Everyone has faced a situation where big goals never became something tangible and real. Enthusiasm fades away - and it’s very difficult to force yourself to continue. It's a matter of internal resistance. A new look at this phenomenon and recommendations for combating your own stubbornness are offered by Danielle Laporte, author of the book “Live with Feeling.”
Any undertaking requires not only time and effort, but also quite strong motivation. As a rule, rarely does anyone experience problems with this at the start, but as you move forward, the desire to change something in your life becomes less.
This can also manifest itself in a sharply negative form (“Nothing worked out! I won’t try again”), and be disguised as a lack of time and constantly arising obstacles. An elementary example is playing sports. In the first days of training, you literally fly on the wings of a healthy lifestyle, not love, you feel great and full of energy, and two weeks later you find yourself a victim of a huge portion of pasta and a glass or two of dry wine, reclining on the sofa and peacefully reading the next business novel. What happened?
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Achieving results
Achievements, achievements and once again achievements is the motto of the Chief of the Achiever.
If your Boss sets you the task of increasing sales next month by 23% compared to the previous month, in 24 working days. Breaks 24 working days in a month into 8 intermediate checkpoints. And upon reaching each checkpoint, he asks you “By how much, specifically in %, has the sales volume increased relative to the same period last month?” Then we can congratulate you. You have an Achiever Boss or Warrior Archetype—this is both his success and his Achilles heel. For him, the primary value is the value of achieving the desired result. He is a technologist and he has a technology for achieving results for everything related to work. Achievement technology is his strong point. Everything needs to be explained to him from a technological point of view.
And even if no one sees technology in simple and routine actions, he will create it. There is an even worse version. The Achiever boss can divide 24 working days into 24 checkpoints and every day, request the results of increasing sales. At the same time, with everything, the Chief Achiever himself is simply an example of a good salesman. He revels in sales and feels like a fish in water. And he can sell any product. From toilet paper to tanks. The Chief Achiever is a specialist of a narrow profile and if he is engaged in sales, then he is tailored only for sales. If he is engaged in military affairs, then in some narrow direction. If he is engaged in developments in the field of mathematics, then again in a narrow profile.
The success of an Achiever lies in scrupulous knowledge of his business. He is not interested in intrigues at work. He is always interested in overcoming the results already achieved. He is interested in achievements. He is no longer interested in achieving a result that has already been achieved. For the Achiever of the Chief, there are no authorities if it is a higher-ranking Chief than him. For him, Authority is the person whom he himself considers an authority and often this is someone who understands the subject more than he does. If an Achiever, the Chief reaches, by his own knowledge and professionalism, the level of a person whom he previously considered an authority. Then authority is overthrown and someone whose level has not yet been reached is put in its place. His own technology of achievement is constantly being upgraded, tuned and refined.
Sports psychology in life
Sports psychologists can answer this question. Motivation is the main problem of athletes and their mentors; without it, it is impossible to achieve good results and achieve victory. Preparing for competitions includes not only, let’s say, physical, but also psychological work. After all, no matter how gifted an athlete is, if he doesn’t have a sparkle inside, you can forget about great achievements. Since the existence of sports psychology, hundreds of methods for increasing motivation have been developed, including emotional, moral, psychological and material aspects. And all for the sake of achieving higher goals. Closely related to the concept of motivation is another concept—resistance. Todd Herman, a top-notch sports psychologist who helps athletes win Olympic medals, describes his own theory of resistance. It must be said that it has a serious scientific basis.
Achieving results. Way
Metaphor:
The manager walks through the store and sees a young salesman. First day as hired. He arranges for the buyer a car, a car trailer, a motor boat, fishing rods, a tent, and all the camping equipment in addition. The manager approaches the seller and says:
-How did you manage to sell so much?
— It’s very simple, a man came in to get pads for his wife. The seller answers.
- I don’t see the connection. The Manager speaks.
