Motivational Management: Inspiring Your People for Maximum Performance

Creating an Action Orientation

The shift from negative to positive attitudes is a vital one, but obviously it is not the whole story. It just sets the stage for some serious work. It isn't the work itself. Nobody ever made a dime just from feeling good. You have to convert those good feelings into useful actions to make them percolate down to the bottom line.

The need to follow positive feelings with positive actions explains why the Work Emotions Grid has an action dimension. As a manager, you need to first take care of any negative feelings by creating a positive work atmosphere—and then you need to capitalize on this atmosphere by focusing your people on productive activities. If people are in a positive frame of mind, they are often capable ...