There is no button to press to make someone press a button.

Read that again.  It makes sense the second time around.

No matter what kind of software you buy, new process you implement, or vision you give to make your team efficient, unless they have the will to DO you’re stuck in the water.

You can motivate your team through inspiration and charisma.

That will get people to push the buttons.

You can threaten, cajole, and demand.

That will get people to push the buttons.

You can just push the button yourself and try to leverage “leading by example”.

You can…eliminate buttons altogether?

As a manager of people, getting someone to push the button themselves without guidance or convincing is my #1 challenge on the job. I spend a lot of time using every tool in the toolbox to figure out how to “push the button” forward. My advice to managers who interact with their team daily: you should be spending 75% of your day thinking about this. My advice to employees: you should spend the same as well. For both sets of people, it’s your career: you should know why and how to do it.