Issue 29 July 6, 2004

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In this Issue:

How motivated are you?

I might better phrase the question as �How are you motivated�? It appears that not everyone is motivated by the same things. Right? Business leaders and managers have been dealing with motivational issues for years (actually for centuries and millennia). �How do I get my people motivated to achieve our goals�. Well, as you might have already surmised, motivation comes from within each individual. You really can�t motivate someone externally. The best you can do is to provide the inspiration required for each individual to find his or her motivation. But everyone is motivated differently. So does that mean we need a different inspiration strategy for each individual? Well, Yup! That�s what it takes, sort of.

There are two basic forms of motivation. We can be motivated toward things that we see as being exiting, pleasurable and worthwhile. Or we can be motivated to avoid those things we find painful or troublesome. Everyone has probably experienced both of these types of motivation at various times in their lives. But each individual tends to follow one or the other of these motivational tendencies for the most part in their lives. And, both types of motivation are extremely valuable and important to the successful functioning of any organization.

Those who are more motivated toward positive things tend to be rather enthusiastic and seek opportunities. We will refer to this as �Toward� motivation. Those who are motivated to avoid negative things are somewhat cautious; they tend to be good problem solvers. We will refer to this as �Away� motivation. Both types of motivation are very important, but at different times and under different circumstances.

For instance lets say that you need to implement a new strategy or process in your operation. Those who are �Toward� motivated might start enthusiastically making plans for implementing this new idea. They see an opportunity. Those who are �Away� motivated might want to hold back until they find out more about this. They see potential problems. So which ones do you want to implement this new strategy or process? Well, you want both, but at different times. Initially, the enthusiasm and planning provided by the �Toward� motivated folks may be what is needed to get things going. A little later on it is necessary to have the careful analysis and evaluation provided by the �Away� motivated folks to avoid hazards and pitfalls.

But can�t we just teach people about the different motivation styles and have them apply the one that�s appropriate? Well, yes - to a certain extent. Behavioral modification techniques can be applied so that a person begins adopt other motivational behaviors. For example, people can learn goals setting techniques, which can help them be more �Toward� motivated. Or they might learn situation appraisal techniques to help them analyze situation and avoid problem. Such techniques are extremely valuable for personal development and improvement. It takes deliberate and continued effort to make such a change. You won�t change the person who you basically are, but you can improve what inspires you and drives you toward success.

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John Yost

ProCompass Management Services

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