Would you describe your team as motivated?
How would you rate your team on a scale from 1 (most of your colleagues would rather pound nails into their shins than go to work each day but do it because they need the money) to 10 (your teammates bound out of bed in the morning without even needing an alarm because they can’t wait to get to work and dive into another day of making a difference in the world)?
And what about you?
Are YOU motivated to work on that team? You know. Are you fired up, excited to come to work, inspired to do your best work, and jazzed about who you get to do it with?
I believe with all of my heart that you were created to live a life filled with purpose, passion, and deep fulfillment. The best leaders understand that as well.
Legacy leaders are passionate about building teams filled with motivated people who love what they do, who they do it with, and why they do it.
Why? Because they want to create environments where people can thrive, experience success, feel valued, and then go home at the end of the day feeling fulfilled, ready to engage their families.
And if that is the case, then, “Houston. We have a problem.” Because according to Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace” research, only 15% of people in the workplace are engaged. Engaged...you know...excited to come to work, motivated to do good work, excited about the team that they’re part of.
Let’s flip the statistic.
For 85% of people, their motivation levels are flagging for any number of reasons.
So what can you do to create an environment where you and the people you work with are more engaged, more motivated? In his most recent book, The Leaders Greatest Return, John Maxwell outlines the seven motivations of people.
As you read through these seven powerful influences, evaluate yourself and your team in light of them.
Purpose: People want to know what they were created for. Do you know why you’re on this earth and how your job serves to fulfill that higher purpose?
Autonomy: People want freedom from control. To what degree are you and your teammates empowered and entrusted to use your gifts and talents to grow the enterprise?
Relationships: People want to do things with people they love. Do you genuinely love your teammates? Do you find that the interaction with your teammates is just as rewarding as the work itself?
Progress: People want to experience personal and professional growth. Can you see a path for how you will grow in your organization and experience increasing levels of success and influence? To what degree are you investing in your personal growth?
Mastery: People want to excel in their skills. What kind of opportunities are you taking advantage of to expand your skill sets and leverage your strengths? To what degree are you able to operate in your strengths zone?
Money: People want to be financially secure. To what degree are you being compensated fairly for the work that you do?
Recognition: People want others to appreciate their accomplishments. Everyone and I mean everyone, needs to feel like they are valued, that what they do matters and is appreciated. This is a much more powerful motivator than money. In what tangible and intentional ways are you or people on your team thanked, celebrated, or recognized?
When you begin to create an environment, where all 7 of these are in play, it will utterly transform your team and create the kind of culture that most people would go to great lengths to be part of.
Comment below and let me know…
What challenges are you facing with being motivated?
How are you seeing these factors being utilized or ignored on your team?
What steps do you need to take to harness the power of these influences?
I hope this helps.
Bill
Photo by Perry Grone on Unsplash
