Complex Thoughts

Motivation

THE GRAPE THEORY OF MOTIVATION

Growth	Being able to increase one’s skills and competencies; performing new or more complex tasks; participating in training programs.
Recognition	Promotion within the organization; praise for achievements; feedback (both positive and constructive criticism); receiving an award; printed references to an individual’s activities; being ‘listened to.’
Achievement	The opportunity to solve a problem; to see the results of one’s efforts; to reach goals that one has established to create a whole tangible product.
Participation	Involvement in the organizational decision-making; planning and scheduling one’s own work and controlling one’s own work activities.
Enjoyment	Having fun in a warm, friendly, supportive atmosphere.

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF MOTIVATION

Share responsibility, remembering that as you take credit for success, you must also share the failure.
Understand that, as a leader, you can give authority and allow others to contribute to their own and your own success.
Constantly remind yourself that only through participation can others make their jobs meaningful.
Communicate the why as well as the what, to insure that understanding and cooperation become a habit.
Evaluate accomplishment on the basis of the results achieved rather than on the activities engaged in.
Sincerely be humble, knowing that most people would rather succeed than fail at their jobs.
Seek always to set a good example. Through expecting good performance, reap great rewards.
Force yourself to set goals and priorities for your job so others can build their goals toward these.
Unceasingly seek to be objective, fair and honest in your act and deed, realizing the mantle of leadership is yours.
Light the way for change, knowing that putting yourself in the other person’s shoes is the greatest gift of a leader.

SIX KEYS TO MOTIVATION

Ask for performance.
Use lots of positive reinforcement — and personalize it.
Build relationships.
Understand others’ points of view.
Model what you want.
Refuse to accept poor performance.

TWENTY HELPFUL HINTS FOR MOTIVATION

Allow time for yourself.
Pay less attention to time.
Avoid discussing business over meals.
Try to change your hyper habits.
Place motivational quotes in your view.
Ask for help.
Sell an idea.
Smile.
Tell yourself a joke, laugh out loud.
Pay attention to your health, diet and sleep.
Pause to look around, assess.
Regulate how many “to do’s”
Meet with an energetic friend
Find some quiet time daily.
Say no.
Finish one goal at a time.
Collect appreciation.
Talk to a significant other.
Exercise daily.
Watch for cycles in your mood.

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”

Make the members in your groups want to do things.
Be a good listener.
Give feedback constructively.
Praise in public.
Give credit where credit is due.
Play up the positive.
Be consistent.
When you’re wrong or make a mistake, admit it.
If an idea is adopted, tell the group why.
Don’t be upset by little hassles.
Use every opportunity to build up in your members a sense of the importance of their own work.
Make personal contacts before and after meetings to encourage participation.
Avoid assigning unnecessary tasks.
Be open to feedback, both positive and negative, from members.
Establish a genuine feeling of belonging to a group.

ADAPTED FROM COUGAR CLUES, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA–MORRIS; THUNDAR BOLTS, NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY; LEADER BITS, THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS; AND DR. SARA BOATMAN’S “GRAPE THEORY OF MOTIVATION.”