The manager’s subtle confusion:

Some managers are pleasantly confused about these two seemingly powerful words; Inspiration and Motivation.

As a result of this confusion, they end up not doing either of them for their teams.

An insight into the Three ‘E’s of Inspiration & Motivation: What the leaders and managers must understand is that both inspiration and motivation are extremely strong and positive emotions of heightened enthusiasm, energy and excitement.

When these emotions and feelings of inspiration and motivation grow, they steadily and positively can boost up a person’s ability to think proactively and passionately which eventually can and will lead to acceleration of his overall productivity!

The thin yet deep line of difference between Inspiration and Motivation: it is imperative for the leader or manager to initiate or awaken feelings of high energy and enthusiasm within the team members to thereby boost up their performance.

So what do they actually do? Inspire or Motivate???

Well! Let us get this conundrum appropriately clarified!

One of the most fundamental differences between Inspiration and Motivation, as was recently and brilliantly articulated, by Ram Bajekal, Managing Director of FMF Foods.

He said Motivation is that emotion which gets triggered by the outside factors and elements, but in comparison to this Inspiration is that emotion which gets awakened and blossomed from within that person.

Hence it is inspiration that is more stronger, more deeper and more sustained as an emotion.

“Words Motivate; but Actions Inspire” one of the critical differences between Inspiring and Motivating is the fact that mere words of appreciation or even acknowledgement towards an employee is not enough.

It will surely create emotions of motivation. But these are such emotions which may not last for a very long time.

Motivations have been notorious in slowly yet steadily fading away from the minds and the attitudes of the people!

Having said this, leaders must look at inspiring their people because inspiration is that emotion which remains for a very long time and is quite easy for the person to keep rekindling it within himself.

But this emotion of inspiration can be developed in the people only through ACTIONS.

Ronil and his team

Ronil was a very proactive and an efficient manager. He had a great team but one of the problems was the absence of passion.

He felt that they were not having intense passion to accomplish their objectives.

There were team members who would even come late to office and sit late too but doing nothing much. Ronil therefore decided to talk to them collectively.

He called them to the conference room and gave them a motivational talk about the importance of passion and how it helps to enhance productivity.

He also motivated them to improve upon their time management skills. The conference room interaction was very effective and motivating; but only for three days.

Post the three days some of them again started to come late to office. Upon being asked why they were again coming late to office, they replied, “old habits die hard”.

Ronil was a very nice person and though he did not like and approve of their casual and almost a ‘demotivated’ response he decided to not give up.

He called his mentor, Ravinesh and expressed his concern about the lack of discipline.

Ravinesh heard every word of his. And then asked, “In the last 15 days, how many times have you been punctual at office?

Ronil quickly responded, all the days …but he corrected himself….sorry Ravinesh, I have actually missed coming on time thrice to office but I had genuine reasons for it.

Ravinesh was firm.

To Ronil with polite sternness he exclaimed, “When you tell others to do something which you yourself aren’t doing,  you will end up only motivating them and this feeling of motivation will last only for a few days or may be weeks.

“But when you start doing it yourself then what will happen is that your actions will speak louder than words and this will surely lead to them getting truly inspired.

“This emotion of inspiration will be not just for a week but for a very long time for sure.

“For any team leader or manager, it is important that he sets a precedent or a benchmark for the others.”

Change in own attitude

Ronil understood and from then on he actually changed his own attitude towards time management and would be completely punctual without compromising even one single day.

Even for meetings, Ronil would be the first to reach the meeting room.

Within the next few days he began to see the positive changes in the way his team members were becoming punctual and committed to their goals too.

This had happened not through motivational words but through Ronil’s actions.

Ronil’s story could be a possibility in many of the teams in many of the organisations.

Motivation is not wrong at all but what will be most potent will be the manner in which the leader could do both, motivate by words and simultaneously inspire by actions!!!

Mayur Kalbag is a Leadership Coach, Corporate Trainer & Author. He mainly focusses upon Training and Human Resource Development through ‘Specifically Designed Seminars and Conferences. He can be contacted via email: mayurkalbag@hotmail.com