data s h e e t
Optimal Motivation
Optimal Motivation
is grounded in a powerful
assumption:
Motivation is a skill.
Motivation can be taught,
learned, developed, and
nurtured.
No one can truly motivate
another person.
Motivation is an inside-out job.
This is why we urge leaders at
all levels to understand and
develop the skill of activating
Optimal Motivation for
themselves first and then learn
to apply their new skill to
helping others do the same.
The Leadership Difference.
®
™
It is increasingly evident that organizations and employees need an alternative to traditional
approaches for motivation and engagement. Persistent economic pressures, global
imperatives, generational differences, cultural diversity, and the rapid pace of change make a
compelling case for advancing beyond outdated motivation practices. Evolutions in the types
of work, and revolutions in how our work is being done, demand it.
Optimal Motivation transforms the most promising research on motivation into focused,
pragmatic, and purposeful actions that help leaders and employees experience higher levels
of energy, vitality, and well-being by leveraging their natural desires to
• Pursue and achieve meaningful goals
• Craft innovative solutions to persistent problems
• Demonstrate their competence and creativity for seizing opportunities
• Attain and sustain peak performance
• Build and continually enrich a strong, caring, and supportive organizational community
and culture
Optimal Motivation Is a One-Day Session Consisting of Three Parts
Pa r t 1 — Pr e work: Activating Optimal Motivation
The prework sets the context for why Optimal Motivation is relevant and important from
three perspectives: as an individual, as a leader of others, and as an organization that provides
the necessary environmental supports for an individual’s Optimal Motivation experience.
The short prework video and two exercises, delivered as electronic PDFs, allow participants
to complete the prework at their own pace prior to the classroom session—typically in 25
minutes. An optional pre- and post-assessment is also available.
Pa r t 2 — Ac t ivating Optimal Motivation for Myself and with Others
In this interactive and thought-provoking learning experience, participants explore the
Spectrum of Motivation model with its six Motivational Outlooks. Based on the basic
psychological needs that underlie all human motivation—across cultures, ethnicities,
genders, and generations—participants develop the skill to shift their Motivational
Outlook for a current task, goal, or situation at will, resulting in reduced stress, optimized
productivity, and a greater experience of true fulfillment from one’s day-to-day work.
In Part 2, participants learn to
1. Identify their current Motivational Outlook
2. Choose their desired Motivational Outlook
3. Shift or maintain their Motivational Outlook for an optimal experience

Who Should Attend
• Any individual who is interested
in learning the skill of activating
Optimal Motivation to achieve and
sustain high performance while
flourishing with energy, vitality,
and a sense of positive well-being
• Results-oriented managers and
executives who are interested in
using Optimal Motivation best
practices and leadership language
to help their direct reports shift
their Motivational Outlook and be
“high potential employees”
Global Headquarters
125 State Place
Escondido, CA 92029 USA
From anywhere: +1 760 489-5005
Within the US: 1 800 728-6000
Fax: +1 760 489-8407
For a list of our offices worldwide, visit
www.kenblanchard.com
MK0729 040512
Pa r t 3 — Conducting Motivational Outlook Conversations
Leaders play a pivotal role in setting up and supporting an environment that satisfies, rather
than undermines, what people need for activating Optimal Motivation. Building upon the
skills they developed in Part 2, participants learn to use Optimal Motivation best practices
and language to help others activate Optimal Motivation for themselves.
In Part 3, leaders at all levels learn to
1. Use Optimal Motivation best practices
2. Lead with the language of Optimal Motivation
3. Conduct Motivational Outlook Conversations
4. Appreciate the role that expert motivational leadership plays in redirecting traditional,
and often deeply embedded, organizational practices
To imagine what it means when people activate Optimal Motivation, consider a workplace
where employees
• Perceive work as a purposeful and fulfilling choice, enriched with meaningful
relationships
• Develop the competencies that enable them to handle work and life circumstances
• Experience energy, vitality, and a deep sense of wellness
Optimal Motivation advances contemporary research on motivation, prompting an exciting
opportunity to meet our biggest challenges, goals, and aspirations—not just what we want
from people, but what we hope for people at work.
For more information, please contact your Blanchard Sales Associate at 800 728-6000
®
or 760 489-5005.
Optimal Motivation is highly
experiential with streamlined
materials and beautifully
created resource tools to enhance
their continued use beyond the
classroom.
*Contact your Blanchard representative for whitepapers and our latest published research on Employee Work Passion.
Optimal Motivation™ Data Sheet