"I love the part of my job where I get to talk to customers and help them solve their problems, but I just can’t stand all the paperwork. It’s getting to the point where I’m thinking of looking for another job." Heather went on to explain that she likes her company, and enjoys the people she works with, and doesn’t want to feel like she’s being driven from a good job by the paperwork.
"The paperwork is just so de-motivating!" she explained.
Have you ever felt like Heather? Are there tasks that you truly enjoy and find motivating, and others that really turn you off? Is finding a new job the only answer? Probably not, because almost every job contains elements that motivate you and others that de-motivate you. The secret is knowing how tackle the tasks you’d rather avoid.
Here are seven strategies you can try:
1. You CAN do it. Low motivation doesn’t mean you CAN’T do something, it just means you prefer not to.
2. Have realistic expectations of yourself. Having low motivation means you may not enjoy the task, and it will take you longer and use more energy than someone with high motivation. Don’t compare your productivity to someone who thrives on the very task you detest.
3. Determine if "Adequate" is good enough. Is it imperative that you be excellent in this particular area? If you have low motivation, you can probably be adequate with enough training and practice, but being "Excellent" may be beyond reach.
4. Reassign the work. Can this task be given to someone else? Perhaps there is someone with high motivation who would enjoy this work.
5. Partner with someone who is strong in this area. This the Rogers and Hammerstein approach. An example would be the successful sales person who relies on her assistant to do all the paperwork.
6. Create a system or use a tool. I know of a professional with high talent for creativity, but low talent for details and capturing all his good ideas. He finally decided to carry a pocket tape recorder in a leather case on his belt. This allows him to make verbal notes to himself on the fly.
7. Ask for reassignment. One of our clients who had always been a successful project manager was floundering in his new role. The reason was that he had very high motivation for routine, methodical procedures. He needed lots of structure and order in his environment. Unfortunately, he was assigned to develop new products in a start-up company, and there were no rules, no structure. His best option was to accept reassignment to a role that allowed him to create processes and procedures for the new venture.
Very, very few people are motivated by all the tasks in their job description. That’s simply because no one, including you, is motivated to do everything. We all have areas of low motivation. The most successful people are the ones who acknowledge these areas, and apply the strategies listed above.
"The paperwork is just so de-motivating!" she explained.
Have you ever felt like Heather? Are there tasks that you truly enjoy and find motivating, and others that really turn you off? Is finding a new job the only answer? Probably not, because almost every job contains elements that motivate you and others that de-motivate you. The secret is knowing how tackle the tasks you’d rather avoid.
Here are seven strategies you can try:
1. You CAN do it. Low motivation doesn’t mean you CAN’T do something, it just means you prefer not to.
2. Have realistic expectations of yourself. Having low motivation means you may not enjoy the task, and it will take you longer and use more energy than someone with high motivation. Don’t compare your productivity to someone who thrives on the very task you detest.
3. Determine if "Adequate" is good enough. Is it imperative that you be excellent in this particular area? If you have low motivation, you can probably be adequate with enough training and practice, but being "Excellent" may be beyond reach.
4. Reassign the work. Can this task be given to someone else? Perhaps there is someone with high motivation who would enjoy this work.
5. Partner with someone who is strong in this area. This the Rogers and Hammerstein approach. An example would be the successful sales person who relies on her assistant to do all the paperwork.
6. Create a system or use a tool. I know of a professional with high talent for creativity, but low talent for details and capturing all his good ideas. He finally decided to carry a pocket tape recorder in a leather case on his belt. This allows him to make verbal notes to himself on the fly.
7. Ask for reassignment. One of our clients who had always been a successful project manager was floundering in his new role. The reason was that he had very high motivation for routine, methodical procedures. He needed lots of structure and order in his environment. Unfortunately, he was assigned to develop new products in a start-up company, and there were no rules, no structure. His best option was to accept reassignment to a role that allowed him to create processes and procedures for the new venture.
Very, very few people are motivated by all the tasks in their job description. That’s simply because no one, including you, is motivated to do everything. We all have areas of low motivation. The most successful people are the ones who acknowledge these areas, and apply the strategies listed above.
