How to motivate yourself & your employees

The great artist Michelangelo was once asked how he managed to create such amazing statues from rock. He answered that the rock was already put there by God, he just had to remove the excess rock.

This is exactly how you can approach the topic of finding or increasing your (or others’) motivation.

As with the statues, the motivation is already there, you just need to remove the excess conditioning that's blocking it.

Instead of approaching yourself or others with the attitude that something needs to “improve”, how about listening and asking what is blocking the motivation to come forth?

If you are a leader trying to assist your employees in this way, this requires that you can put down all your judgments to truly LISTEN to the other person’s experience and perspective.

How aware are you of your judgments, and how skilled are you at doing this, HONESTLY?

Most of the time we, as flawed human beings, don't listen to understand. Instead, we listen with the subtle motive of trying to have our own worldviews and opinions justified and validated. That's how the brain works.

But we can see this tendency, work around it and grow in wisdom and knowledge in the process.

It is very likely that the same judgments that you place on others also get in the way when you try to increase your own motivation...

How can you come to listen to yourself and others more deeply? What are the judgments that might be getting in the way?

Some questions to help you on the way:

1. What is your, or this person’s experience?

2. If you were to view this experience objectively and with compassion, what would be different?

3. What needs to be released?

4. How can you support yourself, (or the other) in doing so? (If it is another person - ASK.)

5. What have you (or both of you) learned?

6. How would you like to apply that learning?

If you or the other person needs support going forward, coaching might be a good alternative.

A coach is specifically trained in the art of listening and in helping bring out the best in the person which helps them move forwards toward their goals.

Send me a message via LinkedIn or an email to info@dewolut.com if you'd like to learn more.

What is your experience of how to increase motivation? I’d love to know.

Much love,

Sara