Desperation or Inspiration?

Have you noticed that there are times in our lives when the activities we are doing seem less than meaningful, fulfilling or internally motivating. We seem to do it because we just have to, or someone or something else is pushing us forward. It’s hardly likely that we would be doing this if we didn’t have to?



What’s the motive behind the action? How do we enjoy what we doing? How do we get self started?

People do things for three reasons. We use these motivators on ourselves and others.



1. Fear – Coercion – Avoidance – Pain

If you want to get somebody to do something quickly, efficiently and expediently, more than likely we turn to some form of instilling fear in others. Fear is the most common form of motivation. It is also the most used, most abused and most condemned form of motivation. It’s used in militaries, religions, ‘old school, industrial age, command and control’ organisations and unfortunately, we may sometimes use it in our homes with the ones we love dearly.

Whilst it’s true that certain situations call for appropriate responses and that prompt and efficient results ; our motives should be pure: good for the sake of good; right for the sake of right. It’s quite possible to do good for impure reasons. Do we really want to get into exercise because the doctor tells us we must or else? Do we really want to love our partners because they have had enough of us and we have to change? Do we want to work and perform harder because our jobs are threatened? Surely there must be a pure and proactive motive?



Fear motivation is a reactive way of leading others and ourselves.



2. Incentive – Reward – Gain – Pleasure

With some exercising of the gap between stimulus and response, most people feel that an appropriate way to get others to do or perform is to provide incentives. This is the donkey and carrot form of motivation. It is conditional and based on fairness, both parties keeping their part of their deal.

Like Fear Motivation, Incentive Motivation is efficient, external, temporary, and in most instances becomes a de-motivator. When the incentives are no more, the old behaviour patterns return.



Incentive Motivation is a functional way of leading others and ourselves.



3. Love – Principles – Purpose – Conscience

What will it take for us to do, perform, act without stick or carrot?

If what we are doing is aligned to our most important values, these actions are fun and we look forward to them. We start to love what we are doing. These actions are linked to our purpose and passion. If feels good, it feels right. The actions are based on principles (cause and effect) are produce behaviours necessary to attract the rewards spontaneously.

Think about this for a moment: if you managed your staff with respect, love, empathy, trust, dignity and tact; this will breed in them the desire to reciprocate. It’s hard, if not impossible, to be bad to someone who is just so good.



Kahlil Gibran in his book The Prophet teaches:

“Work is love made visible.

And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.”



Consider that using fear and incentives as a way to motivate underpins desperation. Love possesses no fears, seeks no rewards, yet possesses everything that is inspirational to keep us motivated.