Fear-Based Motivation

When building a profitable practice, you must think about what motivates you. As I think back on my journey, fear was one of those things that motivated me. Fear can be an effective catalyst for motivation. For example, if your boss or residency director tells you that you have to get a project done on time or you will be suspended or lose your position, you can be sure you’re going to do everything in your power to get that project done. You may resent your boss or program director for doing this, but you’re probably going to do as he or she wishes, unless you are looking to get fired or suspended. Another situation where fear will motivate you is when something crucial breaks in your home. It could be the furnace giving out in the middle of winter. You are at a point where you have no choice but to call for expensive repairs. If you don’t, you’ll risk the pipes freezing and being uncomfortable.

We all have a certain amount of fear-based motivation. But is it the best way to get people to do things? In the case of the furnace, you’ll have no choice and have to chalk it up to being a part of life. But in the case of your boss or residency director harping on you to complete the project, is there a better way for him or her to handle the situation? Can you continually work in an environment based on this kind of fear? It’s questionable whether motivation based on fear is sustainable. If you are an employee and there aren’t many jobs available as alternatives, you may feel like you have no choice but to comply. But sometimes this kind of negative working environment gets people more motivated to get out of the situation.

In other words, the motivation tactics may work in the short term. But eventually employers may experience a high turnover when those employees recognize their other choices. The internet has been a great equalizer in this regard, as more people can choose to go out on their own and build their own independent practice. This is one of the many fears that motivated me to build my own practice. My fear of having someone else dictate my pay, my hours, my lifestyle, and ultimately how I would provide for my family. All these things drove me to learn how to build my own practice so that I could control my destiny. There’s an old saying about how you catch more flies with honey. If employers would recognize they will get more loyalty out of people by offering incentives rather than scare tactics to get their employees to do the work, maybe turnover wouldn’t be so high.

Unfortunately, these employers don’t learn this until it’s too late. And even then, will they make any changes? Often, they make the justification that it’s the employee’s fault and they decided to leave. Think about the impact you would feel if your employer was trying to motivate you through fear tactics. If they have used fear as a motivator, is it something that has worked for them for a long time? Or did it simply set an environment where employees couldn’t wait to get away? If this sounds familiar or hits home in any way, it may be time to build your very own profitable practice.

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When you don’t know your purpose in life, it’s easy to allow employers to motivate you using fear. Check out our blog post here for tips and insight on knowing your purpose and your why.

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I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.

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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com