Being All That You and Your Employees Can Be
Motivation is a fashionable word today. In fact, it's a whole lot more than just a word; it's an industry unto itself. Turn on your TV set at any hour of day and you are sure to see someone peddling motivational books, cassettes, and DVDs. There are legions of people making serious profits “motivating” you to reach for the stars, or whatever you're supposed to be reaching for. But what are these self-proclaimed motivators actually doing?
First of all, what they are offering is a brand of “inspiration,” not “motivation.” There's a difference. They are endeavoring to inspire people to motivate themselves to do this, that, and the other thing. And the reality is that some folks are motivated to do things at the drop of a hat, while others are immovable objects rooted in one place.
What this means is that it's entirely up to you to get motivated or not get motivated. You are the one who motivates you, not a coach or mentor at the office, or Tony Robbins on QVC.
In your own coaching efforts, you are not on the job to motivate your employees per se, but hopefully, to inspire them to motivate themselves. Essentially, your job as a coach is to apply a cattle prod — metaphorically speaking, that is — to the dormant motivation percolating in the hearts and souls of your people. What is this metaphorical cattle prod? What is it exactly that motivates workers to motivate themselves?
Personal gain, such as improved financial circumstances, or better relationships, is the ultimate motivator. In other words, the possibility of an overall richer and more superior life will motivate men and women to do certain things to get there. These are the same broad reasons why so many people buy Tony Robbins's paraphernalia; and this is the all-important starting point for your coaching efforts to begin in inspiring your employees to motivate themselves.
Renowned football coach Lou Holz had an interesting view of self-motivation. He once said: “My task is not to motivate people to play great football. They are already motivated when they come to me. My challenge is simply not to de-motivate them.”
Employees must accept the notion that their productivity on the job benefits them in uniquely personal ways; that their job performances — up to the hilt — will make their lives better on numerous fronts and in myriad ways. That is, in ways beyond the confines of the workplace and beyond, too, those weekly paychecks.
Sure, many employees' self-motivation revolve around the Almighty Dollar. And this isn't some greedy capitalistic compulsion. It's merely the reality that money translates into so many wonderful things, not the least of which is the freedom to pursue interests and hobbies outside of work and career. Freedom from worry about mortgage payments, credit card bills, and health insurance premiums is a liberating sensation. Money makes the world go around.
