190. Motivation Matters: How to Leverage What People Already Want

How to turn latent motivation into fuel for change. If you want to be a changemaker, you’ll have to convince others to join your cause. But according to Dan Heath , persuading your audience isn’t about creating new motivation — it’s about leveraging the motivation that’s already there. “The most important fuel for any change effort is motivation,” says Heath, the number-one New York Times bestselling author of Reset: How to Change What's Not Working . Instead of struggling to persuade people to want what you want, Heath suggests finding where your goals overlap with the things they already desire. "Before you even get to persuasion, if you can just tap and unleash the energy that's already there, you've already catapulted yourself toward success,” he says. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Heath and host Matt Abrahams explore how to create more compelling communication using “leverage points,” or as Heath says, “where a little bit of effort yields a disproportionate return.” Whether getting buy-in from one teammate or achieving change across an entire organization, Heath shares practical tips for turning latent motivation into an engine for change. Episode Reference Links: Dan Heath Dan’s Book: Reset: How to Change What's Not Working Ep.164 Rethinks: Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence Others Ep.49 Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively Connect: Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (02:40) - The Power of Storytelling (05:50) - Leverage Points for Change (09:13) - Wasted Resources & Motivation (12:26) - Latent Desire in Systems (14:34) - Communicating Progress (18:11) - The Final Three Questions (26:07) - Conclusion ******** Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost. This episode is brought to you by Babbel . Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription. Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.