How To Get Others Motivated
Since the original version of this article was published, the world of leadership has evolved considerably, and Scott Richardson and I have rewritten and updated this organizational leadership manual to reflect these changes.
We’ve updated our list with ten new techniques to encourage people, bringing us into the twenty-first century.
The article has been updated to reflect a new appreciation for the communication and speedy decision-making that the global society need today.
With the addition of the importance of personal self-leadership and physical energy, the book now contains the same solid leadership principles that made the first editions of this book so popular with leaders and managers of every kind of organization, from corporations to educational institutions and non-profit organizations to community groups and even families.
In order to motivate others, one must establish a connection with their deepest aspirations.
What it comes down to isn’t simply saturating them with as much knowledge as possible. More essential than knowledge is the process of transformation. Everything revolves around action. Testing is more important than believing in the eyes of a great motivator of others. She will not spend time convincing her people to accept change or to put their faith in the system; instead, she will concentrate on methods to put their faith in them to the test.
Change is occurring at an exponential rate in the workplace and across the planet. There is no longer a linear, predictable progression. It is more akin to the completely unexpected and stunning transformation depicted so vividly in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s The Black Swan, which was published in 2010.
As a result, strong motivators are increasingly accepting change and assisting their teams in seeing all change as an opportunity for innovation.
Organizations are more susceptible than ever before to being forced to close their doors overnight. They have the potential to become outdated in an instant. Instead of finding this terrifying, someone who has mastered the art of inspiring himself and others finds it exhilarating.
All of these quantum leaps in organizational reality are addressed in the new version that we have prepared for you just for you. It keeps your leadership abilities up to date and improves your ability to inspire others to share your enthusiasm for the global market and its potential.
The ten innovative methods of motivating people that we have included in this book are those that have proven effective for us and our customers. They are not based on theory. And, since they are not only theoretical, we encourage you to put them to use right away and to think of them as tools rather than rules.
Steve Chandler is credited with inventing the phrase
How to get others motivated
1. Recognize the source of motivation.
Getting someone else to accomplish what you want done is the skill of persuading him to do it for you because he wants to do it.
—President Dwight D. Eisenhower
There was a manager called Tom who arrived early to a leadership training that we were conducting at the time. He was dressed for a day of golf in an olive green polo shirt and white pleated pants, which he had just put on. “Look, your session isn’t necessary, so I’m not intending on going,” Tom said as he stepped to the front of the room.
“That’s OK, but I’m curious as to why you arrived so early to this meeting to inform us of this.
“I’m sure there’s anything you’re interested in learning.”
“Well, sure, there is,” the manager said after a little pause. “All I want to know is how I can motivate my sales staff to perform better. “How do I deal with them?”
“Is that all you want to know?” says the narrator.
“Yes, that’s it,” the manager replied emphatically.
“However, we can save you a significant amount of time and ensure that you get to your golf game on time.”
The manager, Tom, leaned forward, listening intently for any pearls of wisdom that he might glean on how to better manage his employees.
“You won’t be able to,” we said.
“What?”
“You have no ability to control people.” So there you have it; now go off and enjoy yourselves.”
“Can you tell me what you’re saying?” the manager inquired. “I was under the impression that you gave complete lectures on encouraging people. “What do you mean, I’m not allowed?”
“We offer whole lectures on this subject,” says the author.
However, one of the first things we educate managers is that they are unable to exert direct control over their subordinates. Employee motivation is always derived from inside them, rather than from you.”
“Can you tell me what it is that you teach?”
“We teach you how to encourage others by encouraging them to do it themselves. That is the most important thing to remember. And you do this by controlling agreements rather than people. And that is exactly what we will be talking about this morning.”
After placing his vehicle keys in his pocket, the manager sat at the first seat closest to the front of the room, where he would remain for the remainder of the session.
2. Instill Self-Discipline in Children
Discipline is the ability to recall what you want.
The creator of Saks Fifth Avenue, David Campbell, has said:
Almost everyone accepts the notion that we have self-discipline, and this is a fallacy.
