Intelligent Motivation: Tips for Tough Economic Times

By Jim Cathcart

Every interview I've done recently has led with the same inquiry, "What would you tell people who are having a tough time in the current economy?" 

Here is my answer: 

1. Increase your discipline 
2. Spend more of each day in business building (sales) 
3. Be more vigilant 
4. UpServe your existing customers 
5. Build learning into all the gaps 
6. Stay humble 
7. Increase your gratitude 

Increase your discipline: 

When revenue is scarce and people are afraid to make purchases it becomes vital that you make use of all your resources; tools, time and people. Take a look at what time you begin your productive work each day; make it earlier. Become a strong task-master of yourself. Make sure you do your work well and promptly. Don't allow follow-through to be delayed. Go back to the discipline you had early in your career. Be a go-getter again, develop your "productivity muscles." 

Spend more of each day in business building (sales) 

In easier times you can do what you used to do, but for now you will need to increase the number of minutes in each day that you are in direct contact with someone who can say "Yes." 

Start keeping records of your sales minutes. Track your numbers each day and improve them. Your sales success will directly depend on the number of people and amount of time you devote to helping others buy. Shuffle your duties so that your administrative actions can be done during non-prime selling time. When people are accessible be sure that you are out there seeking access to them. Ask yourself, "Does what I'm doing right now lead directly to a new sale?" If not, postpone or delegate it. 

Be more vigilant 

There are times when we have the luxury of being lax, but this is not one of them. When the threats of a poor economy are at your door you need to be sure you don't allow any of them in. 

These include: fearful thinking, delays in decision making or taking decisive action, pessimism in all of its forms, people who drain your energy, TV shows, radio shows, newspapers and online sources that feed your fear. Get these influences under your control. Reduce your exposure to fear, doom and doubt. Increase your exposure to optimism, plans, new ideas and happiness. You will reflect the people you listen to and associate with . Control the input. 

UpServe your existing customers 

Ask yourself, "How can I increase my existing customers' satisfaction?" Look for ways to add to their happiness about doing business with you. Do things that don't cost you but still give value to them. Communicate, reach out, compliment them, reassure them, offer new tips and information, service their products, show them new uses, be on their team. Help them succeed. Do NOT seek a new sale when doing this. Accept them if they come but sustain the spirit of service as you seek to UpServe. 

Build learning into all the gaps 

Add learning to your wake-up time, your drive time, waiting time, and relaxation time. Use online resources like iLearningGlobal.tv and recordings, books and podcasts to help you gain new ideas and insights. Fill your day with new information and refreshers of past information. Stuff new information into all the gaps in your day. Let a CD play as you get dressed, listen to them in the car, put books on tape into your MP3 player. Learn more every day without having to spend more time doing new activities. Play the same messages over and over if they are valuable to you. Spaced repetition and multiple exposures will increase your retention. 

Try new things and get even better at the old things. 

Stay Humble 

Humility is one of the most attractive qualities you can have. Humble people learn from everyone. They aren't "above" doing hard work nor are they "beyond" dealing with others who don't have much power. They are caring people who are eager to listen and learn. They share the spotlight and brag about others. They don't interrupt with a compulsion to talk about themselves. Others love to be around them. Be one of them. 

Increase your Gratitude 

The most magnetic of all emotions is Gratitude. The thankful mindset draws energy to it. Think of the power of gratitude on you. How do you feel toward people who are truly grateful for what you have done for them? You are drawn even closer to them. You want to do more for them. The same is true for others. They will love your grateful spirit and seek even more ways to be helpful to you. In the "Law of Attraction" the first principle is definite purpose and the second is gratitude. Know what you want and give thanks for it even before you have received it. 

The net effect of following this advice will be that you will feel more in control of your own life and career. Your clients and coworkers will find you even more pleasant to work with and the marketplace will trust you more. You may not be able to control the results you get but you can certainly control the contribution you make and the effort you invest. This investment WILL pay off! Be the kind of person others want on their team and you will get what you desire. 

In the Spirit of Service, 

Jim Cathcart 

The Intelligent Motivation System (IMS)

By Jim Cathcart

Intelligent Motivation(tm):

is determining what is important, 

identifying what action is needed and 

doing what is necessary to generate and 

sustain that action. 

Conscious, Intentional & Relentless Action 

Firm Standards, Clear Agreements, Meaningful Work, 

Accurate Measures, Appealing Rewards 

The more I work on "Intelligent Motivation (tm)" the better shape it takes. 

