MOTIVATE OTHERS
WHY IT MATTERS
The ability to continuously press forward in a self-motivated and fast-paced manner is a difficult feat for many people to achieve. Leaders need to be able to put fuel in other people’s engines to keep them going. People naturally need a reminder of why their hard work matters, why it is worth the sacrifice, and what is at stake if they succeed or fail. Leaders that motivate others instill within them the desire to give their very best and deliver top-notch results, even when they aren’t sure they can keep pace or keep going. Leaders that don’t effectively motivate their people may see them eventually yield to the daily grind of the workplace and fall short of delivering consistently high performance.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that motivate others have constant energy and optimism for the work they are engaged in each day. They are excited about the possibilities of what their organization can accomplish and that excitement spreads dynamically to the people that work with them. Because of their genuine passion for what they do, people are more likely to want to be a part of the cause. They are not false and over the top. They are genuine, real, and sincere in their passion. Because of their authenticity and their enthusiasm other’s minds are open to the possibilities in front of them, and want to be part of helping achieve something special.
Leaders that motivate people seek to understand what uniquely motivates each person they work with. They see people as individuals and know they are distinctively motivated in different ways. They learn what motivates each individual and apply that knowledge in the best ways.
Leaders that motivate others put them in control of their own work, results, and destiny. They trust people, knowing that people who feel trusted will always give more than those that don’t. They help people set goals that entice them to reach beyond their capabilities.
Leaders that motivate others work alongside their people instead of staying behind closed doors. They aren’t afraid to leave their office and work side-by-side with their employees. They make the effort to see and be seen by those they work with on a regular basis.
Leaders that motivate people provide compelling compensation and rewards programs to reward high performance. They know perks and increased compensation can help people want to give just a little bit more. They provide incentives in ways that create traction without creating a sense of entitlement.
Leaders that excel at motivating others don’t rely on outrageous tactics to motivate people. They rely on their vision for the work, incentive programs, personal relationships, knowledge of their people, and their personal enthusiasm and example. They believe that success will breed success more than any gimmick or tactic ever could.
Leaders that motivate others constantly remind their people about the greater cause of which they are a part. They take every opportunity to teach the vision of the organization and remind people of their purpose and potential in memorable and unpredictable ways.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
The ability to continuously press forward in a self-motivated and fast-paced manner is a difficult feat for many people to achieve. Leaders need to be able to put fuel in other people’s engines to keep them going. People naturally need a reminder of why their hard work matters, why it is worth the sacrifice, and what is at stake if they succeed or fail. Leaders that motivate others instill within them the desire to give their very best and deliver top-notch results, even when they aren’t sure they can keep pace or keep going. Leaders that don’t effectively motivate their people may see them eventually yield to the daily grind of the workplace and fall short of delivering consistently high performance.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that motivate others have constant energy and optimism for the work they are engaged in each day. They are excited about the possibilities of what their organization can accomplish and that excitement spreads dynamically to the people that work with them. Because of their genuine passion for what they do, people are more likely to want to be a part of the cause. They are not false and over the top. They are genuine, real, and sincere in their passion. Because of their authenticity and their enthusiasm other’s minds are open to the possibilities in front of them, and want to be part of helping achieve something special.
Leaders that motivate people seek to understand what uniquely motivates each person they work with. They see people as individuals and know they are distinctively motivated in different ways. They learn what motivates each individual and apply that knowledge in the best ways.
Leaders that motivate others put them in control of their own work, results, and destiny. They trust people, knowing that people who feel trusted will always give more than those that don’t. They help people set goals that entice them to reach beyond their capabilities.
Leaders that motivate others work alongside their people instead of staying behind closed doors. They aren’t afraid to leave their office and work side-by-side with their employees. They make the effort to see and be seen by those they work with on a regular basis.
Leaders that motivate people provide compelling compensation and rewards programs to reward high performance. They know perks and increased compensation can help people want to give just a little bit more. They provide incentives in ways that create traction without creating a sense of entitlement.
Leaders that excel at motivating others don’t rely on outrageous tactics to motivate people. They rely on their vision for the work, incentive programs, personal relationships, knowledge of their people, and their personal enthusiasm and example. They believe that success will breed success more than any gimmick or tactic ever could.
Leaders that motivate others constantly remind their people about the greater cause of which they are a part. They take every opportunity to teach the vision of the organization and remind people of their purpose and potential in memorable and unpredictable ways.
BELIEFS
- You can’t truly motivate people until know what individually motivates them to give their very best.
- Motivating people is not about gimmicks. It is about pulling out of people the desire to be part of something great.
- Good leaders effectively entice people to do what they want while great leaders inspire people to want to give their best.
- People will only rise to your personal level of enthusiasm. You need to be the source of the energy you want others to feel.
- As grand as your vision may be, people will never be motivated by it until they can see why it matters to them.
- There are few things that motivate people more than sincere gratitude, well timed, and sincerely expressed.
- If people don’t feel like you trust them they will never do anything above and beyond exactly what you tell them to do.
- Incentive, reward, and recognition programs are a key and necessary part of any motivation strategy.
BEST PRACTICES
- Know how to motivate people individually.
- Ensure everyone knows what the end goal is.
- Share your confidence in your people.
- Use goals and metrics in non-overbearing ways.
- Take work seriously, but make work fun.
- Share ownership of the work and results.
- Set high standards for people to reach.
- Work alongside your people often.
- Help people be excited to do something amazing.
- Show constant gratitude and thanks.
- Set the example of always giving your best.
- Create a vision that people connect to.
- Reward people for doing a job well done.
- Set goals that challenge people to stretch.
- Build enthusiasm in unexpected ways.
- Be charismatic but not overbearing.
- Keep the end goal always in sight.
- Set the tone and pace for others to follow.
- Make each person feel invaluable.
- Implement incentive programs.
- Be constantly optimistic and energetic.
- Give people control of their work.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I show the type of enthusiasm and energy for the work others can feel, or do I fail to show enthusiasm for the work?
- Do people describe me as being genuine, sincere, and authentic, or do people wonder if I am too “over the top?”
- Do I know how to motivate each member of my team individually, or do I not know what motivates them personally?
- Do I motivate people by giving them trust and autonomy to do their work, or do I try and micromanage their work?
- Do I provide rewards and incentives to people who perform well, or do I forget to show gratitude for a job well done?
- Do I motivate people through meaningful efforts or do I try and on gimmicks to motivate people?
- Do I consider it my role to help motivate people around me, or do I think people should be self-motivated all of the time?
- Do I renew people’s motivation through reminders about the vision of the work, or do I not bring up the big picture enough?
- Don’t be so extreme in trying to motivate that you come across as being insincere or false in your actions and intentions.
- Don’t think your ability to motivate people can ultimately override their agency to choose whether or not they want to be motivated.
- Don’t rely too strongly on reward systems and monetary gain to motivate people, try to add something deeper to the mix.
- After a few honest performance evaluations, my best performers get it.
- I calm others during stressful times.
- During pressure filled situations, I don’t explode on my people.
- Even when angry, I’m always approachable.
- I can easily get others to do things they have not thought about doing.