Every good boss knows how to positively motivate each person on their team. Think back to a teacher, or relative that truly impacted you with some one-on-one motivation at a key time. How did they know to tell you that specific thing they told you? Why did it work? Why did it not work as well on the family member next to you? I propose that at some point, they got to know you well enough to observe what held your interest and excited you. They may have even discovered what DE-motivated you. Now, it’s your turn to impact, influence, and motivate. So, be effective. Be a good boss. Know what really motivates those on your team and how it differs from one person to the next.
Short-term Hype vs. Lasting Motivation
We all wax and wane when it comes to motivation or inspiration. Feelings come and go, right? So, it’s important to draw a distinction between short-term emotional hype and sustained, lasting motivation with finishing power. Remember what it felt like to get talked into a “we can do this” attitude in the last few seconds of a championship game? How about the extra burst of focus that comes from excited screams as you are nearing the finish line? Did that jolt of nervous energy generated by one Red Bulls too many ever help you finish that paper on time? All of those things may have been enough to get you across the finish line in a short-term circumstance. But they would have never been enough to sustain your motivations for a longer-term proposition.
Excitement and hype can be drummed up or tamped down. It’s a short-term condition that isn’t necessarily attached in any way to what truly motivates us from the inside out. On the other hand, positive, lasting motivation comes from the innate preferences, drives, and strengths of our inner design. In fact, it’s the WHY behind most of how we spend our time on a day-to-day basis.
Show me a boss who understands their team on the level of inner design, and you’ll see a highly effective leader who knows how to keep each team member fully engaged and motivated for the long-term.
Every day, your intelligent inner design is at work, guiding you toward its preferred ways of thinking, feeling and acting. Operating in alignment with this design actually creates a lasting motivation that we can apply to any circumstance, whether at home or at work.
Good Bosses Motivate by Design
If you want to truly motivate your team, you must identify and understand their inner design. Jump to that step with this link:
Once your team has confirmed the results of their InnerKinetics®, you can get on with learning everything you can about motivating those incredibly valuable and unique human resources (a.k.a. your colleagues). Here’s just a quick snapshot that shows just how different we are from one another based on our core inner designs:
- The Dutiful, Hardworking SJ
Motivated by opportunities to do their duty and prove themselves responsible and reliable.
- The Spontaneous, Optimistic SP
Motivated by opportunities to make the right impact on others and prove themselves courageous.
- The Logical, Determined NT
Motivated by opportunities to set and meet goals with their intense determination.
- The Influential, Sensitive NF
Motivated by opportunities to win at relationships and use their influence to move others toward their full potential.
Make These “Good Boss” Moves
Let’s take an example that most anyone can relate to.
THE SITUATION:
Let’s say you and your team are tasked with meeting a critical financial milestone. And maybe the best laid plans to meet this milestone have failed and now, you’re looking to each person on your team to see the problem that must be solved and figure out for themselves how they can contribute. OK. But before they can figure out how best to contribute, they have to connect their true motivations to the problem first.
Some of your team may be stuck on the fact that that they weren’t planning on having to be a part of this task force. Some may be grumpy because they were pulled off of things they love to do, and this isn’t one of them. Still others could not be more interested in helping, but you haven’t yet shown them how they can make a difference. Anyone that’s experienced a “non-starter” team member can relate to the frustration felt when that person isn’t carrying their weight. What’s happening is due to that person’s inability to connect their motivations to the situation. A good boss can learn to recognize this motivation-crushing development and blow right past it.
THE GOOD BOSS MOVE:
If time is short and success is critical, you (as the leader) can catapult the progress of your team by already knowing how to provide each person the lasting inspiration they need to see themselves as a VIP contributor.
Good bosses will ask for an SJ’s help.
“I think you’re the one who is going to ensure we push this across the finish line. Will you please help me identify the specific steps you think it will take to add this dollar amount to our revenue in the fastest way possible?” SJs know they can help, and this drives them from the inside out. They’re logistical experts with sense of urgency. Let them identify the logical steps to completion and then let them inspect whether or not these steps are being accomplished.
To an SP, a good boss will present them with a challenge.
“You’re one our best performers in this area. Will you be the first one to take action and show the others that it can be done?” SPs are ready and more than able to accept and conquer any situation presented as a challenge. It’s an opportunity to make them maximize their positive impact that motivates them.
Rather than telling an NT HOW to solve a problem, good bosses know that they must ask the NT compelling questions instead.
NTs are logical and ingenious problem solvers. They’re motivation is limitless, provided you allow them to discover the best way to solve the problem using their logical, analytical mind. “What do you think is the fastest, most efficient way to add this income to our bottom line?”
Good bosses know an NF wants to make a real difference.
NFs are idealists and intensely creative by design. Be sure to allow them space to imagine the very best and most ideal outcome. Ask, “What would be the very best financial picture we can create in this time frame? What’s worst case scenario and more importantly, what’s best case? Even if you think their ideal is not realistic, that’s OK. Give them the deadline. Then watch them aim higher than most would and take it further than you thought they could.
Good bosses get help when they need it. Whether in the workplace, or at home, our team at InnerKinetics is ready to provide you with personal coaching that equips you to make your best “GOOD BOSS MOVES.” If you’d like some assistance, you can request a consultation here: Schedule an Initial Consultation.
DISCOVER THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE!
Lean into the whole truth. Discover the truth of who YOU are — the “Real You” — and who your children truly are. Discover how to best engage your children in finding the whole truth. INNERKINETICS, Your Blueprint to Excellence and Happiness, is a great resource.