One of life’s greatest pleasures is to play a part in moving someone forwards on their journey – especially when you walk beside them.  This week, I was coaching a friend using a profile tool called ‘Motivational Mapping’.  My friend turned out to be the most content person I’d ever profiled…

And that’s when the magic happened.  Formerly, I’d have said, “Well, you’re a happy bunny… job done!”  That’s strangely unsatisfying as a friend or coach because it feels like you’ve made no contribution!  Instead, inspired, I had a ‘moment’.  I looked at the areas that simply weren’t of interest to him – factors that didn’t motivate him – and asked about his team.  Thanks for staying with this blog long enough for me to lay that foundation.  Here’s what may be in this for you.

The profile measures nine motivating factors.  The first three are those:

·      That feed our need for security, predictability, and stability;

·      That meet our need to belong, have meaningful friendships, and fulfilling relationships;

·      That give us recognition, respect, and build our self-esteem.

These three are ‘Relationship Motivators’.

The next group of motivators are called ‘Achievement Motivators’.

·      Our need for influence and control – power, if you like;

·      The desire for a standard of living above the average with high material satisfaction;

·      The joy of mastery in your chosen specialisation.

Finally, there are the ‘Growth Motivators’.

·      Seeking innovation, and expressing your creative potential;

·      Feeling free to make your own decisions;

·      Believing you are making a difference, and adding value to others or the world or both!

Usually, one of the groups dominates your motivational profile.  Giving Mother Teresa a Rolex, or Gandhi a Ferrari probably wouldn’t have made their day.  They’d both have sold the material ‘rewards’ to further their vision linked to their Growth Motivators.  Elon Musk is unlikely to be highly motivated by predictability and stability.

The first step is to check yourself to assess where your motivators may flow in the nine suggested.  You may have all nine!  But if you're not turned on by some of them, opportunity may be knocking.

The second step is to have the ‘Aha!’ moment that if a particular motivator doesn’t float your boat, the only logical step as an individual is to give it no time and no energy.  But if you are not an island (and no woman or man is) you’ll have others around you for whom that motivator may be mission critical.

Up close and personal now.  Lady P (aka ‘she who is to be cherished) is risk adverse.  She is highly motivated by stability, predictability, and security.  Part of the excitement of hanging round me with is that this is rarely on my R.A.D.A.R.  In one sense, she can enjoy my over-the-top commitment to creativity, freedom, and search for meaning without sacrificing her own security.  It’s a good balance.  BUT…

If I'd like to motivate her, inspire her, cherish her, I'd need to add to her security, stability, and feed her love of predictability.  That’s true love – not doing unto others as we’d like done to us but going into their world and doing unto them as they would like to be done to.

Today is a day to think about others.  Your partner, if you have one.  Your family members.  Your colleagues and friends.  What do you think is their highest motivator?  How could you feed that motivator - especially if it is one that doesn't excite you?

Lex

A Moodscope member