In this second look at “motivation” I’d like to focus on the idea of “consequences” – pleasure and pain that you put in place as the leader to move another toward what you want.
Understand first, external consequences create movement…not motivation. Lets face it, who is the one that’s motivated in the equation? You are! You want the outcome…but through these consequences you can create significant and valuable movement toward it,
Positive and negative consequences can be very effective if you craft them to be:
- Personal…Don’t emphasize the impact of someone’s behavior on others…concentrate on the direct connection to them. What will be different in their life?
- Immediate…Say what will happen as a result now, not later. Articulating the long term may excite you, but others will gravitate toward what they believe will happen in the short-term.
- Certain… If they don’t “really” believe you, it won’t move them. Be prepared – with the reward as promised, or the sanction as threatened.
In our next release – Motivation Part 3 – we will finish with how to move others…from within.
