Motivation is generated by a variety of factors, some of which we can control, and some of which we can’t; like our genes that form our natural abilities (energetic or calm, introvert or extrovert).

There are some factors that we can control to some extent to boost our motivation:

• Regular exercise: flexibility of body, builds energy
• Good nutrition: balanced diet, vitamins
• Enough sleep:
• Reward system: create your own if one doesn’t exist in the organization you work for
• Challenges: seek or avoid
• Friendship: with co-workers
• Kindness: give it first, then receive
• Security: safe and secure, stability, long-term reliability of company
• Authority: position of power
• Independence: room to move
• Environment: colors, sounds, texture, atmosphere
• Creative expression: opportunity to express opinions/ideas
• Meaning: personal fulfillment, sense of purpose

Skills or “competencies” that help build and maintain OUR OWN motivation are:

1. Manage your environment: Create a workspace that encourages and inspires you, surround yourself with people or things that bring out the best in you.
2. Manage your thoughts: Think positively, focus on the benefits or pay offs of achievement, close your ear to negativity.
3. Set goals: Make both long-term and short-term plans, develop milestones (small achievements) to measure achievement process.
4. Maintains healthy lifestyle: Get adequate sleep, have a healthy eating habit, and exercise regularly to keep energy high.
5. Make commitments: Create consequences to your behavior to encourage you to be productive or else be shamed.
6. Manage stress: Identify source of stress and reduce it by better organizing workload/ deadlines
7. Manage rewards: Create your own reward system, share success with someone who appreciates it/have the same passion, buy yourself a gift/token of achievement, have drinks with friends, go on a picnic with family, etc.

Skills or “competencies” that help build and maintain OUR TEAM’S motivation are:

1. Manage rewards: Provide positive and constructive feedback consistently and fairly, recognize achievements, reward good performance.
2. Communicates effectively: Solicit ideas and feedback, present a clear vision of the future, and seek to inform, educate and inspire the team.
3. Manage the team effectively: Compose teams wisely, help the members to function smoothly and optimally.
4. Manage the environment: Create and maintain an attractive, functional workspace and encourage healthy relationships.
5. Matches skills and tasks: Match people’s skills with the tasks assigned.
6. Challenges: Identify people who strive on challenge, and seek to push them beyond their current limits.
7. Trains: Know current skill levels and provide ongoing training to enhance a wide variety of skills.
8. Resolve conflicts: Have sensitivity to identify issues of conflict and resolve them before they escalate.
9. Allocates resources wisely: Allocate resources in ways that people perceive as both generous and fair.
10. Models high motivation: Demonstrate high energy yourself, be committed, and display enthusiasm in all that you do.