Did you ever notice how quickly people become unmotivated? We get excited about a project, vacation or goal and once it’s completed or finished, the anticipation and enthusiasm drain away and it’s easy to feel flat. I noticed this years ago when I was consulting at Honeywell Space Systems. They had pictures of jeeps on the walls, with employee faces inside the jeeps and yellow, green and red lights flashing to indicate where each jeep (and group inside the jeep) was in relation to this huge project. It was quite a spectacle. What happened was they met their year-end goal, January came with no definable new goal and there was zero momentum.
There’s a smarter way to help people feel motivated, and that’s when we gravitate to work toward solving an important problem. Or, put another way, when we can define work as more of a purpose it helps clarify objectives that not only enable people to feel part of something important, but also enhances camaraderie and morale. All of us want to belong to something bigger than us.
It can also help define us outside of work as well. We want to leave a mark, feel we’re contributing, and when we can find something that helps others it is an enormous motivator. As an example, I know people who…volunteer their time for animal causes, deliver meals through Meals on Wheels, go into minimal security prisons to talk about how to interview for future jobs, take service dogs to hospitals, help kids run, plant seedlings in the community, and the list goes on. Consider how suggesting volunteer options to your employees is also a meaningful way to build relationships and help people feel valued by making a difference.
