Hebrews 13:17-18; 2 Timothy 2:15
It has been said the difference between motivation and manipulation is the quenching of thirst. If so, the key for leaders is to look for thirsty people and identify their thirst. Effective motivators ask themselves, What kind of water do I have to satisfy that kind of thirst?
How can we bring out the best in people?
- Establish a friendly atmosphere. When we’ve genuinely motivated someone, we can look that person in the eye and know we have an honest, friendly relationship between us.
- Enjoy people’s uniqueness. Being friends is beneficial, but having the same tastes is not necessary. We need to share in our workers’ excitement and appreciate their work for the beauty in it. Workers will sense our appreciation and be motivated by it.
- Know a person’s capabilities. We should objectively evaluate a volunteer’s skills, potential capacities, level of commitment, ability to be motivated, discipline, and intensity. This is necessary if we are to nurture volunteers in their natural abilities without pushing them beyond their real limitations.
- Know how much responsibility a person can take. Good leaders know if their people work best when given assignments that detail what is to be done or when given responsibility that leaves the initiative up to them.
- Look for mutual benefits. We should look for individuals who want to develop skills from which the church can also benefit. If a person has potential, a good question to ask is: “You have a lot more talent than you’ve been able to put to use. How much effort are you willing to exert if we give you the opportunity to develop that talent?”
- Give a person a reputation to uphold. Public recognition as well as knowledgeable compliments motivate volunteers, when done with integrity. For example, I know of a boss who had a way of saying nice-and true-things about his workers that eventually got back to them. The workers appreciated it and worked hard to uphold their good reputation.
- Enjoy working, and let it show. When people see we are truly grateful for the work we are privileged to do, they intuit that they can enjoy their work as well.
As we honestly and openly offer water to parched people, we are not manipulating but motivating.
To Discuss
- Do our volunteers enjoy their work? How would we know if they do?
- Are our volunteers challenged to grow in their skills? Why or why not? How could this be done without creating a harsh environment?
- Who are the key volunteers who could take on more responsibility?
- How do we reward the enthusiasm volunteers have for their work?
From Building Church Leaders, published by Leadership Resources © 2000 Christianity Today.
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