A genetic gift is something that we either have or don’t have in us; it’s a part of who we are.
True, we don’t have self-discipline; rather, we practice self-discipline.
Another way to describe it is that self-discipline is similar to learning a new language. A language may be learned by any youngster. (Actually, all youngsters learn at least one foreign language.) A language may be learned by anybody, even if they are 90 years old. The use of Spanish, whether you are 9 or 90, to find your way to warmth and safety when you are lost in the rain in Mexico City is effective whether you are 9 or 90. It is effective.
Spanish is analogous to self-discipline in this context. It was not a natural gift bestowed upon you. You may, however, make advantage of it. In fact, you have the freedom to use as much or as little as you like. And the more you employ, the more you will be able to do.
If you were an American who had been sent to Mexico City for a year and needed to earn a living there, the more Spanish you knew, the better off you would be for the time being.
Using Spanish was still possible even if you had never spoken it before. You may take out your little English/Spanish phrase dictionary and start using it right away. You may use that small dictionary to ask for directions or assistance right now! It would not be necessary for you to be born with any particular abilities.
The same may be said about self-discipline as well. However, the majority of individuals do not believe this. The majority of individuals believe that they either have it or don’t. The majority of individuals believe it is a permanent feature of their personality or a character characteristic. That is a grave error on my part.
That is a blunder that has the potential to destroy a life.
Take a look at these examples of how people get it so wrong: “If he had any self-discipline at all, he would be my best seller,” a corporate executive recently said. “However, he has none.”
This is not correct. He has the same level of self-discipline as everyone else; he has just decided not to use it at this time. If the person you lead actually understood that self-discipline is something that one employs rather than something that one has, then that person would be able to use it to achieve practically any goal he or she set for themselves.
He could use it anytime he wanted and then leave it behind if he didn’t want to use it anymore.
Instead, he is concerned. He has doubts about his abilities, if he has the necessary qualities, and whether his parents and guardians placed them in him. (Some believe it was implanted experientially, while others believe it was implanted genetically.) It’s neither one nor the other. It’s never even “placed” in the first place. It’s a tool that everyone can utilize to their advantage. As if it were a hammer. (Example: a dictionary.)
The good news is that it is never too late to make amends with yourself and your colleagues for making a mistake. It is never too late to discover the truth about anything. Enlightened leaders get more out of their employees because they recognize that each individual already has all of the skills and abilities need to be successful. They are not persuaded by the reasons, apologies, and sad fatalism that most non-performers are able to sell to their supervisors with ease. They just do not believe it.
3. Listen to before you turn on .
Telling people how to accomplish things is counterproductive; instead, tell them what they should do and then wait for them to surprise you with their outcomes.
—General George S. Patton
You can’t encourage someone if they can’t hear what you’re saying.
No matter how well you say something, if it is bouncing off their psychological armor, it makes little difference how well you say it. You’re not being heard at this time. Your audience must be able to hear you in order to be affected by you.
Someone must first be heard in order for them to be able to hear you. In this case, it does not work the other way around. It doesn’t work if you constantly take the initial step. Because your employee must first recognize that you are on the same wavelength as her and that you entirely get her point of view.
According to leadership expert Warren Bennis, the fundamental rule of any sort of coaching is that the coach must engage in deep listening with the participants. This implies that the coach must connect to the context in which the “other” is thinking—that is, they must “tune in” to the perspective from which the “other” is reasoning.
Finally, probably the most fundamental aspect of leadership is the ability to influence and modify the mindset and framework of those under their command. That’s not simple, as I’m sure you’re aware, since even when we believe we’re listening closely to the other person, we’re generally listening more intently to our own thoughts and feelings.
We were dealing with a CEO in the financial services industry called Lance, who was having difficulty with his four-woman large account management team at the time. In addition, they did not care for or trust him, and looked forward to each encounter with him since he would point out their failings to them.
With his wits about him, Lance sought assistance from a coach.
