The Science of Motivation | PART 5 - Task Attitude - Are you a Procedure Follower or an Alternative Generator?

One line recap (of previous module)

So have you decided on which profile you are based on yesterday’s lesson, or were you busy asking sourcing for other’s opinion? (Well, I think you kinda get the answer, right).

Today, let’s look at how you approach a task.

Objectives:

• Discover if you are more motivated when following a set of procedures, or you’re more excited when you’re able to generate alternatives to the current set of systems

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In any organization, there will be procedures. It’s basically a step-by-step guide to get something done.

Today, say hi to Nancy and Adila.

If you ask her colleagues, they will all agree that Nancy loves to follow procedures (and she makes sure others follow too sometimes), right to the dot. She’s the person every can count on to not deviate from the guidelines. As a matter of fact, if you talk to her, she will honestly tell you that without a preset procedures, she won’t know how to get anything done.

Sadly, Adila can’t really see eye to eye with Nancy sometimes. You see, Adila is the very opposite of Nancy: give her a set of procedures, the first thing Adila would do is to ask “is there a better way to do this?”. As a matter of fact, Adila can sometimes be perceived as someone who is a rule breaker. In truth, she just loves to tap on her creativity to explore new ways of getting things done. And, she loves generating options too, because she hates to be stuck with only one way of getting things done.

Familiar with Nancy and Adila? Chances are you’ve “met” them at your workplace.

Now, these two profiles may seemed to be again each other all the time, but they actually make a good team. Like I mentioned earlier, there will always be procedures in any company, and it’s good that people follow them. Seriously, can you imagine if everyone just do things they see fit, ignoring the SOP?

Having Adila on the team is great because she’s awesome at looking for new ways to get an old thing done. She’s creative, thinks out of the box, willing to explore and tasks risk. Leading an employee like Adila could be challenging: you’ll have to set boundaries for her but at the same time balance it will empowerment to explore.

Action Step or Recap:

What about you? Are you the person on the team to make sure all the Ts are crossed and all the Is are dotted? Do you say things like “if it ain’t broken don’t change it?”

Or, do you have this itch to always want to find new ways to get things done? For you, there’s no right or wrong, but only better, and you’re motivated to find the alternatives.