Building Enthusiasm Presented by: Robin McCrea, LCPC A resource you can trust

Building EnthusiasmBuilding Enthusiasm

Presented by:

Robin McCrea, LCPC

A resource you can trust

What is Enthusiasm?What is Enthusiasm?

Enthusiasm is from the Greek word “Entheos” meaning God Within.

It refers to the divine spark or fire that burns within the breast of those with a passion for a cause, job, or life in general.

“Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come from miles to watch you burn”

John Wesley

Building EnthusiasmBuilding EnthusiasmDid you ever come home from a hard day of work completely drained? You get a call and struggle to the phone. Your friend is on the line, enthusiastically describing a party taking place at his home. Come on over, he says. You know what happens next… Suddenly you find yourself filled with energy and on your way to the party. That is an example of the power of enthusiasm. It is the source of boundless energy. The trick is to expand your passion to include your job, family, and all that life encompasses.


Enthusiasm is contagious, but so is the lack of it.

Look about. Are your companions moping around with glazed eyes? If so, maybe it is because of you.– Turn on your mental ignition.– Get Excited!– Your enthusiasm will spark theirs.– Your enthusiasm will inspire others, and– You will gain their cooperation.

Building EnthusiasmBuilding EnthusiasmTen ways to have amazing enthusiasm (cont’d).

– Be passionate: Love what you do and enthusiasm will follow.

– Be grateful: List 5 things you are grateful for at the end of each day.

– Be positive: Enthusiasm can not survive in a negative environment.

– Be proud: Anything that is worth being proud of is worth having enthusiasm for.


Ten ways to have amazing enthusiasm (cont’d).– Be creative: Creativity triggers enthusiasm and

enthusiasm generate creativity.– Be proactive: Be the captain of the ship, be the

leader, be the inspiration, and you will notice enthusiasm get higher and higher.

– Be reasonable: Being unreasonable leads to guaranteed disappointment and thus creates an aura of negative energy.


Ten ways to have amazing enthusiasm (cont’d).– Be patient: Long-lasting enthusiasm requires one to

be very patient. Have patience in your endeavors.– Be Enlightened: You can build incredible enthusiasm

with stillness; agitation is not needed to feel excitement.

– Be evolving: Knowing that you are getting better and better each day is a wonderful way to create sheer enthusiasm.


Wisdom can be taken from professional speakers. They follow two rules:– “Rule number one is to never speak on a topic that

you yourself are not enthusiastic about, and rule number two is that if you violate rule number one, Fake it ‘til you make it!”

“Act enthusiastic, and you will be enthusiastic.”

Dale Carnegie

Enthusiasm and MotivationEnthusiasm and Motivation

If you are a manager and want to motivate your employees to greater performance and enthusiasm, make desired performance a RAP-Receiving experience.

RAP stands for:– Recognition– Appreciation– Praise


Recognition = Awareness and approval some something we’ve done.

Appreciation – Thanks for doing it.Praise = Commendation for doing it

exceptionally.When you notice RAP-deserving

performance by employees, promptly deliver sincere recognition, appreciation, and praise.


When do we deliver recognition, appreciation and praise.

– Don’t wait for the “big goal” to be achieved.

– Dispense it “along the way.”

– Dispense for “right actions.”

Enthusiasm and MotivationEnthusiasm and MotivationAccordingly, “right actions” are a form of

performance progress. The following are RIGHT ACTIONS.– A successful step in a new endeavor.– Doing a particular thing “right” for the first time. – Giving unusual diligence in pursuit of desire

performance.– Moving to a higher level of proficiency.– Extending a streak of good performance– EFFORT, in the face of employee failure! Reward

the effort!


To deliver recognition, appreciation, and praise with maximum impact:– Be Sincere: mean what you say and say what you

mean.– Be specific: tell the person exactly what they did

that you liked.– Be immediate: deliver as soon as possible after

noting the right action.– Personalize and Individualize: use your own words

and style – express how you feel as opposed to how the company or “management” feels.

Enthusiasm and MotivationEnthusiasm and MotivationTo deliver recognition, appreciation, and praise

with maximum impact:– Be Varied and Random: avoid saying the same thing

every time you praise, praise at different times in the day – be spontaneous.

