Six Minutes on Motivation

One of the best things about my work is that I get to associate with really smart people, which is precisely what I did at the Verasage Institute's conference on pricing for professionals in Las Vegas. 

The last morning of the conference, Verasage guru Ron Baker invited/challenged me to do a six-minute talk on the topic of my choice. I turned him down at first, and had plenty of excuses. "I'm not prepared." "I'm dressed for traveling, not speaking."  "I'm not tall enough." Yes, I actually thought that. What it came down to, of course, was the fear of looking ridiculous.

Finally, though, my desire to be heard overcame my fear. Here is the result: six minutes on the true nature of motivation. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.  

The next time somebody offers you an opportunity, maybe you'll remember this video and be motivated to scare yourself just a little. 

Nobody Wants to Be the Bad Guy

Recently, I presented a session on mentoring to a group of CPA firm leaders, all of whom were women. During our discussion, the issue of a lack of honest communication between mentor and protege arose. To a person, these partners and soon-to-be partners agreed that mentor programs do not come close to reaching their full potential because the mentors (in other words, the women in that room) do not speak forthrightly to their proteges. When I asked why, they said, “Because nobody wants to be the bad guy.” 

I can think of few greater wastes of time than a meaningless mentoring program. It does such a disservice to a young person’s future when we are unclear in our discussions about their path, performance, or plans. Such fuzzy communication doesn’t do our own integrity any favors, either.

As mentors and leaders, we must commit to practicing Melinda’s Four Cs of Communication: 

• Consistency
• Clarity
• Civility
• Courage

Pay attention to that last word, courage. It means fighting the slightly sick feeling in our stomachs when we have to deliver less-than-cheery assessments. It means encountering, and maybe causing,  a measure of pain in another person. It means dealing with emotions — your own and someone else’s. 

However, these challenges are only temporary. They are far outweighed by the increase in trust and meaning between you and your protege. If you think in terms of creating an artful stew of constructive advice with kindness and clarity at the root of your intent, you can change lives.  

Whatever a “bad guy” is, it simply cannot be someone who truly wants to help another person succeed. Keep that in mind the next time you are mentoring. Let go of your fear. You and your protege will be better for the effort.