I have become convinced there are three things that have to be in place for a person to have a level of dedication and eagerness that infuses them with an inner desire to create, accomplish, drive, execute, sell, support, communicate or whatever they do beyond the upper limits of their ability.
- Do they know their role? Are they clear about their purpose within the system that surrounds them?
- Are they convinced that it matters? Do they know in their hearts that the role they have, their individual duty, really makes a difference?
- Do they derive a feeling of accomplishment in what they do? Can they see that which they have created with their hands or minds and see that it is good?
These three items are not easy to accomplish on a broad scale within an organization. These items do not flow naturally from programs, slogans, emails, speeches or lapel pins. For the majority of individuals to experience passion based upon knowing their role, being convinced it matters and seeing the good of their work, we have to focus on the following:
- Vision
- Culture
- Principles
- Style
- Sacrifice
In the next set of posts, I will explore each of these individually and I hope to generate some debate. I am looking to learn from people who read this exchange. What do you think it takes to generate legitimate, long term passion at work?
11 comments:
A big part of the passion equation extends beyond seeing the significance of one's role in an organization or endeavor. It also relates to the mission of the group itself. Political campaigns recognize this - they convince their followers that their platform and election will be a significant change. Thus, someone passing out flyers or answering phones can be extremely passionate, not because of the significance of their role, but because of the significance of their mission.
Agree Mike it is mission, but more than mission, those people are believing that the thing they do matters and is good. They are proud of their contribution.
Trust! Management and cultural consistency! Commitment to the cause! Maybe these are critical elements to generating legitimate long term passion at work. Look at the high turnover and frequent reorganizations, the change for change sake, the lack of loyalty and trust on both sides. These are passion crushers. The good news is with our basic needs being met these days most people are searching, in fact demanding more.
Alex, this topic is crucial for leadership effectiveness. Thanks for thought provoking, practical insights.
From what I have read and experienced another aspect of motivation is the quality of relationships. A movement in the business sector has found that people who have people they care about and who they believe care for them at work directly increases their passion / motivation / effectiveness. Obviously work isn't a "therapy group" but thinking through ways to make work more relationally rich would, I believe, help the productivity and passion of the work force. Well done, keep them coming.
Tom - agree with your thoughts on trust - have you read, "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen Covey Jr? Yes he is the son of...he lays out an excellent framework for us to think about trust. He says there are two elements; character and competence. Within character it is about integrity and intent. Within competence it is about capability and results. I think all of us fall short on one or more of these elements at different points in time. The key is to know how we are doing and be actively shoring up the ones that we are missing.
Dennis, my first customer told me, I do not care how much you know, I just want to know how much you care.
Care has every place in the business community. The community is made of people after all.
Belief that what you are doing is having the desired effect on the end customer/user is important. Being able to see how the part that you are doing affects the overall process and how that trickles down for the greater good of the client/customer/user. This enables you as the worker to know that you are an integral part of the process and are important. This, I believe, incites passion.
Nikki, thanks for your comments - how do we get someone to see their connection to the customer if there job is many levels away from direct contact to the customer?
Alex, haven't read the Covey book yet but I'll put it on my list. Regarding the customer and how far we might be from them - it's everyone's responsibility to know how they connect to the ultimate value proposition to the customer. If they don't know they need to find out. Having said that, upper management should be able to articulate at a functional level, and functional leaders should be able to translate this down to the individual contributors. This is part of the "execution" role that management has. Additionally the measurement and reward system should reflect and support the value added at each step toward the customer as reinforcement.
Hey Alex! Glad to see you in the blogosphere :).
I can't wait to read your future posts. I will say, on this particular topic, that I've always felt most successful when there is a team of folks working together. In one of my previous roles, we had clear direction on the goals, knew what success would look like, and everyone was excited about creating this "thing" that would make our organization better. The fact that we had almost a tribe mentality about the project made it fun to come to work; it didn't feel like a job. We felt empowered to take risks and that made the work exciting.
Jen - thanks for your comments, next post is on vision, which to me precedes what you discuss, the share clarity on what the team was trying to get done.
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