Finding the Buttons

Each of us has the opportunity to motivate people: employees, students, volunteers, kids, business associates, buyers and many others. Everyone has a button. The key to motivating people is finding which buttons to push.

On a recent business trip, I started to focus on each person with whom I came in contact. From the person working the US Airways ticket counter to business colleagues, I tried to understand what made them tick. For some people, the driver may be satifiying a client with excellent customer service. For others, it may just be a pay check.

Spend the next several days observing the people you interact with at work, church, and socially. Ask yourself what make them tick? Ask them questions to understand their drivers.

Understanding what drives and motivates people is critical to effectivelly interacting with people. Investing the time to understand other people will help you make crucial connections and develop deeper relationships (or somther transactional relationships). Find the buttons.

Brian Gallagher