You’re an established leader, you’ve recently moved into a new role and wham, there it is, another organisational change around the corner. You know what’s ahead: long days and some late nights too, stress and pressure, and all on top of everything that’s going on at home. You have a new team and you question whether they’re up to the challenge of this next bit of the transformation. If you don’t have the right people around you and you don’t have the budget to buy in skills, then it’s going to be even more of an uphill struggle. You ask yourself: do I really want to take this on or is this a challenge too far?
These are absolutely all the right questions to ask. But before you try to find the answers, just hold on a moment. If you are not completely committed to this next bit of the change, then just how are you going to convince others to get on board too?
Locating your own motivation before any kind of change is super critical. And it’s critical whether it’s the next shift in the organisation’s journey, or a different kind of shift in other parts of your life such taking more exercise or starting that new hobby. Take some quality time (needn’t be a long time) to dig down into your own motivation for this next step. You know when you’ve found it – it’s the moment when something clicks not just in your mind but through your body. At that point, you have tapped into something at the core of what you believe, and you’re suddenly energised and brighter.
Our motivation for change goes itself through change. Earlier in our career, it might be the opportunity to get a new experience or industry on our CV, or the prospect of an overseas assignment, or the chance to learn a new skill. Later on, we are often more motivated by nurturing others or leaving a legacy in the organisation. Other people are energised by finding new solutions to old problems, or the possibility of running a change in a new way based on different assumptions and beliefs.
Whatever the ‘psychic fuel’ is at the time, you need to locate it, bring it into your consciousness and keep it front and centre. This will become an important source of energy and inspiration. Protect it, nurture it, and use it to fuel your work and your passion.
21 May 2016
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