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Have you ever needed someone to do something for you, but struggled to get their help?

I have.

Years ago I was so excited to officially become a “Project Manager.” The new title came with a new position on a new team. I jumped right into a project and assumed that my title would give me enough positional authority for others to get their project work done on time.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

For some, my position didn’t matter; they would work on the project when they felt like it. For others, my title carried some weight, but things got done because they had to, not because someone really wanted to do them – there is a BIG difference here. And a key to learning about motivation.

When people are motivated by having to do something, they are not engaged with the end goal. I’ve found in these situations people ask fewer questions and aren’t as willing to share ideas; which can impact overall quality and team cohesiveness.

This was my initial experience as a project manager and I continued to look for better ways to work together.

Here’s what I found:

3 Steps to Create a Motivating Environment

Instead of using force or positional authority to get things done (e.g. I’m your boss, I’m your healthcare provider – you need to listen to me), a better approach is to create an environment that motivates people to want to do something.
I believe that a motivating environment consists of 3 ingredients:

Trust

Before you can ask people to do something for you, you need to earn their trust. Building trust takes time, but it is essential.
If you are a respectful, helpful, consistent, and transparent, you will build trust.

Vision

How can people follow you if they don’t know where you’re going?
Understanding your goals and sharing that vision will motivate others to get on board (when driving the bus, you should know where it’s going).

Appreciation

Thanking your customer for their purchase or your team for their efforts shows how grateful you are for their contributions. I’ve found that people are more excited to work with you again if you tell them how much you value them.

Bonus Tip!

As leaders, most of us have some sort of positional authority. That can make it difficult to shift from relying on force to truly creating a motivating environment.

Here’s a way to quickly enhance your motivational skills – VOLUNTEER.

When you lead a volunteer group, no one is required to do anything for you. Your success is completely dependent on how you can motivate people through trust, vision, and appreciation.