- Well, how about it? The seller answers. -During these days, I simply suggested that the man go fishing, and when fishing you need a tent and a boat, all this needs to be carried on something, and I suggested that he buy a car and all the camping belongings do not fit in the car, and for this I offered to buy him In addition, a trailer for the car. The total purchase amount was $50,000. A curtain.
How to build a relationship with the Chief Achiever? Everything is very simple. Only the same Achievers can work for the Achiever’s boss. The value of technology to the Achiever boss is the key to it. Everything you want to explain to the Achiever needs to be divided into stages. Place these stages as they progress, one after another. This will be the technology for him. Then his value will be satisfied. The next value for the Achiever boss is Difficulty. The task must be difficult to achieve. And then the Chief Achiever will take it up and lead his subordinates, who are the same achievers as he is.
If the Achiever is told that “Few people have gone to the North Pole, and especially few have returned, we, of course, have little faith that you will return and cope, but at the same time we strongly doubt it.” The Achiever will take on this with joy. Difficult achievements are the second value in the work of an achiever. And his success.
How to achieve the desired result: psychology of activity for a manager
“Whoever wants is looking for opportunities, whoever doesn’t want is looking for excuses”
Today they talk a lot about motivation in the context of personnel management, but somehow they unfairly forget about the psychology of activity.
But this is a very important topic and the psychology of motivation is part of it. The goal of people management at any enterprise is to obtain the desired result from each employee to achieve the global goals of the company. It is the presence of a goal that distinguishes activity from activity. Coming to work on time, actively participating in discussions, and carrying out certain actions for a long time and painstakingly is activity. All this becomes an activity when we understand WHAT we will get as a result or WHY we perform various actions.
Initially, the concept of activity was considered by such outstanding Russian psychologists as L. S. Vygotsky, S. L. Rubinstein, A. N. Leontiev, B. F. Lomov. The concepts and goals of these researchers were in many ways different, sometimes unnecessarily opposed. But if we consolidate all these concepts, we can identify three basic elements. And all the differences in approaches are related only to which particular block is given more attention.
1. I WANT - I have an internal need or desire. This is the basis of intrinsic motivation. “I WANT an apartment / a car / to travel around the world / to get married, etc.”
2. CAN, includes:
- competencies, including knowledge, skills and abilities required for this activity.
- resources necessary to obtain the desired result: technical, informational, administrative, time and others.
The CAN block is the most favorable for adjustments. Relevant skills can be easily developed with motivation, and the necessary resources can be found.
3. WILL - this is the willingness to make volitional efforts and realize intentions. This is the most energy-intensive element in all voluntary activities. Therefore, the transition to activity is the most problematic.
There is a wonderful parable: One man complained to the whole world about great bad luck. He said that he couldn’t even win the lottery. A man constantly asks God for help. Every day he prayed and asked to win the lottery. But there was still no help from God. So he asks for a month, a second, a third..., a year, a second, a third... And suddenly a voice comes from heaven: “Well, you should at least buy a lottery ticket!” Remember that wishes and prayer without action are unlikely to lead to results.
Well, the most important thing in any activity is the desired RESULT . After all, activity is carried out for its sake. It is the presence of an expected result that distinguishes an activity from other types of activity: games, communication or cognition. Understanding the end goal of effort gives meaning to our actions. And this has a huge impact on our motivation, that is, I WANT.
Let's look at these elements from the point of view of personnel management tasks.
I WANT: to create and maintain motivation among employees
Motive is the internal urge of a person to engage in certain behavior to satisfy needs. Motivation in management is the creation of conditions that encourage a person to act and achieve the goals of the organization.
Motivation is not only pay or a set of activities to improve team spirit. Any manager is engaged in motivation at each stage of management: from planning to motivating feedback, which stimulates a person’s desire to correct his shortcomings and work better in the future.
A leader is exactly the person who helps a subordinate find personal meaning in work and transfer the requirements of the position from “need” to “want.” That is, from external forced motivation to internal, personal motivation. Indeed, with weak internal motivation, the final result may differ significantly from the desired one in terms of quality or implementation time.
