't exist, motivation is at risk. Let's go back to Afghanistan. I'm betting you'd like some tools, and I'm not talking about a shovel or nice power saw. A gun would be good for starters. And bullets. While we're making a list, let's add grenades, two-way radio, Kevlar vest, and a rocket launcher. Oh, food and a canteen would be really good. And a map to get us back home. "Do more with less" rings hollow when the stakes are high, like when your life is on the line. Make sure your team has the proper tools to tackle the tasks ahead of them and dispatch them productively and with confidence. No Training? No Can-Do! The third key to maintaining motivation is skills. Individuals must be trained on the skills that allow them to use the tools in the context of execution of the plan. It's not enough to have the resources if their application is left to question. Skills training still may not accomplish the desired result if it is delivered outside of the context of the plan. A hammer can be used for both driving nails and pulling them out, and it's important to know what needs to be accomplished so that its application supports our desired outcome. Without skills and training, motivation will be waning. Forget the guns, Kevlar, and rocket launcher for a moment. Let's suppose we drop you into a tank, such as the magnificently sophisticated Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Without training on how to operate it, you'd be a sitting duck. Maybe you could figure out how to operate it, but possibly at great danger to yourself. What if you loaded the cannon improperly and caused a misfire? How far could you drive without running out of fuel in enemy territory? At least the tank is firmly planted on solid ground. If put behind the controls of an Apache helicopter without adequate training, the risk to you goes through the roof! Without proper training, motivation is quickly replaced by frustration and fear. The same things happen every day in workplaces all around us. People show up to work in the morning without a clear idea of how they contribute to the big picture, and without the tools and training to get the job done. Deliver the keys of strategy, tools, and skills, and your people will understand where they're going and how they're going to get there. Those keys will maintain motivation, excitement and enthusiasm by establishing confidence. They assure a successful outcome and are reason enough for employees to stay engaged and fervently work toward the big, bodacious goal you're ultimately after. With the keys of strategy, tools, and skills, making motivation stick won't seem so elusive after all. © 2004 Paul Johnson. All rights reserved. Note: This article is available for reprint at no charge. We only ask that you include our copyright notice in your reprint, along with the About the Author (byline) information we provide at the end of the article. Paul Johnson of Panache and Systems LLC consults and speaks on business strategy for systematically boosting sales performance using Shortcuts to Yes?. Check out more salesforce development tips at http://panache-yes.com/tips.html. Call Paul direct in Atlanta, Georgia, USA at (770) 271-7719.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Everything Going Against You "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." Henry FordWhen everything is going along smoothly, you feel like nothing can stop you. Change Your Life For The Better! Are you still hoping and waiting for someone somewhere to come to your rescue, wave a magic wand and instantaneously change your life for the better?Are you praying that you will one day win the lottery and dramatically alter the financial quality of your life?Are you sitting behind your desk, daydreaming and hoping to one day rise to the top level of management without much effort and hard work?Are you hiding in the background, silently praying and hoping that you will find favor, get noticed and be thrust into the limelight of your destiny?If you are tired of hoping and endlessly waiting for something positive to happen or someone to come to your rescue, make a deliberate decision today to take charge of your own life and begin to lead a fulfilled and productive life.4 things to consider as you decide to change your life for the better. A Resolution for Excellence "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. Procrastination: Make It Work FOR You! Man, I love to procrastinate! And I'm pretty darn good at it, too. Would you believe I started writing this article almost six months ago? Yep. Hey Me, Get Out Of My Way Hey Me! Get Out Of My WayBy David Stoddard How often it is we give up wanting to do something even before we give ourselves an honest chance of succeeding. Perhaps, we begin writing our autobiography. Qualia and Quanta Ah, those New Year's resolutions.I suppose that the passage of another calendar year serves to remind us that there are an infinite number of things to do and a finite amount of time to do them in and so we must prioritize. How to Make it Big In Spite of Your Challenges Imagine for a moment it's five years from now and you are still making the same income (or just a little more), living in the same home or apartment. You are in debt. Optimistic Vs Pessimistic Studies have shown that on average an optimist will have a longer, healthier and a more fulfilled life then a pessimist.In 1980 a study was carried out which monitored 122 men who had a heart attack. Wisdom Comes to the Inquisitive Mind Throughout my life I have observed many things and I am often amazed (but shouldn't be) at how Wisdom is demonstrated in all ages. It is not reserved just for the elders. Personal Motivation: Without Struggle There Is No Progress As each day ends and another begins, the words of Frederick Douglas ask us as individuals to recognize the relationships between life's daily struggles."The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions, yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. What Gets Your Ass Out Of Bed? Beep. Beep. Right Action & Right Effort: The Keys to Martial Arts Mastery, Keys 3 &4 In the philosophical teachings that form the base for our Warrior Concepts Life Mastery Program, there is a model by which we can examine our thoughts, words, and actions from eight distinct perspectives. These eight "paths" which contribute to both who we are and how we associate with the world around us include our:1. Lights, Camera, Take Action Have you ever had a great business idea?Did you focus & plan out the business in your mind and then write it down on paper?Of course you did "Take Action"? Right?Well most of us have great ideas or talents that we can share with the rest of the world but never do. WHY???Think about how many Jobs you could have created and how many people you could have helped with your idea or business. Seeing Through the Pain We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.~ Jim RohnNothing lasts-not even pain. We Are Trying To... How many times have you heard this in your life? Perhaps you have said it yourself. We are trying to accomplish something here. The Conversation of Recovery - Part One Transformational Counseling is all about assisting another human being to live a life that they love and to live it powerfully. Transformational Counseling is about creating a space for others to learn how to transform their lives, to live a life differently from how it was in the past, to truly create what they desire. The Power I had a friend ask me a question not to long ago that really led me to do some thinking. "How do you manage to stay so positive all the time?" You never seem to have "bad" days she said. Death by Overwork: Motivationally Speaking Its a Zero The Japanese have a word for death by overwork: Karoshi. A recent survey said 40 percent of all Japanese workers fear that they will actually work themselves to death. How to Exude More Confidence Confidence: The word conjures up images of self-assurance and belief in ones' self. Self-confidence is inward security. By Planning and Exerting Effort, You Can Change Things For The Better Most of us plan to find the love of our life, our soul mate. It is a natural human instinct to find a partner. |
home | site map | contact us |