Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Motivate to a Progressively Higher Level

"We're tied by straw and think it's chain."

Motivation is the by-product of desire. Desire and motivation can't be separated. They are always at the same level. Motivation, true motivation, can't be cranked up any higher than the level of desire. To best understand how desire increases, and motivation along with it, you must know the three levels of motivation.

Level One: Compliance
         The lowest level is compliance. Compliance is doing something because you were told to, without much motivation or personal desire. Character is not built at the compliance level.
         "Because I said so" is about all of the management ability needed to get somebody to Level One. Simply order the person around as if he or she can't think or reason and has no special ability or investement in getting the job done, other than to avoid being fired.

Level Two: Goal Identification
          The next higher level is identification with the goal. Identification gives the individual a feeling of investment in the goal and produces increased desire and motivation.
          To help people reach Level Two, you must clearly and simply communicate the benefits of achieving the goal. Discuss with them why the job needs to be done and how it is in the best interest for all to do it well. When there is something  to gain, people invest more. Many a company turnaround has started at this level.

Level Three: Commitment 
           The highest level of motivation is commitment. There is no greater motivation than when someone feels the goal is truly his or her own.
           To reach Level Three, a person needs to understand why he or she is uniquely sutied for the task. Show that person how his or her strengths (not yours) can be used to help achieve the goal. Not only will that person feel there is a personal benefit for a job well done, she or he will also bring a part of himself or herself to the job.
            Nobody in your organization will be able to sustain a level of motivation higher than you have as the leader. These three activities will help you motivate to the next highest level:

Rate each team member's motivation: Who's only at Level One? Who's at Level Two? Who's at Level Three?

Find out about personal goals: Ask each team member what his or her personal goals are. If they'll work on personal goals, they are more apt to work on company goals.

Coach each person:  Use the strengths you now know that each individual has, to help him or her achieve the desired personal or comapny goal.
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School of Thought

- Search for What Works -

I love it when people fight against incredible odds to triumph over problems. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale once said, "You're only as big as the problem that stops you." I am thankful for men and women who were bigger than the problems that would have stopped and did stop so many others. The world got better right after they got better.

During the dark hours when my boss was out looking for my replacement, I started looking for articles about successful people in newspapers and magazines. When I came across someone local, I called the person and said, "You don't know me, but my name is John Doe and I've just destroyed the number one office in my company by taking it from first place to 36th in three months. My boss is looking for a replacement right now. Can I have lunch with you?"

These successful people not only took my calls, but agreed to have lunch with me. Some sensed the urgency in my voice; others just wanted to meet the person who could single-handedly wreak havoc on an entire organization. The one quality in every one of these success stories was an entrepreneurial spirit. Each saw me as a challenge - or at least a curiosity.

I listened and learned and immediately started applying the lessons. I have never stopped seeking out the advice and counsel of effective leaders. Take someone to lunch before someone else eats yours. Pay attention to what's happening in your organization, your industry, and your local business community, so you can learn with out experiencing your own disasters.

Work on yourself first. Your pursuit of excellence will set the agenda for everyonein your organization. Just before you drift off to sleep, ask yourself, "Whom am I inspiring by the way I do my work?" I didn't say, "Whom are you impressing...?" When they're inspired, they say, "I wish I did my work as well as you do yours."

You must lead by your example of excellence. Think of it this way: somebody, somewhere is going to get better because they're applying this principle.

Here are some ways to start your pursuit of excellence:

Learn from leaders around you: List the three people you admire most within your organization and the three you admire most outside your organization. They should be accessible to you. Take these people individually to lunch or, at least, talk with them about their secrets to succesful leadership. They'll enjoy telling you.

Put those methods and techniques to work: Apply what you learn to your leadership challenges. Give your benefactors feedback on how their methods and techniques work for you--and tell them about any innovations you come up with.

Focus on inspiring rather than impressing: When you impress, you rise above others. When you inspire, you bring them up with you.

2009 FLI Mid-year Conference and Awards Night

2009 FLI Mid-year Conference and Awards Night

School of Thought

CHOOSE CHARACTER

"A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart, but principled life can stand up to the worst." - Proverbs 11:4 (The Message)

How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you a lot about their character. Crisis doesn't necessarily make character, but it certainly does reveal it. Adversity is a crossroads which makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Every time leaders choose character, they become stronger, even if that choice brings negative consequences.

As Nobel Prize winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, "The meaning of earthly existing lies, not as we grown used to thinking, in prospering, but in the development of the soul."

The development of character is at the heart of our development, not just as leaders, but as human beings.

What must every person know about character?

Character is more than talk.
Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.
Character brings lasting success with people.

Leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their character.

This is worth repeating.

Adversity is a crossroads which makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Choose character.