“Schedule one-on-one meetings with each of them,” we recommended.
“What am I supposed to say?”
“Don’t say anything. “Just pay attention.”
“Wait, what do you want me to listen to?”
“The guy across from you.”
“Can you tell me what’s on my agenda?”
“There is no agenda.”
“Can you tell me what I should ask them?”
“How’s life treating you? So, how is life for you in this organization? “What would you make different?”
“And then what?” says the narrator.
“Then just sit back and listen.”
“I’m not sure I’d be able to pull it off.”
His large account team’s poor morale had recently been traced down to a specific source.
Lance was in charge of the rest.
How to get others motivated
4. Rather than being the effect, be the cause.
People who are shallow believe in luck. People who are wise and powerful believe in cause and consequence.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“What do we want to induce to happen?” asks a master motivator of others.
today? “What do we want to achieve?”
Those are the most important managerial issues. Those who are having a difficult time
Those two questions are difficult for managers to ask themselves.
Because they’re continually thinking about what’s going on around them, they have a lot of questions.
instead of what they want to bring about.
It won’t be difficult to change your people’s minds when they perceive you as a cause rather than an effect.
educate them to think in the same manner that you do. You’ll soon be causing them to play far.
beyond their own perceptions of themselves
You have the power to make it happen.
5. Quit chastising upper management.
Running uphill and running down people are both unhealthy for the heart.
Bernard Gimbel (Bernard Gimbel)
Distancing oneself from your superiors is a powerful temptation.
Perhaps you do this to gain favor and establish a relationship with the victim.
the group, but it isn’t going to work. In reality, what you’ve done will harm you in the long run.
the team’s self-assurance It will convey three very destructive messages.
1. This organization cannot be trusted in terms of morale and motivation.
2. Our own leadership is working against us.
3. Your own team leader, yours truly, is weak and helpless in the workplace.
organization.
This causes a strong yet uncomfortable connection, as well as long-term consequences.
Trust issues, as well as a growing disregard for the organization’s integrity.
Running down upper management may be done invisibly (a rolling of the eyes at the thought) or explicitly (a rolling of the eyes at the thought).
the name of the CFO) or explicitly (“I’m not sure why we’re doing this;
No one ever consults me on corporate policy, possibly because they are aware of my position.
I don’t agree”).
The usage of the term they repeatedly deepens this error.
(“They want us to begin….”) “I’m not sure why they want us to do it this way.”
“They have no idea what you’re going through here,” says the narrator. “They,
they, they…!”).
The overuse of a term quickly becomes a near-obscenity and solidifies.
the feeling that we’re alone and misunderstood victims
True leadership requires the bravery to represent top management rather than running it.
down. We, says a real leader.
6. Focus on One Thing
Leadership is doing the right things; management is doing the right things.
—Peter Drucker, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Peter Drucker Foundation
If I’m not doing the right thing, I won’t be able to encourage others. In addition, to maintain myself in
It’s critical for me to be in a comfortable and focused mindset; I don’t want to be scattered or distracted.
Alternatively, spread thin. It’s critical that I don’t rush about thinking I’ve got too much to accomplish.
There’s a lot to do. I don’t have a lot on my plate right now. The fact is that there is just one option.
do, and it’s the only thing I’ve decided to do right now.
It would be incredibly beneficial if I perform that one thing as if it is the only thing I have to concentrate about.
nicely done, and my connection with everyone else involved will improve.
more at ease and confident than before
A detailed examination of my previous week reveals that I accomplished a great deal.
Everything was completed one step at a time. In fact, even at the busiest period of my life, I was only
able to focus on one task at a time, despite the fact that I was causing stress to myself and others
by constantly thinking on seven things at the same time When I spoke with someone, all I could think of was
Consider the other seven persons I needed to contact. Eventually, all seven will be found.
People sensed the tension and lack of focus, as well as the complete absence of friendliness.
When you do more than one activity at a time, your body reacts with dread, adrenaline, and worry.
