Motivation doesn’t automatically follow decisions

Recently I’ve been busy:

• Delivering an Advanced Problem Solving workshop in Melbourne for a team resolving logistical and freight-related discrepancies
• Travelling to country NSW to facilitate a two-day strategic planning retreat for 20 senior managers in the Australian division of a global provider in hearing care
• And, running a workshop in Brisbane with a management team in the child protection and disability support sector to update and refine their company values and behavioural expectations across the organisation.

But why should you care?

Because… as is my way, as part of the projects I speak with participants individually in advance of the in-person events to build rapport and gain their perspective on the topics under consideration. So I get individual input beforehand as well as seeing the output of the group discussions.

And after facilitating lots of these programs – the results of which usually require team members to implement some degree of change – there’s an important lesson to note.

Motivation doesn’t automatically follow decisions.

The outcome of training or strategy development is often a change in focus, direction, or activities. And business leaders usually expect the people involved will automatically adjust their behaviours and priorities to focus on what has been addressed and agreed to during the sessions.

It seems logical.

And after all, the team helped decide the course of action.

And they know it’s important.

But managers – at all levels – should recognise there is a need to actively manage that process of change. Participants won’t always immediately adjust their thinking and behaviours. Especially once they get back to their regular workplace and face the demands of business-as-usual.

It’s not because they don’t believe it’s a good idea.

It’s because there is a gap between what is recognised logically as the right decision, and the ability (or lack of ability) of participants to readily adapt their own mindset and their intrinsic motivation to undertake the new direction, and thereby adjust their behaviours.

Implementing change is challenging, at a personal level. Even when you know it’s a good thing.

So it was great to see that as part of the two-day program in country NSW the hearing care company had arranged for some change management training for the mid-level managers attending the retreat. And as a result they could see how it will help them to move forward with the new strategic initiatives.

Achieving improved outcomes relies on individuals adapting.

Helping individuals to understand why the change is needed, what it means for them, and how to find and maintain their own motivation can be the keys to achieving successful outcomes. Unfortunately it is often a missing link in organisational initiatives.

If you’d like to explore how to achieve better outcomes from your strategic planning or training initiatives get in touch and we can tee up a time to talk it through.