I CAN: teach skills and provide resources
Here, the manager’s task is to assess the employee’s abilities and skills necessary to perform the relevant activities, create conditions for training and development, and also provide the necessary resources.
WILL: stimulate and support the activity of subordinates in the implementation of the planned
This is perhaps the most difficult thing. Often the dreams of owners are broken by the human factor on this cliff . Having been inspired by the burning eyes of their subordinates and having created all the conditions, business owners already believe that the employee will certainly show activity. But this is a systematic survivor error! What worked for some is not a fact that it will work just as well for others. Yes, there are exceptions. But in the vast majority of cases, hired employees prefer to save their own efforts. Not out of malice! But just for personal comfort.
Therefore, I want to emphasize the importance of paying close attention to maintaining the willpower of employees.
For this:
- Encourage people to start activities . It is difficult for some people to do this on their own due to neurophysiological characteristics. Others are just lazy.
- Maintain the process with periodic monitoring. A volitional impulse, if it is not based on physiological needs, tends to quickly fade. This is neurophysiology. Control over the process allows, on the one hand, to identify errors in a timely manner, and on the other hand, to demonstrate patternism, which increases the performer’s sense of significance of his work.
- Provide correct feedback following the completion of a task or at the end of a period. This will avoid repeating mistakes and consolidate a positive professional experience. And any feedback lets the employee know that he is considered part of the team and his contribution has been noticed.
The RESULT of each employee's efforts must be related to the key goal of the business.
Every company has a main goal for which everything happens. It can be ambitious about conquering the world or more down-to-earth. But it is precisely this goal that underlies the planning system, which is detailed down to the specific tasks of each position in the company.
The result of an employee’s activities is the implementation of specific tasks or high-quality performance of their job duties, which allow other employees to achieve the company’s goals. Having a clear and achievable desired result is an additional way of motivating the performer . The more detailed the job description is or the more precisely the business objectives are formulated, the higher the likelihood that the activity will be productive. Don't forget about KPIs. These indicators are very useful in determining the actual performance of employees.
But an employee’s lack of understanding of the final result of his work creates conditions for imitation of hectic activity, procrastination, or the development of emotional burnout syndrome.
It is worth noting that it is useful for a manager to know whether the personal system of goals of each employee coincides with the work one. Because it depends on how much the actual result will correspond to the company’s expectations and how long the cooperation will last. You shouldn’t naively believe that a well-developed company brand guarantees 100% loyalty. Remember, people are selfish. And if personal goals begin to clearly contradict corporate ones, a person will choose personal ones. This is a given.
When your employees are not achieving the results you want, it is worth looking at their performance in terms of the elements described above. Ask them a few questions and you will understand where exactly the difficulties are.
Attention! You need to answer regarding the specific task at hand.
Here is a sample list of questions:
Check I WANT
- Do you want to do this activity?
- Is the task set for you in the category of “want” or “need”?
- Does this activity correspond to your inner motives?
- To what extent do you believe in the success of achieving this goal (0-100%)
I CAN check
- Do you have the necessary knowledge?
- Do you have enough experience (skills) for this activity?
- Does your busy schedule allow you to achieve your goals?
- Do you have the resources to achieve the desired result?
- What other resources do you need?
Checking WILL
- Does this activity fit into your immediate plans?
- How do you assess the balance between risk and benefit? Can you change this ratio? (this question will help identify a common fear of failure)
- How will your efforts be rewarded? (the benefits can be not only financial, but also emotional or intellectual)
- How ready are you to start this activity in the next working day? (0-100%)
- What will you do to encourage yourself as you move towards your goal?
For us, what we put effort into is always more valuable. Questions like these stimulate thinking and increase engagement. And the answers you receive will help you determine exactly where it’s worth making extra efforts to get the result you want.
