Motivating

Yourself and
Others
A Practical Process That
Will Produce Results1,2
A Presentation for SOMC
Medical Education
Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBA,
DFAPA
April 14, 2008
My aim is to offer practical insights you can put to use in your personal and professional lives.
Please let me know whether I have succeeded when you complete your evaluation form.

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Why is this important?

Every organizational
leader in the world thinks
about it every day.
It is often the difference
between success and
failure.
It is not easy to create or
sustain.
Some people have it.
Some people dont.
It varies from moment to
moment.
It varies depending on our
interests.
Most of us would like to
have more of it.1,2

After mastering the

information in this
presentation, you will be
able to

Identify three factors that

diminish motivation at
work,
Identify three of the
common results of poor
motivation in the
workplace,
Identify three of the most
powerful motivators in your
life,
Identify three practical
steps in an effective
process for motivating
yourself,
Identify three practical
steps in an effective
process for motivating
others,

No patient has ever come in complaining of having too much motivationexcept for those with impulse control disorde
A patients son was motivated to be unmotivated.

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What factors diminish motivation in

the workplace?

Meaningless tasks
Red tape
The BMW club1
Lack of clear goals
Failure to set
priorities
Distractions
Over-commitment
Information overload
No positive feedback
Lack of autonomy

Unpredictable
change in direction
Lack of recognition
No closure
Absence of humor
Micromanagement
Failure to delegate
Bureaucratic hurdles
Interpersonal
conflict2
Lack of
accountability

Have you ever met a miserable person who did not firmly believe someone else was to blame?
Disagreeable people take the joy out of work. A hunter shot a duck and the farmer was disagreeable.

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What are some of the results of poor

motivation in the workplace?

Laziness
Failure
Procrastination
Poor quality1,2
Resistance
Avoidance
Tardiness
Burnout
Demoralization
Dissention

Frustration
Conflict
Lack of meaning
Absence of pride
Resentment
Turnover
Disengagement
Discouragement
Negative
organizational
culture

One of SOMCs silverbacks recently made an insightful and witty observation.

We didnt start counting surgical instruments until the 1980s, and . . .

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What are some of the most powerful

motivators in our lives?

Commitment
Money
Meaning
Recognition
Love
Participation
Emotion
Appreciation
Collegiality
Competition
Hate1,2,3
Religious beliefs

Sense of
accomplishment
Cultural norms
Chance to make a
difference
Independence
Opportunity to
serve
Duty
Habit
High energy level
Perceived need for
change

Unfortunately, hate remains one of the most powerful human motivators.

A patient seriously considered crashing her car into my office.
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Dr. Jitendra Patel told a wonderful story about a woman requesting cyanide.
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How can you motivate yourself?

Stick with your
passions.
Share your enthusiasm.
Hang out with high
achievers.
Flavor tedium with
pleasure.1,2
Go with your strengths.
Make lists.
Get yourself worked up.
Stay focused on results.
Act in spite of your
feelings.
Just do something.
I have exercised more than an hour each day for many years.
I combine exercise with distracting activities that I enjoy.

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How can you motivate others?

Associate with highly
motivated people.
Set a measurable goal.
Recruit a choir.
Make a compelling case.
Use emotional bait.
Set a fire and keep it going.
Lead by example.1
Produce results.
Make it fun.
Explain how.
Keep doing something new
and different.
Celebrate
Let me tell you an amazing story about SparkPeople.

What have you learned?

Motivationour own and othersis a
major issue in our lives.
It matters at home and at work.
We each have different motivational
temperaments.
Its not a question of getting more, but
of harnessing what weve got.1,2
There are effective ways to do that.
Try some of them out.
Dont let your frustrated longing for
perfection keep you from making some
progress.
If you want to see the transforming power of motivation, watch what loving parents do for their kids.
For a time, my father drove a Dutch Oven Bakery truck and sold door-to-door.

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Where can you learn more?1

Adair J, Understanding
Motivation. Guildford: Talbot
Adair, 1990.
Chandler S, 100 Ways to Motivate
Yourself, 1996.
Hilton P, Using Incentives to
Reward and Motivate Employees,
Personnel Management,
1992,24(9), 49-52.
Rye DE, 1001 Ways to Inspire:
Your Organization, Your Team and
Yourself, 1998.
Stewart, KL et. al., A Portable
Mentor for Organizational
Leaders, SOMCPress, 2003
Straub JT, The Agile Managers
Please visit www.KendallLStewartMD.com to download related White Papers and presentations.
Guide to Motivating People, April
1998.

How can you contact me?1

Kendall L. Stewart, M.D.
VPMA and Chief Medical Officer
Southern Ohio Medical Center
President & CEO
The SOMC Medical Care Foundation,
Inc.
1805 27th Street
Waller Building
Suite B01
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
740.356.8153
StewartK@somc.org
KendallLStewartMD@yahoo.com
www.somc.org
www.KendallLStewartMD.com
All speaking and consultation fees are contributed to the SOMC Endowment Fund.

Are there other questions?

www.somc.org

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