Inspiring others can range from encouraging someone to achieve their goals, motivating them to be more, or just being there for them whenever they need you. This act is believed to be of importance especially at the workplace as it helps people grow, especially when it comes to better establishing of a positive work environment, as well as increasing productivity. Joan Mugenzi, a life coach expert working with Women in News says inspiration at work is always an added advantage, explaining that when one is inspired, everything they do works out well. She notes that on the side of the beneficiaries, when they get to be inspired by someone in different ways, it helps them feel that their work has a purpose and their skills are being used in the best way possible. “This simply means that one would feel like they are doing what they are supposed to be doing and at the right time. When this happens at the workplace, the end results will be increased productivity,” she says. In addition to this, Mugenzi points out that it’s ideal to put in mind that when you have an opportunity to hold other people’s hands in different ways, it helps strengthen the overall morale for both of you. She elaborates that when a person feels inspired, they may feel more motivated to fulfil their obligations and enthusiastic about pursuing their goals. A counsellor and an educator, Diana Nawatti believes that when we inspire others, it helps develop imaginative qualities. This means that when you inspire someone, this very person can better innovate new ideas and strategies for their work or projects depending on their working environment, she explains. Besides, this can also help individuals complete high-quality work and problem-solve more effectively, Nawatti adds. “When you inspire others, it helps them achieve their goals more efficiently. For instance, if an individual feels inspired to achieve their objectives, they spend more time every day to accomplish any required steps and better streamline their work efforts.” From a psychological point of view, Sylvester Twizerimana, a psychologist in Rubavu District says inspiration in general helps increase emotional health. He explains that it’s believed that inspired people may feel more optimistic about accomplishing tasks every day, as they can better understand how taking action every day can increase an individual’s capabilities. The end result, he says are high possibilities for such individuals to become more motivated to succeed. How should this be done? Mugenzi says one thing people should put into consideration especially leaders or mentors, is that before starting to inspire others, they should first get to know more about them. Some people might respond positively to certain emotions more than others. Depending on the context and how you present to them, it’s just ideal to first seek more information from them. Mugenzi advises that as a mentor, one can use inspirational strategies to encourage a colleague to increase their productivity on work assignments or motivate team members to innovate a plan for a new project. Twizerimana says it’s vital and helpful to learn some strategies for emotional intelligence, which is the capability to understand another person’s feelings and determine the best way to help them. Meanwhile, experts also believe that when you are in a position to inspire others, it’s just ideal to learn how to express empathy towards those you are helping. It is also believed that empathy is a powerful way to create connections that foster inspiration, as it often requires people to validate the emotions of other individuals.
