In this post and video we’ll cover an idea that helps you move people into motion.

Hat tip to manager-tools for the seed of this idea - their podcast is excellent - go now and check them out, well, after you've read this.

Motion is movement. It’s action, hopefully around the right things. Learning how to move people into motion and action is a great skill to develop.

If you’re delivering a strategy, or leading to a bright future, or making a change, you’ll need to learn how to move people into motion. How to move them into action. How to stir something inside them that compels them forward, and in a way that is not forced, nor mandated.

It’s a journey of sorts and it requires a few things in order to move people into motion.

How to move people into motion

Firstly, to move people into action requires knowing roughly which direction you are moving in – a key foundational aspect when it comes to releasing agility,

Secondly, it requires yourself (and hopefully others) moving in this direction and shining a light so others can see which way you're going.

It also requires an honest look at what is stopping you, or may prevent you, or may get in your way, otherwise you may be trying to set off from a location that you're not at.

But most importantly, it means being passionate about this direction and creating a compelling set of reasons for others to join you.

In this video I share how I pull my Mazda MX5 as a metaphor for the hard work you must go through to move people into motion (manager-tools analogy). The car is heavy and I’m pulling it from the front.

Sadly, there are people at the rear of the car pulling in the opposite direction. They are not doing this through bad intent. They likely have positive intent. Maybe they are worried about the new direction, don’t understand it, don’t feel like they know their place in it or they don’t feel they have a role in this new world.

However, the majority of people in your business are in the car (although you wouldn’t get many in a Mazda MX5). They are making it hard to pull the car in either direction.

Your job therefore, is to get people out of the car and pulling at the front. This builds momentum towards your new direction making it hard to pull in the other direction.

Motion and emotion come from the same place. So, if you want to move people into motion you need them to feel some emotion. You cannot make people feel anything they don’t want to feel – that’s up to them, but you can deploy some effective communication techniques to help – and make it clear where you’re heading.

Watch the video or continue below.

How do you move people into motion?

  • Have a strategy. This should have a clear and compelling painted picture, identification of major obstacles and a plan to overcome them.
  • Give feedback to those who aren't onboard and are pulling in the opposite direction, even if their intent is sound.
  • Listen to those pulling in the wrong direction to understand why - and then help them align behind the mission.
  • Surround yourself with influential, talented and passionate people who are aligned around the vision.
  • Communicate clearly what the journey is and the next steps.
    • DISC is useful here.
    • Some people may require just a vague description of the path.
    • Others will need details and next steps.
    • Break the journey down and this will help people connect the dots - and get the information they need to get behind you.
  • What’s in it for people?
    • Keep asking yourself this powerful question.
    • Why should they get out of the vehicle and join you? Why would they invest energy and attention on this? And if you default back to “because it’s your job do so it” – try again.
  • Look at the system of work and fix any processes, rules, incentives, goals or anything else that is preventing people from joining you.
    • As a leader or manager you own various aspects of the system – change what you can by pulling levers of change.
    • Fix broken processes, remove silly rules, get rid of the red tape.
  • Train, coach and nurture people.
    • I often see managers rolling out technical and product roadmaps with no plan for their people.
    • Your people need a plan too.
  • Tell stories – they go where facts cannot.
  • Role model the behaviours that are needed for this bright future.

Closing Thoughts on how to move people into motion

The more people you can get at the front pulling the car (or company), the more momentum you can get. The more people there are to solve problems. The more traction you will have and the more ground you can cover.

It becomes really hard to pull in the other direction too.

This is when change happens. This is what good managers do all the time. They gather momentum by moving people into motion.

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