Workplace Motivators Can Make All the Difference!!

The ancient Greek playwright, Sophocles once said,nn“Look and you will find it--what is unsought will go undetected.”nnThese words are even more powerful in our contemporary times than they were in ancient Greece. With career options rapidly changing in new and unexpected ways, it is vital that you develop a laser focus on what it is you DO want in your career path.nnThe first step in that focus is to become clear about what it is that you bring to the table. What are your strengths? What are your most powerful workplace motivators? If you are in a career transition, how can you most effectively sell yourself in a market that is fiercely competitive?nnAs a career coach (and former executive recruiter) I have found that one of the foundational elements of self-discovery is uncovering what it is that truly motivates you in the workplace. I work with my clients in that area using an assessment called the PIAV (Personal Interests Attitudes & Values) to determine which of the six main “attitudes” motivate you in the workplace. This assessment will rank your relative passion for each of the six motivators:nnValue-Theoretical, Utilitarian, Aesthetic, Social, Individualistic, TraditionalnnDrive for-Knowledge, Money, Form and Harmony, Helpfulness, Power, and Order.nnYour individual configuration of values helps initiate behaviors in the workplace which, unfortunately, are sometimes almost impossible to distinguish by observation alone. The PIAV helps to illuminate the motivating values thereby allowing the person to build on the strengths that each one of us brings to the workplace.nnFor example, most people think that a good sales person is a person who is very social and likes people. This makes perfect sense, because sales, after all, does involve huge amounts of time interacting with people. But we all know that there are sales professionals that fail miserably as well as those who succeed wildly…more than likely, both groups are “people persons.” What then, is the difference? Well…research has shown that an overwhelming majority of extremely successful sales professionals possess the Utilitarian value. This value, when broken down, is actually a drive for an adequate return on their investment of time and/or resources. In other words, they use their time and resources extremely wisely and really know how to allocate these resources for maximum return. This isn’t a value that you can readily observe in someone’s behavior….the effects of it show up over time however. And, this value makes sales a very natural process for the person with this value. Contrast that with someone who has a very high Social value. They also value people, but are not good at allocating their time and have a tendency to let people consume unlimited amounts of time/resources if they think they can “help” them. Neither value is better than the other….they are just different and can make a huge difference in the performance level in their work environment.nnSo…have I piqued your interest and gotten you intrigued about what your motivators may be??? I am offering a free introductory teleclass on Monday, April 27th at 2:00pm CST called Oops! Your Attitude Is Showing to introduce the six values and how they play out in your life. Teleclasses are fun….easy to attend (you just have to dial into the conference call) and don’t require extended periods of time away from your daily routine. To enroll in this class, please send an email to rsvp@profitconsultingco.com with the words “April 27 PIAV” in the subject line. Either Natasha or Erika will respond within 24 hours with a call in number and PIN for the call!