Thank you Motivosity

Dear Motivosity,

Marcus Buckingham said, “People need attention, because we all want to be seen at our best.” For the past two years we have been on a mission to help people be happier about being at work, by shining a light on the best things they are doing each day. During my tenure at Motivosity I’ve been a fly on the wall for hundreds of company cultures around the world. I’ve seen daily examples of how gratitude and appreciation has deepened human connection and the power positive psychology has had on said relationships.   

Regarding recognition, in the book Nine Lies About Work it says, “Share what you saw, how it made you think, and what it caused you to realize. Reflect on the unique dent they just made on the world as seen through your eyes.” Marcus Buckingham encourages leaders, “when you see someone doing something well, the most important thing a manager can do in that moment is appreciate what they did and add positive reinforcement.”  

While I could write a book about the lessons I’ve learned regarding #thanksmatters I’d like to thank you for a few specific dents you have made on me.

Dent #1 - Redefining Performance Management

I’ve seen countless ineffective ways to performance manage employees. When I learned about Motivosity Lead I knew I’d never lead or coach my managers the same again. I’ve never seen such a universal tool as MV Lead. It has made my 1-on-1’s and team priorities discussions such a joy. I have thrown away corrective action plans, PIP templates, and matrix rating systems as a result. The fresh approach to MV Lead is truly helping managers become leaders and is a gazillion times better than the annual review process. I can never manage again without MV Lead.

Dent #2 - Aligning Mission & Values with Product Market Fit

I could never tire of discussing our mission to “help employees be happier about being at work.” That north star has shaped our values, and in countless product meetings I’ve seen how this same question is discussed…”Will it make employees happier about being at work?” Not the administrator, not the CEO, but the employees! No more checking the box, no more forced HR initiatives, no more doing things the way they always have been done. Your mission is helping advance People Experience around the world. MV is not a tool for Deloris, Toby Flenderson, or old school thinkers… it is a tool for a better way to PX! I always want to be that kind of professional.

Dent #3 - Continual Learning of Positive Psychology

Having the opportunity to be neck deep in culture, employee experience, eNPS, and predictive employee analytics has changed the way I view positive reinforcement. I feel like I’m a better Father, Husband, and American because I’ve seen why you need to be optimistic, frequently provide positive reinforcement, and build other people up. Culture is latin for the word “cultus” which translates back to English as “care.” Culture = caring. The science of positive reinforcement has forever changed me and how I think about company culture.

Dent #4 - Trust to do Something New

I remember in a former position I was challenged to spend one month interacting with customers because I’d spent 10+ years working exclusively with employees. You took a leap of faith on my skill set and ability to apply my employee focus into a customer focus. For two years I’ve seen how product impacts marketing, how marketing impacts sales, how sales impacts client success, and how client success impacts product. Being a critical component of this cycle has taught me invaluable lessons about product market fit. I’ve loved representing the “voice of the customer” at Motivosity. I will never think of People Experience without thinking about the impact it has on our customers, and ways PX can help with the customer journey.  

Dent #5 - Bringing Essentialism to Life

The book that changed me the most at Motivosity was Essentialism by Greg McKewon. I’ve spent my entire life saying “yes” and doing whatever I could to help anyone. Essentialism taught me to say “yes” 10% of the time and then to go 110% on those 10% of items. By being selective and not trying to satisfy everyone I’m able to deliver a better result and be happier along the way. Each quarter I took a day alone by myself to disconnect from technology and focus on what is most essential in my life. This has provided a lot of clarity and is something I will continue to do my entire life. Thank you for helping me focus on what is most essential. 

I know one of the goals of being a MVer is to look back and say, “MV was a highlight of my career.” I can honestly say that is 100% true for me. Thank you for making so many dents on me and shaping me into the person I am now. I’m better as a result of working with you! 

Love all you nerds,

-Jared