There is now a System to bring it together. Whenever I consult with a client organization these are the areas upon which I focus. 

• Firm Standards 
• Clear Agreements 
• Meaningful Work 
• Accurate Measurement 
• Appealing Recognition & Rewards 

In order to truly motivate people there needs to be a comprehensive approach to the task. 

Motivation requires "Motives" and for people to have the right motives we must assure that they understand the purpose and value of what we are asking them to do. 

When people find meaning in what they do they tend to add more value to what they do. 

Firm Standards: 

If you study the world's most impressive and successful organizations you will invariably find that they have high standards and they stick to them. At Disney, Hallmark, Four Seasons Hotels, and many more top companies the insistence on high quality work and adherence to rigid guidelines is NON-NEGOTIABLE. You either do it their way or you find somewhere else to work. Period. The same is true for the U.S. Marines. 

"If you don't belong here, see ya'. "

These high standards are what allows the organization to produce a consistently high-quality result. If they were to relax the standards to accomodate some less prepared or under-privileged person then their product would suffer and ultimately, so would their reputation. On some things we can never afford to compromise. On others, discussion is still open. 

Clear Agreements: 

A familiar organizational problem is Missed Expectations. 

Someone did what they thought was expected and found that their leader was expecting something else. Why? Because people don't often clearly communicate their expectations. 

How many times have you heard these words, 

"But I thought that's what you wanted me to do?" 

What an avoidable problem! There are proven ways to avert this and to develop better communication processes. One of these is the use of "Role Agreements." 

A role agreement is similar to a job description except that it doesn't describe tasks. Instead it defines three items: 

1. What the person is paid to accomplish. 

2. An overview of their areas of responsibility. 

3. A description of what you expect from them and of what they expect from you. 

This is not "given" to them, it is created with them so that they own it too. 

When expectations are clear, problem solving is easier. So is performance evaluation. 

Meaningful Work: 

People need to understand the value of doing a good job. They need to see how their work will make a difference to someone somewhere somehow. Without this they are just a machine producing "output." That is a pretty depressing role for anyone. 

"Does this really matter to anyone?"

We, as leaders, need to define the meaning in every aspect of our operations. All employees and participants need to see the value they are passing along. This gives them a sense of purpose, and purpose is motivating. When we talk about how our customers benefit from our product or service, when we tell stories of the value we provide, our people take more pride in their work and feel more dignity in doing it. 

Accurate Measures: 

Things that are measured tend to improve. Whatever you measure becomes real and tangible. People start to take it more seriously and they can see the relationship between actions and outcomes, causes and effects. If I know that you are measuring the times I arrive at work each day then I'll pay more attention to being prompt. If I don't think you measure the cost of goods used in producing my work then I'll probably have more waste than the person who closely monitors the cost of goods. 

In sports the statistics are pure gold. Batters know how success they have been against left handed pitchers in the first 50 pitches versus the last 50. Golfers and runners keep statistics to see whether they are on target or getting off track. 

Winners keep score...of everything! 

We can practice Behavioral Economics in many areas beyond the usual statistical reports and balance sheets. I believe we should be seeking to quantify everything reasonable. For example: we can measure the number of compliments we hear on the job each day, the frequency of do-overs (more than double the cost of work done right the first time), the number of new ideas we get in a given month for process improvement, the amount of time we spend helping others solve problems, etc. Everything we track causes us to notice more about it and to make better decisions related to it. 

Noticing More: The person who notices more see more options and possibilities, and that person has an edge over others. 

The more you notice, the more you know. 

The more you know the more options you see. 

The person with the most options usually prevails. 

Appealing Rewards: 

When we design an awards program or a recognition system it should be comprehensive and tailored. Comprehensive enough to utilize all of the available forms of recognition and reward, yet tailored to the unique interests, values and personality of the person being recognized. 

This requires some creativity and empathy. We must get to know each other better and we must think beyond the usual "box" of rewards. 

"But that's not what I was working for."

John may be very motivated by a trip to Hawaii and Janelle might find it unappealing. She, however, might respond well to a scholarship for advanced learning while Jason might not. Some people love plaques and certificates, some don't. Some get turned on by the offer of a bonus check while others respond better to a pat on the back and a sincere thank you. 

The system we design for motivation needs to incorporate all of the foregoing elements. 

This needn't be daunting. We can keep it simple and systematic so that nobody has to go back through intense training just to get this done. It is just a matter of making everything work together for the good of the Cause. 

Give me a call and let's see how your own Motivation System can be made more Intelligent.