Occasionally, you get a staggering email, and realise you – or rather your product – has made an astonishing difference. Of course, I also happen to believe that I – and others with a similar philosophy, attitude and outlook – make massive differences all the time; it’s just we are not always aware of it. Sometimes we need someone who has benefitted from our service or process or product to be fully articulate, to be grateful, and to hit the right moment when they decide they are going to share with us.
Such a moment happened to me recently. I bang on a lot about how good Motivational Maps (and our PMP on our other site: www.motivationalmentoring.com) are at helping people with their careers. This is not surprising when you consider that choosing a job with the right endemic motivators must be preferable to choosing one that simply works against our motivators. To take a simple example, if our primary motivator is ‘learning’ – what we call The Expert – and the job/career/role we choose involves absolutely no training, coaching, learning or development (and such posts still seem to exist in reality), or only involve learning on an absolutely minimalist need-to-know basis, then there is built into the job a frustration right at the start.
About a year ago, a very bright professional woman did the Map, and said how good it was. Great. A couple of days ago I received an email from her that really set out just how ‘good’ good was! In her own words – with relevant changes to preserve anonymity, especially of the guilty – it goes like this (Her dominant motivator is what we call Spirit, the need for freedom and autonomy):
1. I had a boss, who tried to micro manage me. It irritated me enormously. I take it as a insult against my professional judgement. Why employ me, if you don't trust me? But I only truly realised this AFTER having done a map. Prior to completing a map, I would get agitated by his way of managing me, but couldn't quite put my finger on what it was that unsettled me. When was reading the map report and the do's and don'ts when dealing with Spirits, micromanagement hit a spot – "That's what they are doing to me and that's why I'm unhappy!"
2. Time recording – quite right, the pain of my life. In fact I need to do my time sheets for the last two weeks tomorrow, as it is the end of the month! But here again, the Map helped with self-awareness. Previously, I would forever kick myself in the ankle for being so disorganised for not getting my time sheets done. Now I am A) more aware that lack of ability to stick to a mundane administrative protocol is a weakness of mine, so I take more precaution to force myself to stick to it and B) when I haven't, I don't beat myself up about it quite so much and know to be a bit more understanding of myself
3. Completing a Map helped with career focus. ABC is the most prestigious firm to work in Bristol area. I would have been more inclined to stick with it, had I not completed a map and come to realise that it was highly unlikely that I would ever feel settled and happy in that place. Further, accepting the latest position at XYZ was somewhat risky, not least because of their alleged financial difficulties. Again, had I not done a map, I would have probably been more reluctant to accept it. However, knowing that I am a Spirit and having had the discussions with A.Nonymous of the likely role and freedom that is meant to go with it, it was really a no-brainer to accept it!!
So, I owe a lot to the Maps. Thank you. I'm sorry I haven't told you this before.
Self-awareness – the beginning of wisdom and change for us all. How wonderful – in fact, what a wonderful life – when we see the fruits of our efforts! Choose a role, then, that motivates you.
James
The Mapping Motivation Series 