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Home - The Management Association
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Mojo Risin'?
by Mary Lynn Fayoumi, CAE, SPHR, GPHR, President & CEO
Published Aug 30, 2010
I just returned from Los Angeles where I attended the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting. Although I visit LA frequently and am also an active member of the international association for associations, this trip was especially eventful. Not only was I selected to present People Power: Sustain a Strong HR Culture, I also enjoyed a number of powerful keynote speakers on a variety of strategic leadership as well as tactical management topics. One of my favorites was the closing presenter, Marshall Goldsmith, author, professor, and executive coach who spoke on the intriguing topic of “Mojo.”
Ironically, I first heard the term in the classic Doors’ tune, LA Woman. Mojo is a word that seems to go in and out of vogue, at least in the crowds I run in. Dr. Goldsmith defines it as “that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside.” It is made up of four key ingredients including identity, achievement, reputation and acceptance. Although we can think of people we know who clearly have mojo, it is by no means one-dimensional or necessarily easy to identify.
During the presentation, Dr. Goldsmith provided a variety of compelling statistics from his research on the subject as well as some colorful examples to demonstrate his points. His best-selling book, “Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, and How to Get It Back if you Lose It” is full of helpful tools to assist with assessing your own mojo and exercises to improve it if you are not happy with where it is at now. While I am intrigued by many of his points and challenged to experiment with his suggestions, my mind keeps returning to one important statement he made during his time on the stage. Specifically, he recommended that employers start asking employees what they can do to engage themselves NOT what the organization can do to engage them.
Plain and simple, right? Mojo comes from within and radiates to the outside. Individuals are responsible for their own mojo. Even an outstanding employer that offers employees meaningful work with a generous compensation and benefits package and loads of opportunities for professional development is NOT guaranteed that all of its employees will have mojo. Employers can’t bottle it up and serve it with the morning coffee or in the water cooler. People have to want it and go after it themselves. So, if your mojo isn’t risin, what are you (as a person not an employer) going to do about it?
