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Have you ever been advised to “do what you love and success will follow”? This may be more than just cliché. When you’re doing what you love, you are likely to be using your signature strengths. This means that you are not only doing what you’re good at, but you are at your happiest as well.

Positive psychologists define strengths as the things you excel at – and which energise you. Unlike skills you’ve learned or behaviours you’ve adopted, your strengths are an innate part of your psychological makeup. They make you who you are at your core.

If you want to tap into the impressive power of being strengths-focused, here are four simple steps to implement.

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All HR specialists know this: money isn’t a reward that drives superior employee engagement. The type of motivation that really sparks creativity and makes people engaged, is motivation that comes from within. Psychologists calk this ‘intrinsic motivation.’

If you’ve read Rev up your motivation in 4 steps, you know there are four basic ways to build intrinsic motivation at work:

• Tap into the power of self-direction
• Set approach goals, not avoidance goals
• Align goals to signature strengths
• Avoid focusing too extensively on reward systems

So how can HR practitioners and L&D experts put these principles into action? Here are some practical tips for enhancing motivation in your business.

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Why do you do the things you do? What is it that drives your behaviour? Motivation does.

Some forms of motivation come from within. We call these drive, self-determination and vision. Other forms of motivation are external — these include pay cheques, rewards, praise and fame. Externally sourced motivation has less impact and are less likely to propel you towards success in the long-term.

When your motivation comes from within, it’s a powerful force. Psychologists call this type of motivation ‘intrinsic.’

Here are four principles you can use to boost intrinsic motivation at work.

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How is success measured in your business? Is it assessed in terms of the results achieved? Or is the effort exerted also important? In businesses that cultivate growth mindsets, learning from mistakes and focusing on results is a measure of success. As an HR or L&D practitioner, there are many concrete steps you can take to promote growth mindsets in your organisation. Here are four to get you started.

Shift management assumptions

Examine any assumptions that managers have made about their teams. Do some managers assume that their team members cannot take on new responsibilities? Do they talk about ‘stars’ and ‘problem people’? Or do they act on the assumption that people can learn and grow continuously? Help managers shift their thinking by encouraging them to focus on employee strengths and abilities, rather than weaknesses and ‘capability gaps.’

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Have you ever wondered why some people just reach milestone after milestone in their careers – and others seem to be perpetually stuck? That’s how powerful the mind is. With the wrong mindset, you can’t learn, grow or develop new skills. But with the right mindset, the sky is the limit!

Carol Dweck, a Stanford University professor, says there are two main ways people think about their abilities: through a ‘fixed’ mindset and a ‘growth’ mindset.

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