Lessons from A Donkey

This week I have been thinking and dreaming about Donkeys. weird? Perhaps

A Donkey or as we call it in Arabic (???? ) is quite misunderstood animal in many cultures and often referred to as stupid or stubborn, however Donkeys do have a great sense of self-preservation and are unwilling to do anything that might be dangerous. This sense of self-preservation combined with different body language from that of a horse leads to confusion about donkey’s anxiety and fear levels.

This leads me to my main point 'The Carrot & The Stick'. As I recall hearing that story in 5th grade, a boy who tried to get a donkey to pull his cart. His solution was to use a stick with a carrot dangling at the end. This was held in front of the donkey, just out of reach. Perhaps that was the case, however the story evolved to a motivational traditional tool that many organizations and leaders are practicing it blindly without understanding, the psychology of motivating human beings goes beyond the metaphor of discipline and reward.

Let us take a closer look at MOTIVATION: Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something. For example, you might say that an individual is so motivated to get promoted that she spends more times working.

"The term motivation refers to factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior. Motives are the 'whys' of behavior—the needs or wants that drive behavior and explain what we do. We don't actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists based on the behavior we observe." (Nevid, 2013)

In layman's terms, the reality is that there are many different forces that guide and direct our motivations. however, by understanding the components of motivations, Organizations, Leaders, and even Parents can set the best goals and establish the right reward systems to motivate others including themselves.

Now what are these components: Chocolate, Red Wine, Sun Bath, and Himalayan Salt. you whisk them all together and VOUS LA everyone is motivated and bubbly. alternatively, spanking would cut the deal and help motivate everyone around. Nah, not really :)

There are three major components to motivation: Activation, Persistence, and Intensity.

1. Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a Salsa class.
2. Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist. An example of persistence would be taking more Salsa classes in order to become a PRO dancer although it requires a significant investment of time, energy, and resources.
3. Intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one individual might coast by without much effort, while another will work regularly, participate in Salsa classes, and take advantage of competition opportunities outside of classes. The first individual lacks intensity, while the second pursues his goals with greater intensity.

OK Mr. Leader don't shoot! I am not suggesting you drop the Carrot and do anything else with the Stick. I am just saying motivation matters. But at the same time, we need a comprehensive picture of how different types of motivation fit and function together to produce behavior. InspiraFormance is working to achieve this integrated understanding of human motivation. (Feel free to reach out to me for free consultation)

Finally, A man fell in love with his faithful female donkey, and decided to marry her. At the wedding, the priest said, "Well, this is refreshing, it's usually the woman that's marrying the Ass."

Wael Zaki is a Human Capitalist - Organization Catalyst; Helps Corporate Institutions & Family Businesses identify and resolve Organizational Behavior and Human Capital vulnerabilities to create conditions that boost business growth.