Do you have any WOW stories to tell your team?

How do you motivate your team?

As many of you know, I am an avid tennis player and fan.  Have you been watching the US Open in Flushing Meadows (Queens, NY)?  Last week, when Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic were shockingly eliminated very early on from this major tournament within 24 hours of each other, I started to think about the WOW stories that can be used as fuel for your team.  Do you have a rolodex of underdog stories or occurrences that you can fire off at any moment?  In the #CJJblog this week, I give you some tips on how you can use those stories to motivate and inspire your team.  Enjoy.

• Be aware.  In order to obtain these stories, you must be on the hunt for them.  Be on the lookout for events that are inspirational.  Keep your eyes and ears open because they can happen at any time.
• Capture.  Once you locate the WOW story, you must capture the details.  Do you have a story journal?
• Shock factor.  Once you have the story and have identified all the relevant details, you need to figure out how to use it.  You can use it for motivation or (from the opposite side of the coin), the shock factor.  Is your team heavily favored in your upcoming game?  Tell them a story that illustrates – through shock – why they shouldn’t take your opponent lightly and remain focused.
• Why.  What are the main reasons for these unexpected events?  Human-error?  Lack of preparation?  Fate?  Likely a combination of everything, but luck will forever be on your side if you work hard and become excellent at the basics.
• Impossible.  What have you seen where the impossible became possible?  For me, it was the J-Mac night.  If you have stories you can tell that happened to you personally, even better.
• Facts.  Facts are important, but the true value (and motivation) comes from the details that help drive the point home.
• Everyone.  Never ever stop accumulating these WOW stories because they can be incredibly helpful in many situations.  The more you have, the more you can deploy them.

Did You Know?  Did you see what Sahith Theegala did at the PGA Tour Championship last week?  It was a Masterclass in integrity and I gained a ton of respect for him. 

Life Tip #18:  Take a public speaking course or join Toastmasters.