– Separate from Criticism: don’t combine criticism with recognition, appreciation, and praise – give bad news at another time.

– Occasionally Combine with a Tangible Reward: for extra impact in special situations, give a “token of your appreciation.” It need not be expensive (e.g., movie ticket, dollar coin).

Enthusiasm and MotivationEnthusiasm and Motivation We should be on constant lookout for right actions

by employees. And, each time we view one, we should provide Recognition, Appreciation, and Praise.

A good rule of thumb: Deliver 4 RAPs for every criticism: this ensures that “right actions” will be repeated.

“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

Winston Churchill

Building Enthusiasm in Building Enthusiasm in EmployeesEmployees

High enthusiasm at work usually means eagerness, and a willingness to work hard. Have you ever seen people begin new jobs with lots of enthusiasm, ready to start contributing, but then watched them as they’ve steadily lost that motivation?

Unfortunately this is common.


Managers often struggle with how to motivate frustrated, indifferent, uncooperative, and unproductive workers.

Close supervision, motivational speeches, reward programs, progressive discipline, and departmental transfers are often used by managers yet find these approaches are not effective.


Dr. David Sirota, an organizational researcher and consultant, has conducted research into ways of motivating employees. His work is based on surveys from over 4 million workers worldwide.

He concluded: the way to enthuse workers is to give them what they want.

Sirato’s Three-Factor Theory of Sirato’s Three-Factor Theory of Human Motivation in the Human Motivation in the

WorkplaceWorkplace

The three factors that build enthusiasm are as follows:– Equity/Fairness – People want to be treated

fairly at work.– Achievement – People want to do important,

useful work, and be recognized for this.– Camaraderie – People want to enjoy good

relationships with their co-workers.

Factor One: Equity/FairnessFactor One: Equity/Fairness

Physiological Safety – Ensure physical safety of workers.

Economic Security – Provide reasonable job security.– Consider alternatives before laying off workers.– Ask for voluntary layoffs.– Ask employees for ideas when layoffs are a

future economic option.

Factor One: Equity/FairnessFactor One: Equity/Fairness

Provide Fair Compensation– Pay competitive wages (keep up with inflation).– Provide performance-based bonuses.– Allow employees to share in company success.

Psychological Health– Use power fairly.– Minimize status distinctions.– Provide positive feedback and recognition.

Factor Two: AchievementFactor Two: AchievementProvide an enabling work environment

– Use teams effectively.– Use participative leadership practices.– Make organization flat as possible – eliminate

bureaucracy and hierarchy when possible.– Delegate and avoid micromanagement.

Provide challenging work– Hire people based on fit.– Communicate how each job contributes to the

company as a whole.

Factor Two: AchievementFactor Two: Achievement

Use feedback, recognition, and reward– Communicate clear expectation.– Establish and agree on priorities.– Use tangible rewards to acknowledge achievement.

Be an organization of purpose and principles– Communicate the principles of the company.– “Walk the talk.”– Adopt and apply ethical leadership.– Provide a quality product or service.

Factor Three: CamaraderieFactor Three: Camaraderie

Partnership Culture– Make “people skills” a priority. Demonstrate

empathy, consideration, and respect.– Reward positive team behaviors.– Encourage cross-functional interaction and

teamwork.

Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts

Rather than believing that you somehow have to motivate people to do work, this theory assumes that most people start out motivated – but then things happen, or don’t happen, that reduce this natural motivation. To rebuild enthusiasm, leaders and manager must create an environment, and supporting practices, that deliver high levels of equity, achievement, and camaraderie. When people are treated fairly, are proud of the work they do, and do it with people they like, then enthusiasm grows.

““A mediocre idea that generates A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.”great idea that inspires no one.”

Mary Kay AshMary Kay Ash

This has been a presentation by This has been a presentation by Deer Oaks EAP ServicesDeer Oaks EAP Services

To contact Deer Oaks EAP Services, call To contact Deer Oaks EAP Services, call 866-327-2400866-327-2400

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Building Enthusiasm Presented by: Robin McCrea, LCPC A resource you can trust