I was recently made aware of the most amazing practical demonstration of what motivation involves. Whilst reading through Andy Cranwell's website, it struck me as interesting the way he approaches team building.
He makes reference to The Fun Theory through, amongst other things, the piano stairs. This video is an impressive example of how the perception of the task defines the response to it. This rings true to me on a number of levels.
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates People is a brilliant part of the The Royal Society of Arts website. Not only have the RSA managed to make something which delights me as a piece of art being created before my eyes, but it conveys a lot of knowledge in an easily digestible form. In a nutshell, what I draw from it is what motivates people is their passions !
An expression I have heard and like is 'the first step is half the journey'. When that first step is taken effortlessly I think it is generally something which innately rewards people, and when this is the case, great things can come of the journey. I am of the opinion that individuals are not born with 'talents' but acquire them through the happenstance of their inspiration.
Inspiration can, of course, come in all guises; a kiss, a word, a sight, a kindness, an encounter. An inspiration puts fire in our belly to know intimately and wholly, everything about something, somebody, sometime...
What drives you ? It is a good exercise to think about how you wound up doing what you do today - who or what created that spark ? Also, I like the question to pose yourself - if you take the last six months of your life, would you be happy to repeat it for eternity ?
My bet is that people get good at what they love should it have been nurtured and allowed to have been nurtured...
