MARCH 12 • TRUE LEADERSHIP • EPISODE 72
Motivating Your People 
Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Hebrews 10:24
Motivation. Another fairly misunderstood concept. I can remember having long conversations with my CEO about how to motivate the team. His answer was always about money or a promotion that had more responsibility, maybe a new title, but no increase in pay. It never considered any other factor. Granted, money is important. But there are a number of other things that are more important.
In her book, Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work and What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging, Susan Fowler hits the nail on the head, “You can’t motivate people – they are already motivated…”
In short, everyone is already motivated by something intrinsic. Further, based on our personality type and our values, we can all have different things that motivate us. This is where being a good Level 2 Permission Leader is crucial. If you recall, a Level 2 Leader is where you get to know your people so well you know what makes them tick. You know their values, their needs, their cares.. and their motivations. In general (not necessarily in specific), Dominant personalities want to accomplish, to be in control. Inspiring personalities want to enjoy their work, have fun, and help others enjoy it, too. Supportive personalities want a gentle and kind atmosphere, they want everyone to get along and work together. Cautious personalities want everything done correctly and in order. Lacking a true personal knowledge of each person’s values and motivations, understanding the above generalities will do in a pinch. But please don’t use these as an excuse to not be a good Level 2 leader. Do the homework. Know your people. Know them as well or better than your tasks.
You need to learn what delights people in their extremes — meaning what do they dream about. What makes them happy. What makes them sing. What makes them cry. What are their ultimate goals in life. How do they want to spend their journey… In short, what makes them tick. This will help you guide them and grow them to where they want to be and where you need them to be.
In addition, you need to keep building your Level 2 Leadership skills. People change — and so do their motivations. When I was an international marketing manager in my late twenties, I traveled to Europe every three to four months meeting our company reps in many different countries. I loved the travel, meeting new people, discovering different traditions and cultures, and applying my knowledge in marketing to help others accomplish our goals. However, it got old after about five years because I had young children and I wanted to be home more often to be with my family. My motivation (values) changed from being out in the world three months out of the year, to wanting to be close to home and being with my family. It was at that point I started one of my own businesses so I could be at home. My motivation changed significantly.
So, you have to stay up-to-date with your team knowing who they are and what motivates them so you can help them work in their strengths and thereby effectively accomplish more.
Do you know what motivates you? Have you every thought about it? Take some time to understand your own motivations — it will help you help others flesh out their own motivations. Ask the questions mentioned above (what makes you… happy/sad/sing/cry/goals/journey). Even be more straight forward and direct — ask them, what motivates you? What gets you up in the morning and keeps you up at night? If you could only conquer one thing in life, what would that be? Know your people.
Quotes for the Day:
“Motivation is the fuel, necessary to keep the human engine running.”
~Zig Ziglar
“Internal motivation, habit, and positive accountability, make up perseverance for most people. Motivation gives you purpose, habit gives you routine, and positive accountability keeps you on target when the going gets tough.”
~Royce White
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing; that’s why we recommend it daily.”
~Zig Ziglar
Action: Here’s your takeaway: You don’t motivate people — you discover what already motivates them and then you help them use that knowledge to get on and stay on target. The same thing is true for yourself. Trying to motivate someone with something that is not what they value, is time wasted. Don’t do what you think — do what they value!
Pray: Lord, help me discover my team’s values and help them use those things to be motivated day by day so we can function at the highest level.
That’s it! Much love and blessings. See you tomorrow!
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