How to Motivate People at Work

Are you a manager, team leader, coach, or mentor who is interested in motivating people at work? If so, then you won’t want to miss this episode of IN:60 with Jamie Turner. Check out the short video, or read the transcript below.

Transcript: In today’s episode of IN:60, we’re going to talk to you about how to motivate people at work.

Ready to do this? Let’s go!

You probably know someone who needs to be pointed in a new direction, either from a career point-of-view, or from a personal point-of-view.

If you’re a manager, a consultant, or a mentor, getting someone back on course is an important aspect of your relationship with them.

But the question is … how do you give them the motivation they need?

The best way to give you the answer is to tell you about Mrs. Wardlow.

Mrs. Wardlow was my 5^th grade teacher. She was a classic – the beehive hairdo, the strict disciplinarian, and a heart of gold.

She also had me as a student, which would be a challenge.  

I was a kid with ADHD who struggled to pay attention and was pretty much the class clown.

But Mrs. Wardlow saw something in me that other teachers had missed. She saw a kid who wanted to do well, but who lacked the discipline to sit still and pay attention.

One day, she rewarded me by giving me an honorary position as a crossing guard.

It’s important to note that I hadn’t been elected as a crossing guard – that was for the A students. Instead, she gave me an honorary position, which I took as a sign that she believed in me.

When she acknowledged the spark that was inside me, I took that as a sign that someone other than my parents believed I had the potential to succeed.

So, I quickly shifted gears to be a more focused, serious student.

All because she saw something in me that other teachers hadn’t.

Now, how does this apply to you?

My life was changed when Mrs. Wardlow saw something in me that deserved recognition.

And you can be a Mrs. Wardlow for someone else.

Here’s how to do it.

Everyone, it doesn’t matter who, has a spark of talent inside them.

The spark can be creativity, humility, kindness, decency, or just plain smarts. But we all have that little glimmer of something.

The next time you find someone who needs a course correction – or even a bit of love – find the spark inside of them that needs to be nurtured, and then acknowledge that strength. That little glimmer of something.

That small gift of recognition can be exactly what that person needs in order to turn their life around and get pointed in the right direction.

Find someone’s spark. Shed some light on their gift. And help them see a path forward so they can get back on track.

I hope you liked today’s episode of IN60. If so, be sure to subscribe on YouTube and hit the little bell so that you’ll be notified next time we have a segment like this.

My name is Jamie Turner. This has been IN:60. And I’ll catch you next time.

About the Author: Jamie Turner is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and CEO who is a recipient of the Socialnomics “Top Keynote Speaker” award (along with Tony Robbins, Ariana Huffington, and Richard Branson). His client list includes The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T, Microsoft, Verizon, SAP, T-Mobile, and Holiday Inn. You may have seen Jamie in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, Business Insider or the Wall Street Journal. He’s also a regular guest on CNN and HLN where he contributes segments on marketing, persuasion, and leadership.