People pick up on it because it’s a human system. That does not entice people. They
Keep your distance from it.
The mind can only entertain one notion at a time. The most important reason
Not recognizing this is the source of feeling “swamped” and “overwhelmed” in life.
The mind’s endeavor to carry out tasks is the most common cause of job stress.
Many ideas, many jobs, many future situations,
At the same time, there are several worries. That is something the intellect is incapable of. No mind, not even yours, can do it.
Einstein’s work could be able to help.
I must pick from a list of tasks that must be completed, and then do them.
as though that were the only thing that mattered. If it’s a phone call, I’ll have to take it slowly.
down and relax, allowing myself to be in a good mood so that the phone conversation will be a pleasant experience.
It was a positive experience, and both the receiver and I felt whole afterwards.
We spoke with Jason, a national sales manager who had recently completed a grueling sales campaign.
He had a lengthy phone conversation with his crew. He was uneasy during the conference call.
encouraging his squad to greater heights and cautioning them that the team’s objectives were at jeopardy
At the pace things were going, they weren’t going to be met. He had convened the gathering.
since his bosses had just phoned to quiz him about his team’s performance
mediocre performance
Jason felt he was slipping behind even though he was working 12-hour days.
in any situation Furthermore, his bosses’ worry was communicated down to him.
him. He panicked out because it was handed down into a jumbled, disordered mentality.
He vented his frustrations on his teammates.
This isn’t inspiration. Motivation need a leader who is calm and collected.
concentrating on one and only one item
7. Continue to provide feedback
The most heinous cruelty is failing to provide proper and timely criticism.
that we are capable of inflicting on any human being
—Management consultant Charles Coonradt
Humans are wired to seek for feedback. Ignore any 3-year-old for a while. Initially, he will
want positive attention, but if he is consistently neglected, you will eventually hear a scream.
Any input, including unfavorable criticism, is preferable than no feedback at all.
There was no response.
Some individuals believe that this idea applies just to youngsters. However, it also relates to
Adults get greater attention. Solitary confinement is the cruelest kind of punishment in jail.
confinement. Most inmates would do everything to better their situation, even if it is just for a short time.
to prevent being in a scenario where there is little or no input
You may have felt the calming effects of sensory deprivation for a short period of time.
chamber. You are put in a dark, cocoon-like enclosure for a few minutes.
All light and sound are turned off while floating in body-temperature seawater. It’s fantastic.
for a few moments But only for a short time.
One of these sensory-deprivation chambers’ single employee walked off one day.
the job in a fury about a workplace injustice, trapping a client inside
chamber.
The consumer was recovered some hours later, but he still had to be rescued.
hospitalized. Not because of physical violence, but because of the insanity brought on by it.
sensory feedback deficiency What happens when all external input is turned off?
It’s worth noting that the mind creates its own sensory input in the form of
Hallucinations that often take the form of the person’s darkest fears. As a consequence,
Even normal individuals may be driven insane by dreams and terrors.
It’s the same with your own folks. If you stop giving them feedback, their brains will become blank.
They create their own feedback, which is often based on their greatest fears. It’s not the case.
It’s no coincidence that the two most serious organizational issues are trust and communication.
Employee surveys often mention it.
Human people want for genuine feedback, not some condescending, pacifying platitude.
words. Managers that have the most difficulty inspiring their employees include
the ones that provide the least amount of input When their loved ones inquire, “How are we doing?”
doing?” “Well, I don’t know, I haven’t looked at the printout or anything,” they reply.
I don’t know about anything, but I think we’re doing very well this month.”
Those managers have a considerably tougher difficulty motivating their employees to attain success.
teams. Continuous feedback is required for success. And if you’re going to acquire anything, you should get it now.
It’s critical that you be the one who gets the best out of your employees.
up to speed on the figures and what they signify Motivators do their assignments.
They are aware of the situation. And they keep reporting the results to their constituents.
8. Seek feedback from your colleagues.
—Woodrow Wilson “I not only employ all the brains I have, but all the brains I can borrow.”
