The Hidden Powers of Motivation and Direction

Where do you want to go? Where are you now and how far away is your destination? What will it take to get there?

Let's start from the top.

Do you have a clear vision of what you need to accomplish in your organization, and why those objectives are important?

You could spend a lot of money, time and energy pursuing a goal that is is at best ineffectual or at worst counterproductive.

Use the power of motivation AND direction to get stuff done. Here's how.

1. Choose objectives that contribute the most to your mission and vision, but...

Are your objectives out of reach? Or are they low-hanging fruit? Sometimes accomplishing something quick and easy can jumpstart your team's motivation with a swift win and set the stage for bigger things to come.

Pursuing objectives that require outsized resources and effort often run the greatest risk of failure or waste despite their promised (but not guaranteed) reward.

2. Choose your objectives wisely based on risk vs. reward, and don't be afraid to tackle them in steps rather than all at once.

This one is self-explanatory.

You can't score a touch down and a field goal in the same play.

3. Build the best possible team you can. Everything else, in one way or another, depends on it.

You can't score a touchdown without a solid team, so focus on these fundamentals to ensure you have the greatest chance of success pursuing your goals:

• Make sure everyone on your team is in the right role for how they are psychometrically hardwired. Don't put analytical people in creative roles, for example. Get everyone on your team to take the Core Values Index™ psychometric assessment and conduct Top Performer Profiles for all key positions, including your executive team.
• Ensure your team is adequately staffed to handle the load. You can only spread 1/2 oz. of butter over so much bread, to paraphrase Mr. Bilbo Baggins. Overworked teams will rapidly lose productivity, and as soon as people start quitting because of it, you've lost the game.

Bonus tip: Don't just fill seats with warm bodies. A bad hire can cost you more than no hire at all, so ensure every new team member is psychometrically fit for their role.

• Provide team members with the tools they need to do their job. Michael Jordan didn't win games in the NBA playing in hand-me-down sneakers with broken laces.

4. You need both direction and motion to get where you want to go.

Pay attention to your efforts. Look out for tendencies to over-plan without the ability to execute. Conversely, don't be too eager to get started if you don't have a clear idea of what you're trying to accomplish.

You need the right blend of direction and motion to have the highest chance of success, and you may need to rely on your team to fill in the gaps.

• Some people are hardwired to get started right away and figure things out along the way (some people don't even bother with that). Rely on them for motivation but don't let them ram-rod your team out of the gate without an adequate plan in place.
• Other folks want to plan (and re-plan) every detail before anything kicks off. That's great if you're the lead engineer for a manned mission to Mars, but sooner or later you need someone on the team to start the countdown ... Five-Four-Three-Two-One ... LIFTOFF!

You have things you want to accomplish and the best way to improve your odds is to take these three steps: build the best possible team you can, plot your course, and then execute!

---

Core Values Index™ and CVI™ are trademarks of Taylor Protocols, Inc.