Motivation Needs The Right Movve

When your pleas and prompts are exhausted, what do you do to motivate better behaviors, attitudes and accomplishments?  After all, if we work with them why don’t they just do their job?  Where is their pride or desire to do good?  Aren’t we all tired of using bribes, threats, tricks or treats?  Instead of wearing ourselves out, use something that’s guaranteed to motivate – LISTENING!

I think this whole short-circuiting of motivation began for most of us when we were young.  We KNEW we were expected to clean our room, do our homework and accomplish all sorts of chores and obligations.  However, when we missed the mark, the typical parental response was usually in the neighborhood of warnings and repetitive nagging.  We grew up experiencing motivation as something done to us rather than something we did to ourselves.  And there’s the rub.

True motivation is INTERNAL.  When leaders or managers want to stir things up they use EXTERNAL motivation.  Oops, futile  efforts abound.  Rewards and incentives are typically dangled in front of us to lure better productivity and performance.  And the winner is…  The ongoing misconception is that WE need to motivate excellence in others.  And the loser is…  ALL OF US because we continually look for those rewards and incentives to drive others.  This is emotional ignorance, not intelligence.  Or call it what it really is – sabotage.

And so traditionally, motivation continues to embrace the external as the manager raises the bar each month to encourage his team to boost sales.  The general manager offers yet another Hawaii trip to ignite faster project completions.  Everyone reads the books, views the video or attends the seminar to catch the motivation.  We celebrate the temporary that is external.

Imagine if instead of the usual external carrots, we set the stage for internally motivating our people.  As I postulated before, that would mean listening rather than putting the bullseye on the target ourselves.  The difference between external and internal is that one is temporary and constantly requires more carrots.  The other is more permanent and calls for self-administered cues.

Leo asked George, a member of his sales team, what it would mean to him if he hit quota that month.  “I’m just doing my job and what’s expected.”  After hearing George’s perfunctory reply, Leo asked what it would be like if he exceeded quota.  “Incredible!” is what George exclaimed.  He then went on to share in great detail how it would finally prove that his level of professionalism was soaring.  George described how his chest would be bursting with pride.  Internal motivation ignited!

Leo then asked what it would take for George to exceed quota.  What came out of this meeting was a step by step storyboard of activities that George created.  He orchestrated a plan that would ensure him of exceeding quota.  Leo didn’t provide the carrots, just his ears.  This is one way of accessing someone’s internal motivation!  My MOVVE!™ system unlocks all the skills, secrets and solutions of how to motivate.

Sure, we all enjoy the trinkets and pleasures of external treats, but what really fires up our engines is not a one-size-fits-all.  Whenever I do a seminar or class, I don’t rely on speaking, lecturing or providing profound information and insights.  I MOVVE!™ others to take action.   My listening engages and empowers participation and risk-taking.  Interactive and leaving-your-seat experiences are created.  These engage participants to explore applications for their dreams.  They MOVVE!™

People build skills to accomplish their goals fueled by their feelings aiming higher.  They learn how to put behaviors to their brain.  Mind and body working together to develop the abilities to succeed.  Not just imagination, application!  Internal motivation is emotional intelligence communication pumping at skill level.  Discover how to MOVVE!™ others.  The results are well worth it!

Here is my contact info:

James Cox M.Ed., (509) 947-1694  James@the-empowerment-group.com

Tags: albert einstein, awareness, communication, determination, different perspective, dream, emotional intelligence, emotionality, feelings, goal setting, happy endings, Imagination, Intelligence, knowledge, listening, motivate, motivation, MOVVE, Movver, perceptions, perspective, talking, target, team building

 Print This Post Posted in General 69 Comments