My speaking coach has been encouraging me to write about one idea over and over again, which is The Spiral.
But every time I sit down to write about it, I get stuck.
Not because I don’t believe in it.
But because it only feels like part of the story, not the whole story.
The Spiral explains the direction we’re heading. But it doesn’t explain what’s pushing us there.
I think the environment does.
What brings out our energy?
I believe we place too much importance on motivation.
During my favourite years at the Brumbies, we trained incredibly hard. But I rarely remember needing to motivate myself.
And I think that’s because of the environment the coaches created.
We knew what we were trying to do and how our weeks worked. We received constant feedback, felt close as a team, and understood the standards as we were expected to eat, sleep and recover properly so we could go again and again.
That environment brought the energy out of us, and hard work became normal.
But many workplaces look at this the other way around. They search for “motivated people” or bring in motivational speakers to fire everyone up.
(I hate when my speaking work is described as motivational)
Motivation is the speaking equivalent of a sugar hit. It creates a quick burst of energy before people return to the same conditions that were draining them in the first place.
I want my talks to be more like meat and three veg.
Practical ideas that help leaders build healthier environments where people have the energy to perform long after the talk is over.
Because when the conditions are right, people rarely need to be fired up (Although I do love a good fire up speech).
The recipe
My current recipe for a thriving environment has six ingredients:
Clarity: Where are we going?
Structure: How are we going to get there?
Belonging: Do I feel part of this?
Standards: What does ‘good’ look like here?
Feedback: How do I know if I’m improving?
Recovery: How do we recharge so we can go again?
Most of these shape how the people inside the environment use their energy.
And writing this has helped me realise that the environment is the container for our energy, while the spiral shows what happens to that energy over time.
When people can see that their effort matters, they start to believe. And that belief gives them more energy to try again, and over time, the team spirals upwards.
But when effort feels wasted, people withdraw. Fatigue worsens decisions, mistakes create pressure, and leaders demand even more from people who are already drained.
And that’s something I feel I can keep writing about.
How the environments around us either bring us to life or slowly drain us.
Because before we ask why someone lacks motivation, we should ask:
What’s this environment bringing out of them?
Thanks for reading.
Spot on!
We are a product of our environment