95% of leaders don't know #1 factor that motivates people.
Angela Shurina
Translating business KPIs into effective culture change strategy. We help large innovation-focused companies build high-performing, change-capable culture that maximizes ROI of innovation, time, talent and technology.
No wonder engagement is such a struggle!
Lots of people say, "Motivation doesn't last"
Because you don't understand how it works!
Small Wins that Fuel Big Dreams
A client interrupted,
“??Oh, actually something did happen last Monday, we had this motivational speaker in our company, presenting.
A Norwegian woman and her team were trekking to the North Pole. They faced an icy hill that stretched endlessly. The path was unclear—should they climb, go left, or go right? The journey seemed impossibly long.
To keep her team motivated, she broke the goal into small, daily chunks. Each day, they had something to celebrate, something to look forward to.
I thought, you know, I actually don’t have this right now - smaller, manageable milestones.”
That story stopped me in my tracks.
I realized I’ve been forgetting to do this for myself and my clients.
Breaking goals into manageable pieces is crucial for staying motivated, because it signifies #1 factor that keeps motivation fire burning - PROGRESS!
“Because in change efforts, the middle is the biggest trouble spot.
In the beginning, there’s an initial burst of energy: hope, novelty, adventure. It’s the first few miles of a marathon.
Then, later, you get a second burst as the finish line approaches: pride, satisfaction, relief.
But in the middle there’s … nothing.
Just a slow dog paddle forward, unbuoyed by the natural excitement of starts and finishes.
It’s the Battle of Midway.
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As the motivation researcher Ayelet Fishbach puts it: “The only time we don’t throw a party is in the middle.”
How do you counteract this motivational droop???
Fishbach recommends that you shorten the middle.
Rather than think in terms of annual goals, where the “middle” might sprawl from February to November, you could think in terms of monthly or weekly goals. As each period resets, you get a burst of energy from the new beginning.
~ ?? Dan Heath . Reset: How to change what’s not working (pp. 112-113).”
Take my 100-day challenge.
Today is Day 15. I’ve felt progress but also waves of demotivation, energy lows.
Setting smaller milestones is what's been missing —every 10 days, something meaningful to celebrate, to chase after and track.
For a client working on body composition, we’ve achieved incredible results: 20kg lost and about 10% body fat to lose remaining. Now we’re mapping out smaller wins to keep the momentum, the motivation and drive alive.
??Do you have a big goal?
Have you broken it into smaller, motivating milestones? For yourself AND the entire organization?
Stay motivated,
Coach Angela??
PS Knowledge improves nothing unless acted upon consistently.