Let’s continue exploring the one big leadership question…
How do I motivate people?
Here I will discuss the third of four dichotomies when it comes to motivating others.
- Authority vs. Relationships
- Obedience vs. Autonomy
- Your Agenda vs. Their Agenda
- Shame vs. Buy-in/
Consider something as simple as ministering interviews.
There’s often an orchestrated push to get these interviews scheduled and completed.
The elders quorum president may start by asking you to set an appointment, and then they pester, and then they beg.
Why is it so difficult?
Well, there are two agendas at work here.
The elders quorum president wants to be a good soldier because he was asked to get the ministering interviews done each quarter with the help of his presidency.
However, the members of the elders in the quorum can feel like a task to be completed.
Those same elders might have a busy work schedule, demands at home, or simply don’t want to have an awkward meeting where they feel more guilt than encouragement.
We have two agendas clashing and both the leader and the elder can feel frustrated.
When attempting to motivate never assume those you lead are lazy.
They simply have a different agenda.
It’s up to the leader to find out what their agenda is.
Maybe they are in a season of life where they don’t have the bandwidth to check up on other people’s families when they feel like their family is falling apart.
Maybe they are starting a dream business and it is taking more focus to get it off the ground.
When a leader sets his agenda aside and becomes curious about the agenda of those they lead, suddenly they have new empathy and discover more authentic ways they can serve the family or find others to serve their family.
Suddenly, agendas are easier to align.
So, what’s the agenda of each person you lead?
What do they need from the quorum related to their agenda?
Do they need more ministering assignments and constant pleadings to meet for an interview?
Or is there more to be learned by exploring their agenda?
Go find out.
Sincerely,
Kurt Francom
Executive Director
Leading Saints
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