Recognizing motivators

- My dad was one of those people that just commanded a room. When he walked in, people just paid attention. He carried himself with an easy confidence, engaged others readily, and always had the best story at ready. He was the same way in meetings. He was never afraid to share his ideas and he was a master at getting others to come along with him. He as a classic motivator. Recognizing who your motivators are helps you manage and lead your team more effectively. Those that take the motivator role are the people who are often affiliative and often directive. They're not afraid of connecting or speaking their voice and thus, are naturally adept at getting people behind an idea. They, like relaters, connect easily. The difference is that with motivators it's more about them. With motivators, they want you to connect to them. You can recognize motivators from their communication. They tend to use more eye language, I think, I believe, I feel, and speak out often and regularly. They are not afraid of sharing their opinion even if it goes against the current ideas, sometimes, especially if it does. In meetings, they often speak more than others and offer their opinion more quickly. They're more likely to think out loud and their written communication tends to be less structured and used more vivid imagery and humor. They're the ones at parties with people gathered 'round as they share jokes and stories. They're comfortable with physical touch and tend to be more animated in their use of gestures and vocal variation. They are the natural public speakers. Motivators are great to have on a team as they help move the team forward. They look to the future, share their vision, and can get people excited about those ideas. They're motivated by recognition. They're the ones on your team that like to be stood up in the group and applauded for their contributions. Some common challenges for motivators fall into two categories. The first is around this idea of being dreamers and creatives. They may have an idea and get everybody excited about it, but it could be going straight for a brick wall, and they aren't aware of it. The other challenge I call squirrel syndrome, like the dog is the Pixar movie "Up." A motivator's going along in a certain direction then all of a sudden, "Squirrel!" The motivator gets distracted by something else and the focus is derailed. Another common challenge that motivators need to be aware of is tied to their willingness to speak their mind. If a motivator is not careful with how they express their thoughts, they could come across as overbearing or egotistical. Motivators need to be aware of when they're dominating the conversation. A good motivator will make sure to include other people's voices and actually listen to what's being said. Motivators are the leaders who rally people around an idea. They can sell the future. They're often directive and often affiliative and this natural passion makes them more likely to lead by being out front and get people excited about the path ahead. Motivators will likely derive referent power from their team members and their ability to directly influence others. Look at your team. Is this role being filled? If not, how can you adapt to fill this need? Find the people with a natural ability to motivate others and set them up for success.