I recently gave a keynote presentation, and a workshop, to a large group of middle and senior managers. I asked them about their biggest challenge as a leader these days – and the answer was unanimously about motivating employees in the workforce.

That was rather interesting to me because, as I coach my clients, I consistently hear that they are challenged staying motivated in the work they do. I am often asked about strategies for motivating people. Well, news flash: YOU cannot motivate people. Motivation is an internal job!

What you can do is to inspire people. There are different types of motivation. I want to explore them with you, briefly.

TYPES OF MOTIVATION

(Ken Shah & Prof. Param J. Shah)

(1) Achievement Motivation
It is the drive to pursue and attain goals. An individual with achievement motivation wishes to achieve objectives and advance up on the ladder of success. Here, accomplishment is important for its own sake and not for the rewards that accompany it. It is similar to the ‘Kaizen’ approach of Japanese Management.

(2) Affiliation Motivation
It is a drive to relate to people on a social basis. Persons with affiliation motivation perform work better when they are complimented for their favorable attitudes and co-operation.

(3) Competence Motivation
It is the drive to be good at something, allowing the individual to perform high quality work. Competence motivated people seek job mastery, take pride in developing and using their problem-solving skills and strive to be creative when confronted with obstacles. They learn from their experience.

(4) Power Motivation
It is the drive to influence people and change situations. Power motivated people wish to create an impact on their business and are willing to take risks to do so.

(5) Attitude Motivation
Attitude motivation is how people think and feel. It is their self-confidence, their belief in themselves, their attitude to life. It is how they feel about the future and how they react to the past. When we create a vision for our lives, when we set
goals that are exciting and happiness-producing, the motivation comes from within. We want-to, choose-to work on these goals and get to the end result.

There is no external force or pressure. There may be butterflies, internally…just be sure to get those butterflies in formation…and embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with setting new goals.

Take your life off a ‘have to’ basis and put it on a ‘want to’ basis. I call this the absolute best time management and stress management technique you will ever master! It also speaks to being honest with yourself. The behavior you choose creates the results that you get. YOUR behavior significantly impacts the results/outcomes in your business, as well as in your life.

Here are some thought-provoking questions – take a few minutes to answer these questions and see where you may want to make some changes:

1. The things I feel I ‘have to’ do are:
2. The reasons I want-to, choose-to do these things are:
3. Where, in my life, am I
   a) Creatively avoiding people/activities/tasks?
   b) Procrastinating?
   c) Withholding (time, talent, emotion)?
4. What difference will it make when I put my life on a ‘want-to, choose-to,
   like-it, love-it’ basis? How will that feel?
5. What is the value, and what are the benefits, of living life that way?
6. What am I waiting for?

Once you realize that motivation is, indeed, an ‘inside job’, you will come to realize that it all boils down to choice. When you make a decision to grow your business, change your life – make more money – whatever the case may be, the internal motivation and drive will create the energy you need to reach your goals.

Have fun with that!

Please share your thoughts!