5 Steps To Motivating Others and Bringing Out The Best In Them

It doesn’t matter if you're a small team, an organization, a company or a family, you will need a lot of motivation to get things done and achieve a level of success. 

But what is motivation? This is a tricky question, because while it’s not complicated, it certainly is not something that a lot of people have automatic understanding about.

So, if you are one of these people who has the job of getting others excited and inspired then here are 5 steps to motivating and bringing out the best in them:

Find Out What Makes The Person You Want To Motivate Tick

Each person, whether he is an employee, a co-worker, a team member or a family member, has some amount of motivation in him.  Try to identify this level.  What makes them tick?  What do they find exciting, interesting or worthwhile?  What are their goals?  How do they hope to achieve them?

Do not try to approach the challenge in a generic way because you will be met with a lack of enthusiasm or even resistance.  Use a personalized approach if you want to motivate an individual.  With a group, look for a common denominator – a common goal or interest – that you can use to motivate them and get them to perform.

“By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.  Put your future in good hands – your own” ~ Mark Victor Hansen

Start Seeing Things From Their Point Of View

It's easy to explain things based on what you perceive.  But what about what others see, think or feel?  Each time you present an idea or concept to the person you want to motivate, ask them for their opinions and listen to what they have to say.  You can then use information obtained from them in order to create a motivational plan that has the strongest appeal to them.

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitments to excellent, regardless of their chosen field of endeavour” – Vince Lombardi

Providing Rewards and Recognition

Between pleasure and pain, people will always choose pleasure.  Try to steer away from using negative motivational tactics such as fear or threats.  These could work initially but they are not very effective for motivating people over a long term.  Besides, using negative reinforcements might result to a feeling of annoyance, anger or exasperation.  If not corrected early, this could even lead to aggression and rebellion.

Use rewards instead.  To motivate people, give recognition, acknowledgment, gratitude, even gifts or citations.  People want to know that you notice their hard work.  Didn't you say you expected the best?  Once someone has risen to that level of excellence, give them the recognition they deserve.  You'll be surprised at how effective this technique is in keeping people motivated.

“The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already” ~ John Buchan

Showing Through Example

If you want to know how to effectively motivate people, show them through example.  What sort of behaviour do you expect from them?  Why not show them by doing it yourself?  They will be more willing to believe than if you just lecture and never show.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don't Push

It is said that you can't lead a horse to water.  When you're trying to motivate people check to see if their willingness is still there.  There is a point in every endeavour when you begin to meet with resistance.  This could happen for a number of reasons, including boredom, distraction, discovery of other more interesting things or just simply lack of interest.  It could also be that your motivational efforts have reached a plateau.

Should this happen, learn to let up, step back and if necessary, let go.  People will be more motivated if they don't feel pressured.  If you sense a resistance, stop and check for identifiable factors that are stopping you.  Once you have found them, design a different approach.

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Acknowledge and Appreciate Yourself

Pop Quiz: When was the last time you acknowledged and appreciated yourself?

That’s right: YOU. Not your spouse, not your children, not your boss, co-workers or friends. Just YOU!

Seriously, think about it!

And if it’s been too long since your last pat on the back, then I want you to take the time right now to acknowledge and appreciate yourself for everything you've accomplished today, throughout the year, and in life.

Ask yourself: How many times have you succeeded in the past month? The past year? The past 10 years? Are you able to recall your successes as easily as your failures and missteps?

This is not a selfish or egotistical act in the least. By taking the time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you’ve achieved—and perhaps learned through a few mistakes, stumbles and losses—you actually can enhance everything about you!

Self-acknowledgment and appreciation are what give you the insights and awareness to move forward toward higher goals and accomplishments.

In working with top leaders and thought philosophers of our time, I will tell you that among their secrets of success is a regular practice of acknowledging and appreciating what they have.It can offer an oracle into the future because it not only tells you where you are but it also helps clarify where you want to go in life. Whatever that might be. The road then becomes easier to navigate—easier to see from the distance and walk confidently step by step.

Don’t forget to think about both big and little accomplishments. Many people under-appreciate the minor things they do successfully every day . And yet they can recall in detail all the times they have failed or made mistakes. That's because the brain remembers events more easily when they are accompanied by strong emotions.

For example, you might vividly recall a graduation, losing 10 pounds, having a child, winning an award, or landing a highly sought after position. But see if you can identify just as many minor, more subtle successes, such as your intimate conversation with your spouse last night, the re-connection you established with an estranged friend last month, the quality time you were able to spend with your children today, how you checked off all your list of To-Dos for the weekend, how you learned a new task at work, or got your kid to school on time.

These may seem like minor acts in the grand scheme of life, but they are what make us feel whole, happy, and accomplished along the journey toward those larger, and much more deeply satisfying moments.

Acknowledging your mistakes also has it pluses, but we often don’t have trouble recalling or mulling over those. The point is, if you don't acknowledge your successes the same way you acknowledge your mistakes, you're sure to have a memory full of blunders. And a mind stuffed with negative chatter about the gaffes of life won’t fuel your energy, nor your confidence, creativity, and motivation to keep going.

Consider this, too: if you only remember the mistakes and failures, you won't be as ready to take risks that will lead to your successes. Build your self-esteem by recalling all the ways you have succeeded and your brain will be filled with images of you making your achievements happen again and again.

Give yourself permission to toot your own horn and don’t wait for anyone to praise you. Here are two suggestions:

1.) Record Your Personal History. Take time to write your achievements down. Start when you were very young and think of all your achievements since then. Don't just pick the major milestones; write down all the things you take for granted. For example, if you list your college degree, write your appreciation for having the opportunity to go to college and forge friendships that will last a lifetime.

You can also create a log of success every day and review it when you are faced with a new challenge. By writing it all down daily, you're securing it in your long-term memory and it will become a part of what makes you tick. It can even become a source of positive reminders and affirmations for when you’re feeling down, as well as a personal record of you that becomes your legacy.

2.) Celebrate Yourself with Mementos. Surround yourself with reminders of your successes. Put up pictures, articles, trophies, awards and other pieces that bring your attention to your success. Make your environment speak to you about your achievements. Be proud of them!

By the way, showing appreciation for yourself and accomplishments has many rewards that go far beyond boosting your own self-confidence.

Appreciating yourself creates a cascading affect—your heightened confidence will spill over into other aspects of your life. Watch what happens when you gain that special trust in yourself. You’ll attract opportunities, experience more fulfilling relationships, and have no trouble reaching loftier goals.

Remember, people like to be around those who have a healthy self-esteem and who are achieving their goals. Commit to acknowledging your achievements and your brain will begin to tell you the truth: that you can do anything!

Author: Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com