What gets you up in the morning? What really energises you? Know that feeling? That’s motivation.
By Carole Appleby
Learning how motivation works and how to ensure those around you are motivated is something that organisations simply can’t do without. In these tough times, when more and more is coming our way, supporting your team and helping colleagues to survive, thrive and have high motivation will benefit any organisation right now.
So, just how do you keep a team on board, enthused and creative?
I want to share a few insights from my own experience and learning on the topic of motivation.
People who are motivated and have a clear understanding of their tasks are more likely to simply “get on with it”. They behave differently – they tend to be:
· Enthusiastic
· Energetic
· Optimistic
· Less prone to time wasting
· Easy to work with
· More likely to suggest ways to improve things
· Hard working – keen to get on with the job
· More likely to go that extra mile
We’re all different but in short, people are motivated when they want to do it.
Writers on motivation (notably Ryan and Deci[1] and Daniel H Pink[2]) talk about three drivers of motivation:
1. Autonomy: giving someone the freedom to take responsibility for their actions and ideas. The exact opposite is ‘control’. Relinquishing control to grant autonomy needs courage and trust.
2. Belonging: creating an involving, inclusive culture; having a team purpose and commitment to each other; “we’re in this together”.
3. Competence: a feeling of accomplishment or mastery; doing something that you feel is worthwhile and that you’re good at.
So, to get you thinking about your own motivation – a few questions to help you decide whether your motivation is working for you or against you:
· What is the main driver of your motivation? (Internally – to do with enjoyment, interest, satisfaction and being proud of what you do? Or externally – to do with external rewards and incentives such as money or other material symbols of success?)
· Are there times when you just don’t give a damn?
· How important are YOUR needs in your motivation? (Do you put others’ needs before your own…or stay in a situation where you feel trapped or where your needs are not met?)
· Do you enjoy your motivation? (do you go to bed looking forward to tomorrow’s challenges?)
Supporting your team and helping colleagues to survive and thrive will benefit any organisation right now. Knowing how to stay motivation and perform well in times of uncertainty lies at the heart of the all-new and unique 'Survival Skills' workshop I have developed alongside comm2point0.
This workshop, among other things, will look at ways you can motivate your team. It will also teach your how to coach and encourage you to think in new ways, see new possibilities and develop a greater confidence in your own capability and in those you manage.
Places are strictly limited with just a couple left. So if you want to know more about yourself, and get the best from your teams and managers, this might just be the most important day of development you take this year.
For more info and to reserve a place click here.
Carole Appleby is an accredited coach, facilitator and experienced communications professional
image via the Smithsonian Institution
1 ‘Self-determination theory’ Ryan and Deci 2000
2 ‘Drive – the surprising truth about what motivates us’ Daniel H Pink 2009
