We love the beginning of a new year here at ALPs. We’re kind of geeks when it comes to fresh calendar space to plan stuff, and blank pages in a notebook for ideas. It’s a reset button of sorts, an opportunity to plan, dream and organize. But we recognize for some, the turn of the calendar can feel more like a hamster wheel - another round of setting ambitious goals, some self-motivated, others dictated by organizations, with an ever-present search for the motivation to see them through.

As we move deep into Q1, we recently had a check-in call with the senior leaders of one of our partners to see how their teams are progressing. A common challenge emerged that we’ve seen before: some seasoned team members are struggling to hit their monthly targets and the reasons why aren’t immediately clear.

Are the 2025 goals too ambitious? Do some individuals lack a sense of ownership over their targets? Is it lingering fatigue from closing out 2024? Or is there a feeling of “I’ve-got-time-to-catch-up” already creeping in?

We get it. Full transparency - the ALPs team got slightly over our skis last year. We packed our January with initiatives and travel. By mid-February, we were toast.

So, how do we find the motivation to do what we know needs to be done - even when we don’t feel like it?

A perfect example of this plays out in my house all the time. My 5-year-old knows exactly what she needs to do to get ready for school and get out the door: get appropriately dressed, brush your hair and teeth, and pack your lunch and school bag. Instead, she finds other “important” things to do - hugging the dogs, organizing her Barbies for “their day,” putting her books away, checking in on Daddy. All of these “tasks” are thoughtful and necessary. Just. Not. Now.

Similarly, my spunky little one finds a host of non-essential, yet highly interesting tasks to do while needing to fold her laundry. She knows it’s her job to fold and put her clothes away. But it feels daunting. Maybe there’s more laundry this week than last. Maybe she just doesn’t feel like it. Maybe she’s just like everyone else, including me! Confession: I’m no stranger to restarting the dryer “just in case” the clothes weren’t totally dry yet when in reality, I just didn’t feel like folding them. At least one person who is reading this knows what I mean! Instead, she drags her feet, waits for help, or hopes I’ll do it for her. Who would think folding laundry would become a lesson in leadership, ownership, and motivation?

Whether folding laundry or hitting sales goals, we can find a host of non-essential, yet highly interesting alternatives to the effort required to complete the task. And motivation in our teams can seem fleeting when expectations may be unclear, unrealistic, or unacknowledged.

So, how do we solve for this? My colleague Blayne thoughtfully lays out the Know, Understand, Help model:

Know - Acknowledge to your people that you know there’s an issue going on. You realize that specific parameters aren’t being met, their performance is inconsistent, etc. Approach this from a place of caring, concern for them, and recognition of something being different. This is especially true for experienced team members who have been consistent performers.
Understand - Ask them to help you identify what’s causing resistance to the established expectations. Is it a lack of clarity/understanding? Are the goals unrealistic? What has changed for them? Ask earnest questions to figure out why things aren’t being done.
Help - Provide the necessary refinement and support where it makes sense. Does someone need additional guidance? Is there a way to refine the goals? Or are they just seeking acknowledgment of their effort in the ever-moving and difficult cycle of meeting their targets? Align towards a shared understanding of what is expected going forward.
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No Sh*t Go Time - I’m not as eloquent as Blayne, so this fourth bullet is my addition. After the above three steps, we have to get moving. We can’t go into town with our pajamas still on (at least, not always). And we can’t just not do our sales calls, outreach, reports, or preparation because we don’t feel like it. So, what are we doing? At some point the choice is simple: we’re either on the train, or we’re not.

We don’t have the secret sauce. We get in serious ruts, too. We also try to remind ourselves how good it feels to just chip away despite the resistance until we’re out of the rut and create our own momentum. If we don’t, we will be left behind and let our people down. Whether it’s leading a team, managing personal goals, or simply getting the laundry folded, success comes from consistency, ownership, and a willingness to push forward. Stay on the trail.