Imagine two people who wake up every morning, go to a job site, and lay bricks for a living. A reporter stops each bricklayer and asks, “What are you doing?”
The first bricklayer says, “I’m laying bricks. What does it look like I’m doing?”
The second bricklayer says, “I’m building a university. I’m contributing to the future education of our youth. I’m changing the world.”
Both bricklayers are motivated, but only one is motivated by the self-confidence that comes from having an inspiring vision.
The ability to connect your job responsibilities to your values, your passion, and your sense of purpose is called relational thinking.
Think about any deliverable that you have a responsibility to complete. It could be routine (such as a weekly progress report) or specialized (such as a technical proposal or presentation). Whatever the deliverable or output required, you need a level of motivation for completing the task that is either internal or external, or a combination of the two.
Your motivation could be external. For example, you may be interested (“I want this, I’ll finish it right away”) or disinterested (“I don’t really want to do this, I will procrastinate as long as possible”). You may be motivated by fear (“I better do this, or I will lose my job”), or reward (“If I do this, I will be in line for a promotion”).
Your motivation could be internal. As examples, you may be motivated by
>> your values (“I am doing this because I value serving people”)
>> your sense of purpose (“I am doing this because we’re making this world a better place”), or
>> your passion (“I would do this for free because I like it so much”).
In all the examples, externally or internally, you are motivated. As your motivation shifts from external to internal, the quality of your motivation improves. Relational thinking is a skill that enables you to shift your motivational outlook from an external motivation to an internal motivation.
The key is for you to clearly define what you are doing that lets you express your values, fullfil your sense of purpose, or satisfy your innate passions or interests.
This means that anyone can improve the quality of their motivation by practicing relational thinking. Remember: a clear picture of your values, your purpose, and your passions or interests is a prerequisite to practicing relational thinking.
To be like the inspired and inspiring second bricklayer, practice relational thinking now. If you have not done relational thinking before, consider these questions
>> What do you value most?
>> What is currently your personal purpose or vision in life? How does your personal purpose/vision relate to the purpose and vision of your current work position? (check out this article & video I wrote about defining purpose)
>> What are you passionate about?
>> What are you really good at that you really enjoy?
Reference: Materials by Karl Mulle, © 2015 Association for Talent Development
