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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 would 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 would 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 are 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.
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Business Management Fear Emotions - Positive or Negative? What is fear's purpose? How do you handle it? While I am working in my pest control business, I meet people on an almost daily basis who are influenced by negative fear thoughts regarding pests invading their premises. A good size spider, rat, or unexpected insect can set someone off pretty quickly, and literally immobilize them. It consumes their thoughts to the point where they have trouble thinking about anything else. The Dream I Nearly Gave Up Hello again to you my loyal readers. My very first article which I published sometime last year dealt with the topic of positive thinking and success. Today I am going to talk to you about your dreams and what they mean to your life's purpose. I am going to give you a glimpse into my life and how the before-mentioned topic relates to me. Three Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself Today! Are you having a hard time getting things done? Are you making no steps toward achieving your goals and dreams? Could you use a little "motivation"? Have A Crack! For everyone the New Year is now in full swing. There is also a percentage of us that are wondering where the last few months went. This is why we all need to start focusing on what we all want to achieve this year and more importantly make sure we actually try to achieve it. Change 101: How to Get the Changes You Desire Here's a bold statement: Do You Have Staying Power? "If you are going through hell , keep on going" - Sir Winston Churchill DAMAGED On the J-O-B. That's where I met him. Quentin Cole was his name. Everyone called him Q for short. Q was an extremely attractive man. He was 6'2", had the waviest-curliest-jet-black hair that you ever saw. This man had the deepest dimples, hazeliest of green eyes, and a physique to die for. He always dressed well and smelled so, so g-o-o-d. WOW! 10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination: The Challenge for Tomorrow! Did you realize that as much as 47% of the time we spend on-line has nothing whatsoever to do with our work? In 1978 15% of the population stated that they do procrastinate somewhat. Only 1% admitted to chronic procrastination. In 2002 the numbers quadrupled! 60% of people stated that they experience mild to moderate procrastination in their lives and 6% stated that procrastination ruled their lives! In this era of "distraction overdose", make the decision to overcome procrastination by applying some or all of the following techniques. The Top 10 Creative Strategies for Moving into Action and For Getting Bottom Line Results Your ability to move into action and to achieve bottom line results rests in the power of your thinking. These ten strategies will support you in transforming your desires into concrete action. Going with the Flow This whole idea of change is founded on a single principle: CHANGE IS ALL IN YOUR MIND. Breaking Through Resistance Why is it that every time you start something new, a million and one things get in the way? Motivation and Change: Creating Your Daily Success Program I get some of my best ideas for my column from my clients. Hey CyberJunkie, Clean that Booger off Your Nose! Well....., I got some good news and I got some bad news. It's come to my attention that some of you want to be cyberjunkies. Which do you want first? I'll give you the good news first. YOU can!! It's very simple. The bad news is: It's not easy and it could be messy. Self-Improvement-Inspiration: How to Exit Your Own Rat Race We can all get in a rut from time to time. Who hasn't had a moment in their lives where you've asked yourself the question: "Why am I doing this?" Breaking Even: When is Enough, Enough? I had the most interesting discussion today with a friend of mine. He and I were chatting about the economy, his job, families, and life in general. The one point that he kept raising was that of his "needing to do more" to pay the bills, be with his family, get promoted at work, fix the hot water heater, etc. It's always the "need to do more" to better accommodate more. Motivation - The Power of Drive My experience tells me there are three stages people go through on their way to having the drive necessary to meet their goals: After the Big Project: Recovering From Success My older daughter got married 10 days ago. The wedding was a joyous and extraordinary experience, way beyond our imaginings. I am deeply happy about all of this, and feel strongly validated by the whole experience. Procrastination Strategies: Boost Your Productivity by Getting On With It We all suffer from procrastination from time to time but rather than fight it, think of procrastination as a gift. This gift allows you to get clarity on what is important to you and what you should work on next. Change your thinking when it comes to procrastination. JJKs First Six Secrets to Becoming a Successful, Creative Entrepreneur! Hello Creative Entrepreneurs! Whats Stopping You? We're all familiar with the cycle:
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