You need to answer these questions as sincerely as possible. This will only take 5-10 minutes. When working with difficult goals, it is useful to write down the answers so that you can return to them after a while. By the way, adjusting the intended result after such questions is a common thing!
About forced helplessness
Let's look at a special case. Sometimes an employee fails to complete assigned tasks. He is confused and begins his excuse with the words “I can’t...”. In psychology, phrases like “I can’t...” refer to cognitive errors or mental traps. Forced helplessness keeps a person captive to delusions about his own helplessness and prevents objective and conscious management of his life.
The phrase “I CAN’T” allows you to escape personal responsibility, shift the blame to external circumstances or specific people, and also helps to hide your true motives from others. By saying “I CAN’T,” a person takes a passive position and emphasizes his dependence on the context. This can lead to feelings of guilt, blaming oneself for incompetence, or other negative automatic thoughts. Sometimes this phrase hides soft reverse delegation, the purpose of which is to simply transfer the execution of one's work to a mentor, manager or colleague. But in both options there is a risk of not getting the desired result from the employee’s activities.
It would be much more accurate to use phrases instead of “I CAN’T...”
- I DON'T WANT = “I have no actual need for this”
- I WILL NOT = “I am not willing to put in the effort at this time.”
The manager’s task in such a situation is to help understand these obstacles on the path to the desired result, as well as increase the employee’s responsibility for his actions.
Case Study
A month and a half ago, Nina was promoted to store manager. The team consisted of very strong active sellers. The complexity of the situation was that now she had to manage those who had recently been her mentors. Nadya approached the director of the network with the problem that she CANNOT manage this team. She noted that it was difficult for her to delegate additional tasks to experienced subordinates and to ensure that they were completed.
After analyzing the elements I Want - I Can - I Will, it became clear that the problem is not in delegation and control skills, but in other blocks:
- I DO NOT WANT to spoil relationships with colleagues who have been mentors to me.
- I WILL NOT delegate additional tasks to my former colleagues. I'd rather do everything myself.
That is, the cause of management difficulties was the fear of losing attention from significant colleagues. But after a joint discussion, Nina was able to find new motivators for herself, ease her anxiety and feelings of guilt. The problem was solved! And a month later, she was already able to easily manage a stellar team and enjoyed respect among her subordinates.
A little history: in the photo Jim Thorpe is a real Indian, an athlete,
American athlete. At the 1912 Summer Olympics, Jim from Oklahoma represented the United States in track and field. The morning before the competition, his shoes were stolen. Jim found two shoes in the trash can, but one was too big, so he had to put on an extra sock. Jim won two gold medals in these shoes that same day.
This story is a great reminder that you don’t have to put up with circumstances and wait for ideal conditions and sufficient resources. After all, Jim could have said, “I CAN’T compete because I don’t have shoes.” But his WANT and WILL help find a way out of the situation and the Olympic medal was won.
And if your subordinates do not get the result you want, and out of habit they are looking for excuses, then help them clarify I want - I can - I will for a specific goal or activity.
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Speed of idea implementation
In many ways, this point serves as a litmus test to distinguish a successful person from a failure.
Postponing the implementation of your idea until later is a direct path to nowhere.
How many thoughts are spinning in your head about a variety of things? Have you taken steps towards implementing at least one of them in the last month?
You have an idea about how to organize work more efficiently in production - don’t put it off, go and suggest it. Even if upon closer examination it turns out to be unrealistic, you will try. Smart bosses value innovators.
“Success is not the end, failure is not the end; the only thing that matters is the courage to keep fighting.”
Winston Churchill
You liked the girl at the bus stop - go and meet her. Yes, she may have a husband, children, or she may simply not be interested in you, but you will never know about it if you don’t approach her!
You have come up with a corporate identity for your future company - draw a logo, write down all the slogans and other ideas. Even if you never have any company, these steps will show that you are not a theorist, that you can act and not just build castles in the air. In the end, a successful corporate identity can always be sold on special websites
