Develop Self-Motivators
This past Sunday my three-year old son and I braved the cold and went to the park by the lake. We were the only kids at the playground, and although he never felt comfortable with swings before, he decided to ride in one. I picked him up, put him in the junior version of a swing, the type with a complete seat and a chain on the front, and started pushing him. I pushed him for a few moments and then got in the big boy swing next to him and showed him how to make himself go back and forth without daddy’s help. In just a few minutes, he learned how to create his own momentum by kicking his legs as he came forward, and bringing them back as he sailed backward. He was self-motivated, self-actualized, and having the time of his life.
My son learned that if he didn’t keep up with the leg kicking action he would eventually come to a complete stop. He wasn’t strong enough to create his own momentum, so I had to start pushing him to swing back and forth all over again. But once the momentum existed, all he had to do was maintain it. If there was not a consistent continuation of effort on his part, then the momentum of the swing would eventually wane to a complete stop.
Consider how your employees are dependent upon you as a leader to help them start the momentum of the energy of work.
You are responsible for initiating the momentum and transferring your energy to them. They depend upon you to lead them and to kick start the movement of the organization. Once the momentum is in place, all you need to do is give them the skills that they need to keep themselves going forward and keeping the energy in a constant state of flow. If the energy stops, then you must come in and restart that momentum all over again.
Here are three ways that you can help your staff become self-motivated to create their own energy:
First, be very clear on the direction of your organization and stick with it. Don’t change plans too quickly. Don’t make each week a scattered melee of activity by your staff. This past weekend I conducted a leadership workshop, and part of the program included the attendees discussing past experiences of bad bosses. One of the attendees mentioned that he worked for a manager who would change the strategy every two weeks. The team would get going in one direction, and then the plans would change. With managers who are without focus, or those who lead with an ever-changing focus, employees will eventually burn out and become apathetic. The energy of their movement will come to a complete stop with this type of leader.
Second, remember that it’s not about you. Your employees come to work for their own personal fulfillment, not for yours. With each conscious attempt to use them to make yourself look better, you are taking away from that self-generated energy that is critical to keeping things going forward. Take your eyes off of yourself and fixate them squarely on the direction of the team and how you can serve your employees to manifest that vision. Ironically, by focusing on those two issues, the direction of the team and serving your staff, you will advance quicker in your career than by deliberately scheming to get ahead.
Third, make sure they have the skills they need so that they can be successful and feel successful. And when one of them hits a home run, share that with the rest of the group in public. Positive energy creates positive energy. It’s up to you to add some every now and then by recognizing your employees.
Not only will you see your staff create their own self-generated energy, but they’ll have more fun at work than a kid on a swingset.
Copyright © 2007 Scott Love
Scott Love shows managers and sales people how to manage their risk and win the game of business. He is a professional speaker and can be reached at 828-225-7700 or on his website at www.nolimitachievement.com
