The art of motivation

Whoever said that you can’t motivate people for they need to find that spark within, has not considered the impact a woman can create when she takes it upon herself to align people towards a purpose. I won’t say that women are better motivators than men, but I would say that the art of motivating others to be better, bigger and stronger comes naturally to them. Here is why.

Communication is an innate strength

Women talk. They talk when they are happy. They talk when they are angry. They talk when they are sad. So the fear of communication, whether it is one-on-one or in public, isn’t a big fear for them, for talking is something that is second nature to them. To be a motivator, communication is the greatest tool. If you cannot communicate, you cannot motivate. Pick up the greatest leaders that history has known and you will see that all of them have been great communicators. The one strength common to most women is their ease in communication.

Emotional expression comes easily

Words don’t move you, words alone don’t put your potential into action, but the emotion that they evoke in you is what motivates you to take heed.

Discussing concepts or expressing ideas which are devoid of emotions are inert and pose no compelling urge for action. People don’t connect to concepts, they don’t connect to words, but they connect very effortlessly to emotions. The expression of emotion is an asset for women. When they blend in emotions in their talk, the impact is far greater and deeper.

The two-world experience

Women have experience of both the worlds; the man’s world at work and a woman’s world at home. As working women, their experience and, therefore, their viewpoint on life and living is far deeper than their male counterparts. Their anecdotes, their opinions and resolutions to problems have a more holistic approach, for when they bring up a solution to work-related problem, the problems on the home front are also taken into consideration. Being a woman they can easily empathise with their female counterparts at work. Being a working professional in a tough and high-pressured environment, they can also relate to the difficulties of their male colleagues. Their ideas and solutions have the chance of greater acceptance.

Adaptability of styles

Women have the knack of being able to vary their style of communication because of the different relationships they have to cope with on a daily basis. When it comes to communication, one shoe does not fit all. Every person has a different understanding of their work and their world, which may seem common to others. Women shoulder the responsibility of communication at home—from figuring what the newborn wants, to understanding the husband's reservations, to handling the house help and the expectations of the elders, they are good at varying their communication styles. They can easily steer the course of the communication to the level and understanding of the person they speak to. This makes them relatable and real. If someone can relate to you, then you have the power to influence them.

The ‘role model’ factor

When women make it despite all odds, that achievement becomes a source of motivation for others, men and women alike. Men are ‘supposed’ to be heroes and they are ‘expected’ to be strong and tough when it comes to work pressure. But when women make it, enduring the difficulties and overcoming the challenges, they become inspirational. Especially in our country, in the developmental phase that it is today, professionally and culturally, women are not expected to make a mark like men are expected to. So when a woman steps out into the world and creates a mark for herself, that feat alone becomes inspirational for people; for if she can make it, then so can others.

They dig deeper than what is apparent

Women understand emotions because they are good at expressing it themselves. Women can sense and understand problems at a deeper emotional level and that is the issue that they address to resolve. Oftentimes, one will find that the real problem is not the job, the boss or the project, the problem is mostly how one feels about the job or the boss or the project. Many people do not realise the impact that mis-emotion has in deluding them from the real problem. When women take up the role of a motivating force, their ability to lift the emotional despair from the problem opens the gates for its resolution quite effortlessly. Once the emotion is handled, then the problem is ready to be solved.

They can empathise and respond better

Women are good at spotting the deception even when people say ‘I am fine’ and they are not. They pick up on the misalignment of the words and the body language. And when that is also covered up, they can pick up on the contradictory ‘vibe’. They instinctively probe and probe till the problem is out into the open, versus leaving it unattended. And because they can empathise, they can respond better. It is in their nature to be protective about people when they share their feelings. It is in their nature to do everything they can to cheer people up. It is rare to find a woman who leaves you further in despair when you opened up to her. The motherly nurturing instinct comes up and they do not quit unless the tension has been diffused and the mood has been uplifted.

‘Non-lecture-y’ style of communication

Women don’t become ‘lecture-y’ because they don’t mind sharing their own heart and they don’t mind opening up to people. And because they can open up, people can take inspiration from their stories for everyone is more or less in the same boat.

The life situations are more or less common to everyone; the intensity of the problems may differ however. When one shares their problems and their resolves, it automatically gives others ideas to solve their own. And even if the problems aren’t similar, the fact that they shared their struggle and consequent overcoming, it brings hope to others that they can do the same in their lives.

I believe that you can’t motivate someone by teaching them, by preaching them or by bombarding them with ideas and content. Motivation involves your inclination in genuinely wanting to help people, your intention to touch people’s lives and to inspire them to better their lives because you believe they can, because that is what you did with yours.

A person who motivates others is also a person who has gone through enough hardships or enough challenges and emerged victorious with their resilience and their abilities in alignment with their purpose. It is an added advantage if that person can also be a good communicator, a person who can empathise, who can bring positive emotions and encouragement while at it, then that person stands to be the greatest motivator in the world. By those standards and qualities, women are natural and make fantastic motivators.

olmdesk@outlookindia.com