First Principles Motivation

Happy Friday,

Motivation = n+1 when n = showing up.

An organization only gets a mile ahead because people are motivated to go the extra mile. Motivation fuels success, and more is better.

The motivator for an organization or a team is its ‘why.’ Why are we here, and why should anyone care? Usually, that's the mission statement.

So, to maximize motivation, everything an organization says and does, especially via its leaders and internal communications, should consistently amplify and reinforce 'why we're here and why we should care.' The mission.

So here are ten basic tips, or maybe reminders, for motivating teams and organizations. It’s not that any of these are so deeply insightful. It’s just that they’re often overlooked or contradicted. Let's go:

1.     Have a mission that’s worthy, inspiring, altruistic, clear, concise, and repeatable.

2.     Make certain every leader can and does articulate the mission with enthusiasm.

3.     Keep the importance and the excitement of the mission at the forefront of everyone’s consciousness. It's why we do everything we do.

4.     Expect leaders to sacrifice by example.

5.     Be a 'can-do' leader: driven, positive, and optimistic. All three.

6.     Incentivize actions and accomplishments that advance the mission.

7.     Recognize actions and accomplishments that advance the mission at least 5X more than any other recognition.

8.     Praise specifically and criticize generally.

9.     Discussions of metrics, if at all, should be in the context of the mission. Advancement of the mission is why the metrics are relevant.  

10.  Good leaders are good at connecting the daily work to the mission, and to an exciting career, and ultimately to a rich and fulfilling life. Do that.

That's it. Have a great weekend!

Dave

Feedback and blowback are always welcome: dave@goodnewsfriday.com

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Written by me, not ChatGPT, with speed assist and blunder avoidance by Grammarly