Discretionary Effort 0 Comments October 23
Discretionary Effort – that extra effort we give to people, projects and tasks after our required effort has been given. Good leaders are able to tap into others discretionary effort. Every job requires a certain amount of effort to complete. Most of us will only give that required amount of effort to complete this job (e.g. – 8 hours of work for our boss each day). This is the required duty, the expected performance, and often times the bare minimum. Our total capacity for effort if usually larger than this “expected” effort. We will give this remaining effort to the people or things that captivate our passions… our loved ones, our hobbies, our interests. Have you ever noticed how you can feel very tired doing a job that that you don’t enjoy, but minutes later when you’re doing something else that’s interesting, fun, engaging you’re suddenly energized. I think of my 7 year old daughter, Audrey. She’s a high energy kid most of her waking hours. However, when it’s time to clean her room, make her bed, pick up her backpack she’s suddenly exhausted and kicks into slow motion whining as she goes. This is exactly what we are like (although we try to hide it better than my 7 year old). Good leaders are able to capitalize on people’s passions. They’re able to align people into what the love to do. They are also able to “sell” their ideas in a way that people want to do it. And, most importantly, they themselves are the kind of people that others really want to please and support. Even if they don’t enjoy the task, people will give some of their discretionary effort to leaders whom they respect and enjoy working for.
Salting the Oats 0 Comments October 8
The old saying goes “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” This has been used for years to explain how there’s only so much one can do… the final decision to change still remains with the other person. This obviously is true as I’ve mentioned above. However, I like the adaptation on this old saying… “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. However, you CAN salt the oats.” I’ve found that the most effective leaders are “oat-salters.” They get the desired results from the people they lead by making the new desired outcome so attractive that they WANT to make the change. Or, they lead with such respect and heart that people want to change... simply because they were asked to. Making people thirsty is what leadership and motivation are all about. The ultimate decision to change is always with the individual. However, as leaders we must remove every barrier to change that we can. We are to both remove the obstacles and make the outcome most desirable.
Motivation 0 Comments October 6
We cannot motivate people. People must motivate themselves. We can only provide a conducive environment that encourages the desired behavior. Coercion is not motivation. When people feel they have no other reasonable choice they are no longer motivated into action. They are now really being “forced” or coerced to the desired action. Of course, they always have a choice, but they may not actually “feel” that way. So the result is the same… de-motivation to continue that action for any length of time... especially when the "motivator" is no longer present.