Good leaders continue to ask their direct subordinates for fresh ideas. This approach is not only beneficial to the company, but it is also very motivating for both persons involved in the debate.
“How can we give a signal over the phone, when the client calls with a query, that we are different from the other firms, and they will feel more comfortable and at home with us?” a smart leader would ask her staff.
How can we establish a connection right there on the phone? “How do you feel about this?”
Our ability to motivate others is directly proportional to the quality of our questions.
Instead of the questions recently asked by our excellent leader, a disgruntled manager whose stats are subpar asks these types of queries: “How ya doin’?” What’s going on? What did you think of your weekend? What’s the state of your department right now? Do you think you’re up to your neck in it?
As usual, you’re swamped. Are you up to date on your maintenance? Don’t give up. Customers chastising you for your new advertisement? Jerks. I’m stopping over to have a look around. Don’t be too concerned; you’re all right. I’m not going to be too harsh with you. You’re familiar with the procedure. “Be patient.”
That’s a manager who can’t figure out why his team’s performance isn’t up to par. The poor quality of that leader’s inquiries has a direct impact on the quality of his life. Directly. A strong leader will elicit sales ideas by asking probing questions.
Questions such, “How can we make our company’s purchase experience genuinely different, on a human level, than the competition?” How can we make our employees feel like friends to our customers, encouraging them to spend more time with us and purchase more? What kind of incentive may we provide our employees for remembering a customer’s name?
What are some ideas for motivating our staff to work harder to increase the amount of each sale? Do our employees talk about the idea of establishing a client for life? Have you presented the money windfall to them on a white board? How can we get everyone to think about this all day? How can we enlist the team’s help in ensuring the store’s success?
“How do you feel about it?” The execution of such concepts will be the foundation of a great leader’s success.
9. Make Change Happen Quicker
To exist in the future, every organization must be willing to give up all it has.
—Peter Drucker, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Peter Drucker Foundation
My job as a leader is to keep my troops upbeat, enthusiastic, and ready to play their hearts out in the face of adversity. That is my responsibility.
This is something that most managers do not do. They regard themselves as babysitters, problem solvers, and firemen, among other things.
As a result, they spawn children, issues, and flames all around them.
It’s critical to understand your workers’ psychological reactions to change and how they follow a predictable pattern.
These four parts of the cycle are completed by your staff, and you may learn how to manage them:
The Cycle of Change
“This can’t be good,” says the first objection.
2. Diminished awareness: “I’m not sure I want to cope with this.”
3. Investigate: “What can I do to make this transition work for me?”
4. Commitment: “I’ve worked out how to make this work for myself and others.”
Your folks may take a long time to complete the first three phases of the cycle. Employees’ resistance to change may cause productivity and morale to plummet. Humans have a natural aversion to change. We’re all guilty of it.
If I want to be a great leader, I need to know all there is to know about the change cycle so that I can convince my team to “buy-in” as quickly as possible. To make this transformation work for them, me, and the organization, I need their complete and absolute buy-in.
So, how can I assist them in progressing through phases one, two, and three? First and foremost, I am preparing to express this transition in the most passionate and positive manner imaginable. And I don’t just mean prepare. “It isn’t the desire to win that wins the game, it is the will to prepare to win,” as many great coaches have remarked. I’m looking to arm myself. I want to educate and enlighten myself about the change so that I can be an enthusiastic advocate for it.
This is something that most managers do not do. They see that their people are opposing the change, so they align themselves with the steadfast opposition. They are sympathetic to the outrage. They express how inconvenient the transition is. They even express regret about it. It wasn’t supposed to happen, they claim.
“This should never have occurred.” Sorry for the inconvenience. With what you’ve been through.
What a pity there’s this now as well.”
Every internal adjustment is done to increase the company’s viability or effectiveness. Those are the arguments I’m trying to persuade you to believe. I want my folks to understand the benefits of this. I want people to see for themselves how a more profitable business is a safer place to work.
