Do You Have Carrots?

Leaders encourage others by keeping the team focused on the goals ahead. They keep the team moving forward by what I call “The Carrot & Cart Concept.” The Carrot & Cart Concept says, that for a team (cart) to keep moving forward they must always have a dangling goal (carrot) in front of them. It is obviously named in reference to a cart-driver dangling a carrot tied to a stick in front of a mule. The mule moves toward the carrot because it wants the reward of food, thus drawing the cart forward. The mule is driven by the possibility of getting the carrot, therefore, it has a goal in mind.

We all need carrots, or goals, in front of us to drive forward progress. It is when we have no goals and no vision for the future that we begin to lose our “why.” When we lose our why we begin to lose our way. When you lose your way, discouragement and breakdown occurs.

Leaders make sure there is always a carrot in front of the team that encourages them to push full steam ahead. I have gone to my teams in the past and had everyone identify their individual carrot. In our staff meetings I would periodically ask, “What’s your carrot this week?” This helped them discover their goal and helped me keep them accountable to it. If the team is not working toward a better future, they will get bogged down in apathy. Leaders are constantly encouraging others toward the goal. Former baseball player, Steve Garvey, said, “You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.”

• Do you have a carrot?
• What is your team’s carrot?

If you don’t know your carrot you’ll likely lose momentum very quickly. To stir a team’s drive and motivation feed them carrots! Oh, and make sure they get to eat the carrot that is currently before them before putting a new one in front of them. No one wants to keep working to get a carrot only to never reach the carrot. In fact, it’s better to put carrots close to them and add new ones than it is to keep one so far in front of them they can never attain. Small victories produce BIG results!