Motivation is a topic of great interest to businesses and marketing professionals alike, but few have as much experience with it as John Mcmorrow. He’s the Co-Founder of the global loyalty company, Vantiv; the world’s largest microlender in Africa; and one of the first people to understand how digital could change retailing. In his new book, The New Rules of Retail, he offers readers his insights on what motivates us and why that matters for business and marketing strategies alike.
John begins by defining motivation as “the process by which an individual determines why they want to do something or not”. He explains that motivation has three key aspects: Social, Self-Direction, and Purposeful Vibration. Social Motivation involves connecting with others for support or recognition. Self-Direction is about exploring options for activities and interests outside of school or work. And Purposeful Vibration focuses on finding meaning in your life through activities or ventures you take on regularly, rather than once in a while.
Self-Direction and Purposeful Vibration
John’s book offers some specific ways to help work towards motivation and self-direction, like finding a new hobby, exploring a new interest, or connecting with an organization. He also explores the steps you can take to find purposeful vibration in your life, including volunteering and taking up a new cause.
The New Rules of Retail is full of practical insights on how to change your perspective on what motivates us so you can make better business decisions that lead to success.
Understanding Social Motivation
Social motivation is what drives us to know why we want to do something, either for ourselves or because of others. It’s about connecting with others and getting support from them. It’s ultimately about the social aspect of life – the sense of belonging, being part of something, feeling energized by others. John says that understanding your social motivation is important in figuring out how much energy you have for pursuing a goal, as well as understanding what motivates you outside of school and work, or even within those spheres.
John suggests that there are a few ways to understand your social motivation:
– Chart out what people you care about (family, friends) are trying to accomplish
– Listen to feedback from mentors who can help guide your ideas
– Consider what types of things make you feel the most alive (outside of work)
– Consider how much time you spend talking to friends and loved ones at least once a week
He also explains that when it comes to understanding social motivation, it pays off if you actually follow through on these thoughts. As Mcmorrow puts it: “If you start taking action on this information and acting on it, then the insights will come into sharper focus”.
Three Key Aspects of a Complete Brand
John Mcmorrow believes that a complete brand must have three key aspects in order to be successful.
Social: Social motivations are about connecting with others for support or recognition.
Self-Direction: Self-direction is about exploring options for activities and interests outside of school or work.
Purposeful Vibration: Purposeful vibration focuses on finding meaning in your life through activities or ventures you take on regularly, rather than once in a while.
What Can Cause Self-Direction and Purposeful Vibration to Drop?
John defines a lack of self-direction and purposeful vibration as the “most significant risks to motivation”. He says that these things can be caused by many things, such as not feeling comfortable with your job, not knowing what you want from life, or a feeling of being stuck in the wrong career path. John warns that these feelings can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
He then offers six suggestions for how businesses can help people stay motivated: Provide realistic opportunities for self-direction. Offer flexible ways for people to grow their skills. Create a supportive work environment where people feel valued and respected. Give people clear opportunities for growth and personal development, with regular feedback on progress. Offer paid time off when it makes sense for employees’ needs and talents (such as if they are looking after children). And provide meaningful rewards that are relevant to personal interests or activities outside of work
This motivational speech by John Mcmorrow is interesting because it teaches us how important motivation is in our lives and how it’s important to keep our self-direction and purposeful vibration high so we don’t become discouraged or depressed over the course of our careers.
Understanding the Dark Side of Social Motivation
One of the most interesting insights John offers is that Social Motivation can have a dark side. In fact, he argues that it’s what we “don’t like about our social world that motivates us to reach for greater things and creates the energy for change.”
John cites three types of dark side motivation: loneliness, shame, and envy. Loneliness is when you feel disconnected from others and wish to be closer to friends or family. Shame is when you feel guilty or stupid because others are better than you at something and you want to prove yourself. And envy is feeling bad because others are getting more recognition or praise than you are.
This makes sense; there are many ways that social motivation can lead us to negative behavior if not harnessed properly. For instance, if you constantly compare yourself with your peers, it could make you feel worse about your own achievements to keep up with them.
An Overwhelming Response to Purposeful Vibration
John’s biggest takeaway is that people are motivated by purpose, not money. In fact, there’s a sense of fulfillment that comes with finding meaning through something you do regularly. And this is what marketers should be focusing on: offering their audiences purposes they can feel connected to.
He offers a story of an experiment he conducted with his students where they were given a task to design and advertise a product without any money or other incentives. The students were highly motivated by the purpose of the products they had to sell and wouldn’t budge until they found it. The lesson? Don’t underestimate your audience’s ability to find meaning in your product or service if you provide them with one!
The Bottom Line
Successful businesses are those that motivate their employees through social, self-direction, and purposeful vibration. In order to succeed in a changing world, businesses need to understand their employees’ motivations and provide them with a sense of purpose.
The New Rules of Retail is an excellent book that offers readers insight into the changing ways we look at motivation and the importance it has on our work life.
