Enthusiasm Says It All

by Neil I. Clark

Have you ever had the pleasure of watching an employee who is so enthusiastic about their job that nothing seems to stop them? It may not happen very often, but when it does, it is joy to behold.

But is there a way to tap into this high driving power and channel it to other people in your organisation? Let’s see.

It's Not Always as it Appears

The first thing to realise is that the manifestation of enthusiasm is not always genuine. Some people spend most of their lives "gushing with enthusiasm", but when you look closely, they sometimes turn out to be unhappy people who never actually achieve any real results.

The fact is that some people can simply put on an act — they can appear to be enthusiastic.

Now it has also been said that if you act enthusiastic, you will become enthusiastic. And this article is not to negate that truism. But we are not talking here about someone trying to artificially boost their appearance. Rather, we are looking at truly enthusiastic behaviour that comes from within — naturally.

Have you ever seen someone at a party who was bubbling with "enthusiasm", going from guest to guest and apparently being the life of the party? This type of social enthusiasm is, likewise, not the subject of this article.

No — we are discussing here the high level of effective activity which stems from a fully focused, unstoppable drive.

A Clear Example

Take a sales person who is really churning out the sales. They have surpassed their all-time best results, and are riding the wave of success. Watch them operate. They don’t stop to fool around. They grab that phone and make one more call. Everything they touch turns to success. They can’t seem to do a thing wrong.

If they were to call their most difficult client at this point, they would probably have no difficulty getting an appointment with them. Their whole demeanour is vibrant. They seem to emanate enthusiasm and attract success. In such a condition, nothing can stop them. Things just seem to fall into place. It’s almost magic.

So, what is the anatomy of this type of enthusiasm?

1. Alignment of Purpose

When someone is doing exactly what they want to do, they are far more effective than when they are doing it simply "because they have to".

Think of the humanitarian workers who go to third world countries to help the local people in their plight. Such people are not performing their actions because of the money they will make, or the conditions they will work under, or the prestige they will achieve. No, they are doing precisely what they want to do. They have managed to find an activity which exactly aligns with their own purpose.

If you had asked Fred Hollows, for instance, if he would rather be doing something other than helping the vision impaired people of India, do you suppose he would have said: "I’d rather be selling cars"? Not likely.

You will find the same attributes in your most enthusiastic staff. They are doing exactly what they want to do, and enjoying every minute of it.

If you can find people whose personal motivation aligns very closely with that of the job you have for them, this is an important element in the formula.

2. Performance Capability

No-one can get genuinely enthusiastic about failing to produce the results which are expected of them. In fact, if they do appear enthusiastic in such circumstances, that’s a sure sign that their enthusiasm is in no way genuine — it’s just an act.

When someone starts making it all happen in their area — when they begin to get the runs on the board — their natural enthusiasm comes to the fore.

It goes without saying, therefore, that to have truly enthusiastic staff, you must have top performers working for you.

It is the production of real results which actually breeds enthusiasm and motivation.

3. A Minimum of Barriers

Suppose you have the most effective producer working for you. They are involved in an activity which is right in line with their purpose. But if there is something (or someone) in their work environment which is dramatically impeding their progress, they will be far from enthusiastic.

You need to recognise that there are people who will actively work against the top performers in your organisation. And they will do so simply because they cannot stand to see the top performer achieving success.

When this situation occurs, expect to see some sparks. A real top performer will not stand still while some less effective person in the group tries to clip their wings — even if the antagonist is more senior.

Look at the results of the two people concerned when this happens. Look at the statistics of their areas. Ignore the opinions and other inevitable noise which will accompany the scene. If you can see clearly that a top performer is being held down by a less effective person, act fast to protect your performer. The penalty for not doing so is not only a lack of enthusiasm, but eventually the loss of your top performer to some other company — perhaps your competitor.

More Enthusiasm

If you want more staff in your organisation who exhibit that rare, high level, self generated type of enthusiasm, make sure that you:

• Hire staff whose personal goals and motivation align with your job.
• Hire people who have a proven record of results in this type of work – top performers.
• Remove any serious barriers which are stopping your people from getting results.

If you can do all this, you will then have staff members who are naturally enthusiastic, and what a marvelous way that is to increase the productivity of your group.