=================== Motivation -- Inspirational Messages ================= by M.D. Smith -- Huntsville, AL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "MOTIVATION IS LIKE A FIRE: UNLESS YOU CONTINUE TO ADD FUEL, IT GOES OUT." Improving motivation and morale can be one of the more difficult things to achieve in a company or department. But by taking it one step at a time and one person at a time, you can gain success. The 20 item questionnaire will help you identify areas where you can improve and achieve better motivation for the people you supervise." ---------------------------------------------[ more ]-------------------- "YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH ATTITUDE, BEFORE YOU CAN REACH A HIGH ALTITUDE !" Navy Pilot saying Before you can motivate anyone to do anything, you have to have you own attitude on a positive basis. You have to have the best interest of the people you supervise in your heart. When you are truly doing your best to build your people and make them successful, that is when they will be successful. When they succeed, you succeed as a manager. That is when you can soar to the high altitude referred to in the Navy Pilot saying. You must have high goals and ideals that you aim for and convey that same feeling to the people you supervise. Boldly go into new frontiers...you may make some mistakes...but as we have all heard before...... "NO GUTS, NO GLORY!" -----------------------------------------------[ more ]------------------ During the days of the early west, there was a time when there was a bounty of $5.00 for every Indian scalp that was turned in. For some mountain men who were doing poorly at trapping, this could turn out to be a nice grubstake. As it happened, two such men, Pete and Sam were camped on a hilltop out in the wilderness. Next morning Sam went outside the tent to see hundreds of Indians dressed in warpaint, weapons in hand, circled the entire top of the mountain around the tent. Sam took one look and dashed back inside the tent screaming for Pete to wake up. As Pete looked up, Sam blurted out...... "PETE ! PETE ! ...WE'RE RICH ! WE'RE RICH !" There is a lot to be said about a positive attitude and high ideals.... just so they don't get unrealistic. If you believe something about your people to be true, it will likely happen. If you believe you have a bunch of dummies that can not accomplish anything, it is likely that they never will. Likewise, if you believe that they can accomplish great things and have honest faith that they will.....they will likely achieve most of these things. ---------------------------------------------[ more ]--------------------- "HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE" By Dale Carnegie Influence and Motivation go hand in hand. Here are the chapters in the book... 1. Don't Criticize,Condemn or Complain. 2. Give Honest, Sincere Appreciation. 3. Arouse in the Other Person an Eager Want. 4. Become Genuinely Interested in Other People. 5. Smile. 6. Remember that a Person's Name is to that Person the Sweetest and Most Important Sound. 7. Be a Good Listener. 8. Talk in terms of the Other Person's Interest. 9. Make the Other Person Feel Important--and Do It Sincerely. 10. The Only Way to Get the Best of an Argument is to Avoid it. 11. Show Respect for the Other Person's Opinion and Never Say, "you're wrong". 12. If You are Wrong, Admit It Quickly and Emphatically. 13. Begin in a Friendly Way. 14. Get the Other Person Saying 'yes,yes' Immediately. 15. Let the Other Person Do a Great Deal of the Talking. 16. Let the Other Person Feel that the Idea is His or Hers. 17. Try Honestly to See Things from the Other Person's Point of View. 18. Be Sympathetic with the Other Person's Ideas and Desires. 19. Appeal to the Nobler Motives. 20. Dramatize Your Ideas. 21. Throw Down a Challenge. BUY THE BOOK ... AND READ IT ! -------------------------------------------------[ more ]---------------- "I wondered when you'd fire that guy" "It's a shame for us to work hard and him goof off" "Am I the only one who REALLY works around here?" "Does the Boss not know or not care about the poor work?" =================================================== If there is a bad-apple or dead-wood in your department, it is dragging down the whole organization. If good workers observe another doing nothing and making mistakes...and nothing seems to get done about it, morale will go to the bottom. Employees want you to recognize their good work, but they also want you to see poor work and attitudes.... and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Either correct the problem or remove the dead wood. If we hesitate because we do not have a handy replacement, we are compounding the problem. Most of the time good bosses are TOO patient, allowing too many 'second-chances'. For the sake of your good employees and their morale. Make needed changes and replacements. Your employees will respect you for it. They probably know many more reason to fire the person than you know about and they will be glad when you take action. -------------------------------------------------[ more ]---------------- WHATEVER YOU THINK If you think you are beaten, you are, If you think you dare not, you don't. If you like to win, but think you can't, It is almost certain you won't. If you think you'll lose, you're lost For out of the World we find, Success begins with a fellow's will-- It's all in the state of mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are, You've got to think high to rise, You've got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize. Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But soon or late the man who wins Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN ! Anonymous -------------------------------------------[ more ]---------------------- When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging, seems all uphill When the funds are low and the debts are high And you want to smile but you have to sigh When care is pressing you down a bit Rest if you must .... BUT DON'T QUIT. Often a goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup And he learned too late when the night slipped down How close he was to the golden crown. Success if failure turned inside out The silver tint of the clouds of doubt And you never can tell how close you are It may be nearer when it seems far So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit. "Anonymous" *************************[ end of messages ]**************************