In my recent blog article (can "volunteering" help you get more energized and productive at work?) I shared some insights on this topic including one of the compelling answers I received when I posted this question on LinkedIn.
Yet another compelling answer came later from my friend and colleague Pradeep Bhutan who said:
"I feel it is the other way around. If I am energized and productive, I feel like volunteering and then I get further energized and more productive.
Having said that, volunteering does help.
For a person who is not motivated enough though, the challenge would be to break through the resistance and start doing something productive. This person may not be motivated enough to volunteer and help others.
In a team setting, where the idea is to improve the overall team productivity, a good strategy would be to get volunteering STARTED by an already motivated and productive person. This can get the rest of the team motivated and enable them to reap the benefits of volunteering.
The key thing is to GET STARTED."
Pradeep summed it up really well and touched on some key principles relating to motivation and productivity.
What do you think? Which comes first? Let us know by contributing your comments below!
