FINDING YOUR MOTIVATION

Despite motivation being such an important part of everything we do, most people have little understanding of what truly motivates them. This blog posts offer a simple solution for understand your own motivational drivers.

When employers are searching for a new recruit there are three main areas that they will assess the candidate on, which are their qualifications, skills and experiences. However, this approach misses out a huge element of what makes someone right for a job, which is their motivation. While a person's qualifications, skills and experiences can tell you if someone is capable of doing a job, it is their personal motivations that will dictate how successful they are in the role.

Sadly, most people never really give this question much thought, and as a result end up in jobs that demotivate them over time. As part of some coaching I did recently, I was introduced to a tool called the Motivational Map(TM), created by James Sale. The tool is an online questionnaire that takes about 15 minutes to complete. It uses your responses to focus on three areas:

1. Relationship motivators

2. Achievement motivators

3. Growth motivators

Each of these groups is then broken down into three individual motivators, as show below.

The output of the tool is a personalised report which outlines the key areas that have the biggest impact in both motivating you and demotivating you. This not only helps you to understand what type of job is right for you, but also what you need from your boss and co-workers. For example, people who are very motivated by personal growth won’t want to be micromanaged, whereas people who thrive on recognition from their peers probably want a manager who will have a close understanding of what they are doing on a daily basis (and will thus be in a position to give the required praise). 

After completing the Motivational Map, I found the insights it gave me were incredibly helpful, and as a result made some changes in my life that have had a significant positive impact on both my home and work life. It has also helped me to make some crucial career decisions in the past 12 months. Since then I have used the tool with staff at both of the organizations I currently work for, and the feedback I’ve received from those who have used it has been overwhelmingly positive.

In order to use it you have to do it via a licenced motivational maps practitioner, which can become expensive as you have to pay for the use of the tool, and also pay for the practitioner to give you feedback in the form of coaching. If you can afford this, then fantastic. I would always recommend working with a coach, as a good coach will always provide you with valuable insight. However, the tool alone can give you some incredible insights into your personal motivations, but sadly many people are not able to access the tool because of the cost of the associated coaching. 

In order to overcome this, I have recently undergone training to become a licenced motivational map practitioner myself and have made the tool available on my sister website (www.motivationalmapsonline.com).

While there is still a cost involved (as I have to pay for licences for the maps) it is around a quarter of the cost of using the maps via the traditional route. Once you’ve completed the tool you will be e-mailed a personalised motivational report, which includes a breakdown of your highest and lowest motivators, your motivational score (how well your key motivators are currently being met) and a set of bespoke motivation strategies for you to implement.

Whether you choose to use the tool or not, take some time to consider what it is that truly motivates you, as understanding your personal motivations could be the difference between career fulfilment or career disappointment.

Ask yourself why you get out of bed in the morning and go to work. What excites you and captures your imagination? What were you doing the last time you were so engaged in something you lost all track of time?

Good luck.