AN ESSAY ON "RIGHT THINKING"












Motivation research has demonstrated that, for most people, money is not a primary motivator.  So, why do people work? The simplest answer, and perhaps the best, is that people work to satisfy their needs, wants, and desires. Let’s consider these one at a time:

·       Needs -- necessary for survival
·       Wants -- not necessary for survival but in the same category
·       Desires -- Includes things money cannot buy

     Now let us ask, What will motivate people who are not dissatisfied with what they have to greater levels of productivity?  The answer is: Any event that increases feelings of self-worth and confidence. We want things that money can buy but we also desire things money cannot buy. To take this thought process to its next higher level let us now consider being Agenda Driven and it’s near opposite, Mission Driven.

Agenda Driven

     In our culture we are taught from an early age that to be a winner is highly desirable and that winners are strongly goal oriented people.  When we clarify our goals we have identified predetermined outcomes that we want--- be they needs, wants or desires.  When we have an agenda it is primarily designed to satisfy our needs, wants, and/or desires.  Let us remember what the sales training guru Zig Ziglar taught: “The way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.” 

Mission Driven

When we are responding to our nobler emotions our genuine concern is, How can I serve?    It has been scientifically demonstrated that positive thoughts have positive energy and this energy creates an emotional environment affecting all people who are in that field of energy, as the following story demonstrates:

     I was conducting a sales and team building seminar for a group of real estate sales people in an outstanding ERA, INC practice in Bangor, Maine.  When I introduced the concept of being Mission Driven as a sales technique several sales people made comments to the effect that being mission driven couldn’t work in real estate.  When the last of the opposition to the concept had been voiced a petite, gray-haired, grandmotherly lady stood up and said, “I’ve never referred to it as being mission driven but that has been my sales technique for the past several years.  I came to adopt this style quite by accident. One month I had the good fortune to exceed my monthly sales goal in the first week.  For the rest of that month, with each potential client, I concentrated on “how can I help this person?” I had never experienced such appreciation and acceptance as I did for the remainder of that month and I have never deviated." The sixty-five year old lady had been the top sales person in the agency for three consecutive years!
                                                                                                         

Peace,
Bud