
Every one of us, in reality, has two people inside: The person we are today and the person we can become tomorrow and in the future.
We go to work every day, are never late or absent, earn a promotion; and receive occasional raises. We and our work are far above satisfactory. That makes us the person who is well liked by our employer, our family, and ourselves.
But there is also another person in us. It is the person who, when properly motivated and exposed to the encouraging information, can narrow the gap that exists between his habitual performance patterns and his maximum potential.
The development of people, whether directed by someone else or by us ourselves, is a never-ending process. To the productive and well-managed company, this is as important as its advertising.
The development of staff is a really enormous area for additional profit that will mutually affect the employer and his employees. The development of people does not, by any stretch of the imagination, involve exploitation or manipulation of human beings. They, themselves, benefit as much or more than does the employer.
By exposing them to the information that develops them as persons, we help them reach into their deep reservoirs of ability and bring more of it to the surface. Consequently, they have more spontaneous skills and abilities to bring to the table, whether that "table" is at work, at home, at church, or school.
To motivate human beings is not to force-feed them. They are at all times free to reject or ignore that to which they are exposed. But they don't; they come back for more.
We cannot motivate others; that's something can have to do by themselves. However, we can set the motivational climate and they'll respond, not because they have to, but because they want to.
Now, wouldn't you rather have a well-oiled, highly motivated individual functioning at his (or her) maximum potential on your team?
Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.
© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in ezines, newsletters, and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required. Mail to: executiveandgroup-consulting@yahoo.com when you use this article.
Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts seminars, lectures, webinars, and writes articles on his theme: "... helping you maximize your potential." He offers management, marketing, and parenting resources at Maximizing Your Potential blog.
AP - Trying to survive a deepening recession, employers are cutting their work forces to the bone, leaving more Americans unemployed and with dim prospects of finding a new job any time soon.
AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich faces almost certain impeachment by the Illinois House, a historic step that would trigger a trial to determine whether the Democratic governor should be tossed out of office.
AP - Lawmakers are under orders to finish action on President-elect Barack Obama's nearly $800 billion economic recovery plan by mid-February. But already it is plain that a set of serious fissures need to be bridged if the bill is to be completed within five weeks.
AP - Israeli jets and helicopters bombarded Gaza Friday and Hamas responded with a barrage of rockets, as Israel's government said it will press forward with its offensive despite a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama is completing his national security team by announcing his unusual choices for CIA director and a national intelligence director who may face tough Senate confirmation questioning over how he confronted the Indonesian military when civilian massacres were occurring in East Timor.
AP - Investors showed nervousness Friday ahead of the government's monthly employment report, sending stock futures moderately lower.
AP - Democrats are ushering in what they believe will be a new labor-friendly era in Washington with House votes on two bills aimed at helping women fight pay discrimination in the workplace.
AP - TV stations in 22 U.S. cities announced Thursday that they will start broadcasting their signals this year in a format designed to be received by mobile devices like cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units and in-car entertainment systems.
AP - Tim Tebow gave Florida the jolt it needed, and the Gators toughed out a second BCS title in three years. Their 24-14 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in a choppy, sloppy affair Thursday night made them a national champion.
Reuters - Steep falls in European industrial output underlined the severity of the world economic crisis on Friday and more grim news was on the way with the United States expected to report the biggest monthly job cuts in more than 30 years.
Reuters - Israel pushed ahead with its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday, defying a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is working on an overhaul the $700 billion financial rescue program with the aim of doing more to spur the flow of credit to the struggling economy, an Obama aide said on Friday.
Reuters - Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly said a deal to monitor gas exports via Ukraine would be signed on Friday, allowing for the resumption of supplies to Europe cut off by Moscow's price row with Kiev.
Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.
Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
Reuters - An analysis of proposals to overhaul U.S. health care by President-elect Barack Obama and members of Congress suggests it is possible to insure all Americans without significantly raising total health spending.
AFP - Israel battered Gaza with bombs and shells on Friday, vowing its offensive on Hamas would go on despite an order by the UN Security Council to stop the assault that has killed hundreds of civilians.
AFP - Russian gas deliveries to Europe could resume later Friday, the head of Russia's state gas firm said, raising hopes for an end to a transit dispute with Ukraine that has left several European states without gas at a moment of bitter cold.
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