Professionally when I am ‘in the zone’ – meaning time is standing still – I’m surrounded by books, and am researching, learning new things, and designing new training. This is what it looks like when I am engaging my primary driving force which is Intellectual. It’s one of twelve driving forces that orients us toward activities that are engaging or activities that are draining.
DOWNLOAD A QUICK OVERVIEW OF DRIVING FORCES HERE!
Driving forces point to the “why” of our actions. When our primary driving forces are engaged on a consistent basis…WE are engaged. When employees are engaged, motivated, and energized…they produce results.
When we are aware of our driving forces, we:
- develop better relationships
- have an increased appreciation for others that are different than us
- are able to see the viewpoint of others
- are more satisfied with our work
- hire people that will be engaged in the culture
- better engage staff and utilize their passions
A common theme I’m hearing from leaders is: we are working hard to engage our staff by developing our people. There’s a sense that by developing our people, they will be more engaged and committed to the organization. That’s a very true approach. However, I like to caution about a one-size-fits-all approach to development and engagement.
Organizations need a personalized approach. They need to slow down to understand what motivates their employees, what types of responsibilities or work truly motivate them, and how do we ignite their passions? Knowing their driving forces is a quick way to have these meaningful discussions about what drives THEM and how that can be integrate tasks accordingly day to day.
Consider these questions:
- What are you doing professionally when you’re in the zone?
- What tasks do you find engaging?
- What drives your employees?
- What do you know about their professional passions?
- What are your employees engaged in when they are in their own “zone?”
Good luck! Let us know how it goes!