Challenges…How to use a Challenge to Get Results

Challenges…How to use a Challenge to Get Results

Have you ever had someone tell you, you could not do something? Did it make you give up or fight harder. Chances are, as someone reading this “Success Series Blog Tips”, you are in the top third of humanity who will rise to a challenge. The middle third will usually give up. Most, but not all of the bottom third tend to give up. Sometimes, it may be the only time they really rise up. The need to prove someone wrong ends up being a strong motivator for them.

Which ever group you fall into, if challenge works for you, it may also work for those around you. Unless you know them incredibly well, you may need to experiment a bit. Once you know who responds well to a challenge, use it to get the most from them.

With a child who is coasting in school and you disagree with their hair style, you might try, `I will bet you a new iPod Nano, if you get your grades up to an `A` level and keep them there until the end of the year. If you cannot, I get to say how you wear your hair for the rest of the school year. If you can, you get the iPod and I will talk to mum about your hair, as long as it meets school requirements.`

If you lose the bet, you have an `A` student with weird hair. If you win, you have a clean cut `B` student. Seems like you win either way.

With workers on your team, try, `The 2nd shift keeps outperforming us by 10%. If we can beat them in the next quarter, not only will I give each of you an extra day off for your annual leave, I will punch in and work your shift for you so you take that day off. If we miss the target and 2nd shift still outperforms us, we work weekends the following month until we equal their production.` Big incentive to win. Bigger incentive not to lose.

With your spouse you might try, `I am really tired of picking up your socks off the floor. If you can remember to pick them up every day for a month, I’ll give you a full body massage for an hour. If you miss just ONE day, you owe me TWO body massages. Deal?` This may work out so both win… win or lose.

These specific examples may not work with individuals or teams in your life. The idea is to think of challenges the people you need to influence will respond to and make the outcomes so desirable and the consequences of failure so horrible, you are guaranteed to get the result you desire.

To have this kind of simple yet effective thinking in your organisation, just contact me.  In addition to training, we speak at conventions, conduct strategic planning retreats, sales meetings and facilitate sessions to optimise team growth and productivity.