Why do you do the things you do? Why do you perform at the level you do? What about your employees; what’s their motivation for what they do and how they perform?

In a speech by author and lecturer Hyrum Smith, he said that there are three basic emotions behind everything we do. These emotions cause us to act upon, or react to, the various events and opportunities that make up our lives. These emotions are Fear, Responsibility and Love.

Everything we do, every choice we make, is the result of one of these emotions: fear, responsibility or love. When you jump out of bed in the morning, it’s because you’re afraid if you don’t you’ll lose your job, or because you’re driven by a strong sense of responsibility to those who count on you, or because you love what you do and you love those you serve--and you can’t wait to get to it! One way or another, everything you (and your employees) do links back to one (or more) of these emotions.

Why does it matter? Consider the following:

• The emotion of fear relates to “I have to” thinking: I have to go to work or I’ll starve; I have to help that person or I may lose my job; I have to stretch the truth or I’ll lose the sale.
• The emotion of responsibility relates to “I ought to” thinking: I ought to be on time because that’s the right thing to do;  I ought to sweep the floors because the place should look presentable; I ought to call the customer back because that’s what she’d expect.
• The emotion of love relates to “I want to” thinking: I want to get up and get to work because I love what I do; I want to serve my customers well because I genuinely like and care about them; I want to do exactly what the boss asked, even when he’s not looking, because he’s a good guy and I like working for him; I want to spend the extra time training this employee because I love his enthusiasm and potential.

Clearly, there’s a difference--a BIG difference between the depth of motivation, from fear ... to responsibility … to love! Which would you rather have working for you? I’ll take ”I want to” every time! It stems from the love of a job, love of an organization, a customer, an idea, a vision. Imagine the difference over the life of a career between an employee that is motivated by love (“I want to”) versus one motivated by fear (“I have to”).

The example you set and work environment you create can make all the difference in how your employees are motivated. Model the actions, emotions and care that you desire from your employees, and you’re far more likely to see them respond in a similar fashion. If they know you “want to” carry out the mission and love doing what you do, your influence will spread and your team’s results will skyrocket!

Lead on…