What beliefs do I have about getting others to do things?
Sunday, February 18th, 2024
Imagine waking up one morning completely self-sufficient. We farm our food, stitch our clothes, and even create our soap. Perhaps that's an extreme example, but it highlights the truth: we are incredibly interdependent. Our daily lives require countless interactions with others, and these interactions go beyond simple transactions. Often, the exchange is more intricate than simply swiping a card to settle the balance with our money.?
The way we approach these interactions, motivated by our underlying beliefs about getting others to do things, shapes how we lead, collaborate, and build connections, both at home and in the workplace. Taking some time to reflect on these motivations and beliefs can significantly improve our ability to work effectively with others and foster strong, genuine relationships.
Below, I offer some recommended resources to assist us with the question of the week. I’ll post my reflection before the end of the week on YouTube.?
Resources to Complement Our Reflection
[Internalize]: A focus on financial rewards can lead to shortcuts, unethical behavior, and short-term thinking. Research shows that “carrots and sticks” can still play a role in motivating performance of routine tasks that don’t demand much creative thinking. In environments where extrinsic rewards are most salient, many people work only to the point that triggers the reward—and no further. The key to personal and organizational success is drawing on people’s higher instincts: our drive for (1) Autonomy—the desire to direct our own lives; (2) Mastery—the urge to get better and better at something that matters; and (3) Purpose—the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. When people are driven by intrinsic motivators, they are less likely to cut corners or pursue short-term gains at the expense of long-term value creation.
[Apply]: Find one area of your work or personal life where you can inject more Autonomy, Mastery or Purpose for yourself or those around you.?
Read: Beyond Carrots And Sticks: Three Keys For Motivating Performance - 2 mins. - Janice Molloy
[Internalize]: Delegation is way harder than it looks. Lots of leaders give up on delegation and wind-up doing things their team should be doing. Delegation is a skill and you can learn to do it well. Five key pieces of information to delegate effectively: 1) a clear description of the project - both overall and the intended outcome - in one or two sentences at most 2) a clear rationale or the “why” in a narrative form or bullets 3) a clear set of parameters (i.e. including the budget, potential pitfalls, milestones, etc.) in bullet form 4) a clear win - be clear, objective, and consistent with what you’ve previously shared 5) a clear level of authority, ranging from ‘do it exactly as I’m asking to do it’ to ‘handle it and I don’t even need to know what you did because I trust you to do it?
[Apply]: Delegate one task this week to a co-worker or family member sharing the five key pieces of information.
Listen: How to Delegate for Perfect Results Every Time - 29 mins. - Lead to Win
[Internalize]: Because our brains are so adept at broadly categorizing things we tend to struggle with nuance and individuality. Listening is the other half of communication and is a skill that is neither inherent or easy. If you can’t empathize with the people you’re trying to lead it is going to be very difficult to get them to follow you. The basic underpinning of actively listening is unconditional positive regard for the person speaking. Six strategies to become a better listener: 1) Pay Attention 2) Do Not Multitask 3) Be Open to New Ideas 4) Suspend Your Own Judgment 5) Be Patient and 6) Reflect Your Own Understanding
领英推荐
[Apply]: Take some time to listen to a stranger or try not to interrupt a loved one when they are speaking using one or more of the active listening strategies.?
Watch: The Lost Art of Listening - ?12 mins. -? Michael P. Nichols
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The Learning Loop is a free weekly newsletter designed to help subscribers learn on purpose. Each week subscribers receive one thoughtfully curated, timely question with a brief explanation behind why it's important and a couple of relevant resources to help subscribers with their learning journey.
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