How to motivate those who are not motivated?
Yes, but it is he who is lazy!
It is he who does not commit himself!
She has something else on her mind! What can I do with it?
How many times have you heard these words?
The motivation. Many leaders see the root of this issue within the person. But is it really always the right explanation?
Do you know how many people ask me: "How can I motivate those who are not motivated?"
To try to give an answer I would like to ask two questions to all manager. Questions that a true leader should always ask himself in situations like these.
1. How to motivate those who are not motivated: what other reasons are there?
First we ask ourselves: “What could be 20 reasons why one of your collaborators is he behaving like this? ".
20, not one.
“He is unmotivated because of his own fault” is not enough as a motivation.
Indeed, it is the motivation to be discarded at the start. How come? For at least two reasons.
The first is that if you label it "unmotivated," it's easier for that to become one prophecy that comes true. collaborator he feels abandoned and begins to fall upon himself, pulling the oars in the boat more and more.
And then you would end up saying: "Eh, but he was the one who pulled the oars in the boat!". And we are point to point!
The second reason is because if you believe that someone behave like this because "it's his fault" then you give up the power you have to turn him into his best version of himself. That as a leader, let's face it, is one of your fundamental tasks.
That is, when I think you don't worth it nothing, I start acting to you as if you really were worth nothing. This way I will hardly get a spider out of the hole. If, on the other hand, I think that you can be a champion (or at least the best version of yourself), then I approach you with curiosity, enthusiasm, energy… and all these ingredients will help in bringing out your hidden potential.
If we look for not one but 20 answers to the question "Why that person it behaves like this?", then we can begin to reflect on the fact that this could be the situation in which he finds himself. Maybe he doesn't feel part of the corporate culture. Or he feels invisible or unheard. Who knows, he might be scared, or not ready for that task.
So if you start to think beyond "it's his fault" you will see a whole series of causes on which you have room to move. This is the key point!
If you don't feel heard, I can try to do it a little more. Or, if she is not ready for that task, I can train her to mature earlier. Or again, if he doesn't feel part of the corporate culture, I can work to make him better marry some values he doesn't understand. And so on.
It is the true leader's job to improve those around him!
2. Am I motivating or am I inspiring?
A second question the leader should ask is: Am I working to motivate my co-worker or to inspire him?
Il mental passage that is, what I suggest is to think less about “why that person is not motivated? " and more to "how can I inspire thema?".
Because you can motivate people with a stick or a carrot, or by offering them rewards, or threats and punishments.
But let's think about it: this way you are sure that you will get the desired behavior? Well, maybe yes, you will get it ... but how long do you think it will last? Do you believe that what you have achieved has been achieved thanks to the loyalty of your co-worker? Is there love for you or for the company? There is perhaps a passion that lo leads to do things with more attention and scruple than necessary?
Absolutely not. Indeed, sometimes there is just the opposite. So what kind of collaborators do you want by your side?
A group of mercenaries who at first difficulty will leave you (understandably) alone?
Or a group of people loyal to you and who really look to the good of the company, even before your own?
So ask yourself: What more could you do to create an environment that inspires your co-workers? Take this question with you in your current career and work to create a good emotional climate among the people who are helping you. If you don't take care of them now, they won't take care of you tomorrow. If you don't take responsibility for their motivation now, they won't take responsibility for your results tomorrow. And viceversa.
Friends, with all this I don't mean that there are no unmotivated people, of course.
The world is full of people who spend their working hours on Facebook or staring at their watch with their rucksacks on their legs waiting to sprint to the exit.
However, it is a fact: focusing only on people's motivation leads us to have a very, too narrow vision.
Why then do you only think about setting numbers, targets to reach, performance to measure, bonuses on goal and other incentives that will perhaps make you build a group of motivated collaborators, but who will not care about each other, but rather could stab themselves in the back. Not only that: when a job offer arrives with an extra bonus point%, you won't have much trouble giving up everything and going elsewhere.
Now: it is clear that incentives are needed, I also use similar tools in the company, but alone they are not enough.
What we need to do is learn a inspire people.
We need to give them a sense of purpose, make them feel important, considered, heard and understood. It is important to make them feel important part of a team and, why not, of a family… not just performers. Only in this way will we be able to motivate those who are not motivated.
I hope I have given some ideas on how to start working in this direction. Sign up for the SkillFactor newsletter to follow a path that will make you a better leader: https://skillfactor.it/newsletter/
Article How to motivate those who are not motivated seems to be the first of Milan psychologist.
