Lack of Motivation
For creativity to flourish, individuals, teams and organisations need to be motivated to go beyond the tried and tested comfort zone.
The hunger for higher profits and immediate financial return often wins out at the expense of transformational thinking.
Yet to be successful in our complex future world, we must push ourselves to see things from a fresh and different perspective.
To win, we need to be as excited about maximising our inherent creative superpowers, as we are about flexing our commercial muscles.
Reflection Questions
Take a moment to reflect on these three questions. Think about them from your own point of view, as well as the team and/or company you work for.
If the answer is NO to any of them, then think about why this is. Ask yourself what are the specific barriers and how might you be able to overcome them.
If the answer is YES to all of them, then you know that Lack of Motivation is not a problem!
Top Tip... Lighthouse Projects
Sometimes we lack motivation, not because the effort is too big, but because the potential reward is unclear.
This is where ‘Lighthouse Projects’ are useful.
A Lighthouse Project is an initiative everyone can look to and which shines a light on what’s possible beyond the usual results or tried and tested methods.
When people can see that change is achievable within the existing organisation, they feel more motivated to find ways of repeating the success across other initiatives. This fuels a positive spiral of creative motivation and change.
3 Steps... Lighthouse Projects
Find It Pinpoint a suitable project either current or from the recent past. It should be from within the organisation and demonstrate the kind of change and achievement you want to encourage more of. But it doesn’t have to big or really significant.
Understand It Truly understand what the project was about. Create a compelling case study. Deconstruct both the ‘what’ and the ‘how’.
Showcase It Put the project up on the stage for all to see. Talk about it over and over and over again. And get others in the company to do the same. Ensure the key messages become part of the shared corporate story.