3 Ways to Motivate People
The ability to motivate the people around you is a tremendous skill to acquire. It can help you as a manager, a parent, a coach – even as a friend. But how do you do it? Here are three general strategies you can use to motivate other people:
1. Define the benefit in their terms
What are the hot buttons of the people you’re looking to motivate? Money? Recognition? The opportunity to make a difference? It’s important that you understand people’s hot buttons when describing the outcomes you are looking for. You need to focus on the things that are important to them.
So, for example, instead of saying, “OK, we have to wade waist deep in this sludge to clean this room,” you could say “people are going to be amazed at what this looks like when we’re done” That appeals to someone’s pride and interest in recognition
Or, instead of appealing to a financial payoff by saying something like: “We might just get that raise when we get this mess cleaned up,” you could appeal to someone’s desire to make a difference by saying, “This will be one of the top ten environmental cleanups of the year”
2. Be motivated yourself
Don’t expect to motivate someone else if you yourself aren’t obviously and visibly motivated. Attitude is contagious – both good ones and bad ones.
3. Build momentum
Motivation is cumulative. Try and get them feeling positive about something small, and then gradually add to it. It can take time and a bit of patience on your part, but the payoff is tremendous.
