BP Sarah Stones shares why it is important to understand what motivates us...
August 22, 2024
A few years ago, we set about interviewing Motivational Maps Business Practitioners to get a sense of what they felt were the biggest challenges and rewards of becoming a BP, as well as foregrounding the amazing work they do. Since then, Motivational Maps has grown, and we have welcomed many new Business Practitioners to the fold! So, we thought it was high time we bring back this series of sound-byte interviews to further reveal the secrets of life as a BP and the incredible difference they make in the Maps community and beyond.
Sarah Stones is a specialist in motivation, an expert speaker, a coach, team trainer, and the founder of Plain Sailing Motivation—transforming lives and workplaces through motivation. With over 20 years of experience in HR and motivation coaching, she helps individuals and businesses achieve their goals by understanding and harnessing the power of motivation. Her approach is grounded in a unique blend of personal resilience and professional expertise, offering practical strategies that make a real difference.
TOP MOTIVATORS: EXPERT & SEARCHER
When I asked Sarah why she had become a BP, she cut right to the heart of the matter:
“I want everyone to know how important it is to understand what motivates us, and I know that I can only affect so many people alone. Training others is a way to create more ripples and widen my impact.”
But becoming a BP not only expanded her reach but also her perception.
“You go into every conversation with a very different mindset. Not just, how can I help you? But also, is there an opportunity that actually we could take this one step further. It’s making me think strategically.”
She also highlighted the benefit of being able to take on larger projects with a team of coordinated mappers. This led to us discussing the amazing range of approaches used by the Maps community.
“I'm sure we all do Maps feedback sessions differently. We all do it the same, but we do it differently!”
What, in Sarah’s view, was her unique approach to Maps? She outlined that she had created visual metaphors for the nine motivators that helped her clients to understand the motivators more deeply.
“I’ve developed pictures that represent each motivator with really clear visual images. For example, for Defender, the motivator all about security and stability I have a lighthouse, because they always shine their light in the same place – people with this motivator like consistency and routine”
I love this innovation, as it is almost like approaching the Maps from an artistic perspective. Writers and artists use striking metaphors and symbols to imbed meanings more deeply. We are more able to grasp the full, subtle nuance of what it means to have Defender in your top three motivators if we remember the image of a lighthouse. Sarah confirmed this with a lovely anecdote.
“I did a Youth Map for a client’s daughter and she is still talking about the lighthouse! I mean, that’s really good because it brings Maps into everyday language.”
This led to us discussing the other aspect of Sarah’s approach: mental health and wellbeing. I asked her where motivation fitted in to her model and understanding of mental health.
“For me, motivation is the foundation of wellbeing. If we're not supporting someone's motivation, then actually, what are we doing? I always talk about taking your car to the filling station. If we don't put anything in, we aren’t going anywhere. If we put the wrong fuel in, we can cause significant damage. We put the right fuel in, we can just put our foot down and go.”
I found this analogy profound and beautifully succinct. If motivation fuels us, then not only do we have to make sure we have fuel in the tank, but also that we are not putting the wrong types of motivation in. This led me to ask Sarah about her top motivators. Unsurprisingly, she revealed she had Expert (the motivator all about learning and development) as her number one motivator! Her Searcher motivator (all about meaning and purpose) was previously her top motivator – it’s now her second motivator
I asked whether the transition to Expert reflected her shift into being a BP, training Licensed Practitioners and sharing her knowledge.
“Yes, absolutely. This year my main goal is to do more public speaking because again it’s about getting the message to a wider audience! I always say I am not a motivational speaker; I am an expert speaker on motivation. I cannot motivate you to do anything without understanding what your motivators are. It’s not a subtle difference, it’s a big one!”
TOP TIP
“If we are supporting someone’s motivation
then we are supporting their mental health and wellbeing.”
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