Motivation is a complicated beast. Almost every manager questions how to best motivate their team members at some point. External motivators can only take us so far. The real magic happens when we align internal motivators with the work context. Then, you don’t have to motivate people at all – they’ll motivate themselves.

Steve Sisler is a Behavioral Analyst, speaker and author. Steve’s consultation involves personality difference, leadership strategy, cultural differences, and temperament strategy. Working with clients in more than 18 countries, Steve gathers behavioral and attitudinal information on individuals within corporate settings and develops strategies for effective leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial success

Steve and I talk about motivation, how to position your job and those you hire so that the way you naturally think is what will make you successful in the role, the sad reality of self-esteem, simple things you can do to be a rock star manager, and what to avoid doing.

Read the related blog article: How Motivation And Self-Esteem Influence Performance And Success

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The optimal way to motivate people is to align their internal drive with the work setting so that they are self-motivated. It’s almost impossible to get someone to consistently think or act in ways that don’t feel natural to them.
• Your job as a manager is to figure out each person’s motivators and help create the context for them to thrive. When you put people in a situation in which their natural inclinations align with what the circumstances call for, they will automatically be motivated.
• There are 7 motivational spectrum: (1) Originality, (2) Individualism, (3) Efficiency, (4) Power, (5) Sacrifice, (6) Regulation, (7) Theoretics.
• People who succeed at management roles tend to be those who have already displayed the behaviors of great leaders. Great managers spot those leadership behaviors and elevate those employees rather than offering a promotion and hoping the person will be a good leader.
• 84.6% of the population has low self-esteem. Many managers use their role as a coping mechanism. Having power or being in a role of authority makes them feel better about themselves.
• To rewire your brain so that self-esteem does not inhibit your success, focus on celebrating the positives and accepting praise without internal negative commentary.
• One thing that almost always trumps motivation is whether you believe your manager cares about you. If you do, you’ll bend over backwards to meet their needs and expectations. If you don’t, no amount of motivation will inspire you.

RESOURCES:

• Book – Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

mamie@mamieks.com