Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

September 23, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm by leveraging The Triple Win Method.

Why your team is doing the bare minimum (and how to fix it)

Howdy ,

When I worked in Senegal, I met a senior executive of one of the largest African banks.

He had the mandate, the strategy, and the urgency.

But his team wasn’t buying in. They weren’t on his wavelength. And it wasn’t just because he was a foreigner. His goals were not their goals.

He asked me how things were going on my side. The truth? My team was hitting the curves better.

Here’s why.

I started with a listening tour

Instead of jumping straight into targets, I met one-on-one with key staff to learn what made them tick, both personally and professionally.

That shaped how I framed our rallying cry:

“We grow a bigger business that rewards staff well, creates career opportunities, and benefits shareholders.”

It also shaped how I led.

One of my key staff was essentially a single mum. If she needed to work from home because her nanny was unavailable, the answer was always yes.

In return, she would move mountains to deliver whatever was on her plate.

The Big Mistake Leaders Make

Many leaders assume: “I know what our department needs to achieve. Isn’t that enough?”

It isn’t.

Because people are motivated by their own goals, not yours.

They think about career growth, financial security, family balance, and purpose.

You think about revenue targets, KPIs, and expansion.

When these don’t connect, you get what I call Goal-Alignment Dissonance.

That’s when people do the bare minimum, because they can’t see how exceeding expectations helps them.

The Fix: Find the Intersection

There are three circles:

• Personal Goals – family needs, financial security, work-life balance
• Professional Goals – promotions, recognition, skill development
• Company Goals – revenue, efficiency, innovation, growth

The magic happens where they overlap. That’s where motivation becomes unstoppable.

How Leaders Can Do This

1. Learn what your people want. Not from annual reviews, but through real conversations.
2. Spot the natural overlaps. Where do personal and professional aspirations support business goals?
3. Design opportunities at the intersection. Shape roles, projects, and growth paths that deliver for both.

The Principle

When people see that their success is tied to your success, they don’t need motivation.

They deliver exceptional performance because it advances their own aspirations.

Don’t just push company goals. Connect human goals.

That’s how you transform average teams into powerhouses.

Want to take this deeper?

On September 30, I’m running a 3-day Leadership Multiplication System™ workshop. You’ll walk away with:

• A live Alignment Playbook tailored to your team
• Practiced alignment conversations
• A simple measurement system to keep the engine running

This is just a part of the overall framework for building high-performing teams that you will develop over the 3 days.

Get Details Here:https://bit.ly/TLMS-Sep2025

And keep winning at work and in life.

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor