The Power of Motivation
Sailing works best when the sails are able to harness the wind, enabling the boat to glide across the sea and get where you want to be. In the same way, motivation is the wind that, when harnessed, provides the energy that enables you and the people under you to work more efficiently and ultimately get where you want to be.
When my husband and I visit Los Cabos, Mexico, sailing on a sunset cruise is the highlight of our vacation. There is nothing more relaxing than sailing, assuming you have experts doing all the work! Gliding across the ocean with majestic sunset skies – what’s not to love!
While my husband has some sailing experience, if we attempted to embark on our own sunset cruise, odds are great that the experience would be significantly less relaxing. It takes practice to successfully harness the wind!
Maximizing the power of the wind depends on accurately assessing the direction of the wind and positioning the sails in a way that will propel the boat in the direction you want it to go. Now the wind is rarely perfectly steady, so being able to adjust and adapt quickly is essential! Misreading the direction of the wind or failing to adjust appropriately has the potential to lead to disaster! Nothing kills the peace and relaxation when sailing than capsizing a boat!
Sometimes the sail appears full-like it’s taking full advantage of the wind when in reality the sail is stuck in neutral and going nowhere!
Imagine that the “wind” or fuel for the people in your organization is motivation, and as the leader you are the one making it possible for them to harness that motivation and not only help them get where they want to be, but also where your organization needs them to be. If that’s true, understanding what motivates your people is critical!
Motivation is not a one size fits all.
What motivates individuals varies for each of the four DISC behavior styles.
And because we are all unique, what motivates us is also personal!
What motivates the four DISC behavior styles?
Remember, that most people fall into two of these behavioral styles with one of the two being more dominant.
Harnessing Motivation
As a leader, identifying what motivates the individuals on your team or in your organization allows you to harness what energizes them in a powerful way. When work is motivating, people naturally excel at what they do! That translates into a great big plus for your organization!
The converse is also true. If motivation is lacking one of two situations might ensue:
- Your people are stuck just like when a sail appears full, but it is actually in neutral.
- Or your people end up in a hot mess like when a boat capsizes!
Neither of those scenarios is desirable!
Increasing Motivation
If you want to beef up motivation, help your contributors find positions where their motivation and values are in alignment. People work even harder when they are motivated and in alignment with their values. It’s like super-fuel!
Motivation translates into action!
Do you know what motivates your team; what propels them into action?
And just as important, do you know what motivates YOU? Maybe you don’t lead a team, but you are in charge of leading YOU!
What changes do you need to make in order to maximize your energy or your team’s energy so that motivation is overflowing?