What about the possibility of change from the outside? Regulators, market changes, and vendor issues, oh my! In certain situations, I want to emphasize to my squad that the competition is also undergoing changes. When it rains on the pitch, both teams are affected. Then I’d want to emphasize the supremacy of our team’s rain plan, so that the rain works in our favor.
I also want to instill change as a good habit in my staff. Yes, we are always changing. We alter our behavior before we are forced to.
10. Know Your Victims and Owners
Those who pursue the great portion of themselves will achieve greatness. Those who pursue the little portion will also become small.
—Mencius
People you encourage will categorize themselves into two groups: owners and victims.
This contrast is based on Steve’s book Reinventing Yourself, which explains how owners are individuals who take full responsibility for their pleasure, while victims are constantly stuck in their tragic experiences. Victims are difficult to deal with because they blame others, circumstances, and themselves. Owners are in charge of their own morale.
They are in charge of their reactions in every scenario.
During a break during a session, a firm CEO called Marcus approached Steve and stated, “I have a lot of victims working for me.”
Steve said, “It’s part of our culture.”
“I know,” says the narrator, “but how can I encourage them to understand their victim mentality?”
“Try something different,” Steve said. “Try getting enthusiastic when they aren’t the ones who are being exploited.” Try highlighting their ownership behaviors and praising them when they are proactive and self-reliant.”
“Okay. What are the most effective ways for dealing with each personality type?”
Marcus was the one who inquired. “I mean, I’ve got both.” I, too, have owners. Do you have any special considerations for them?”
“You don’t need tactics when you have owners in your life.” “All I can say is that I appreciate them,” Steve stated. “And you’ll do it.” Be patient with the victims. Listen to their emotions with empathy. You may understand their sentiments without agreeing with their victim mentality. Show them the other side of the story. It’s all about them.
They will see for themselves that it produces better outcomes.”
“Can’t you simply come in and give them an ownership seminar?” Marcus \ssaid.
“At the end of the day, even if we trained your employees in ownership thinking, you’d have to lead them there every day, otherwise it’d be simple to lose.” Make your own plans to get them there. Make it your own by incorporating your own personality and flair. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. There is just one option: commitment. People who are serious about building a self-responsible, creative, and happy team will receive just that. Leaders that lack dedication will not get it. You may do one of three things: 1) reward ownership everywhere you see it. 2) Become a business owner.
Take full responsibility for the morale and performance of your employees.”
Marcus seemed to be disturbed. We could see he wasn’t going to purchase everything.
“Can you tell me what’s bothering you?” Steve was the one who inquired.
“Please don’t take offense.”
“Of course not,” says the speaker.
“How can I turn a victim around without coming off as that obnoxious ‘positive thinker?'”
“To be a genuine leader, you don’t have to come off as an irritating optimistic thinker. Simply be realistic, truthful, and optimistic. Concentrate on possibilities and chances. Concentrate on the actual and practical advantage.
Don’t criticize or talk about others. There is no foolproof method that always works, but in our experience, if you set a strong example of ownership and publicly acknowledge, reward, and notice it in others (especially in meetings where victims can hear you do it), it becomes increasingly difficult for people to play victim in that setting. It’s important to remember that being a victim is fundamentally a con. It is a deception. You don’t have to pretend that it’s an intellectually legitimate point of view because it isn’t.”
“Alright, I see. Marcus remarked, “That seems feasible.” “However, there is one new employee I’m considering.” He was terrific for a few months, but now he seems to be lost and deceived. At least, that’s his attitude. “How can I instill in him a feeling of ownership?”
“You can’t actually ‘instill’ it.” Not in a straightforward way. Ownership is, by definition, a process in which the owner grows.
When you see it, though, you may promote and foster it. You may help it grow by nurturing and rewarding it. You can even make a big deal out of it. It will emerge, like a flower in your garden, if you accomplish all of those things. You can’t make it grow, but you can make it appear if you do certain things.”
