Motivation

According to Buckingham and Coffman (1999) nearly 80% of workers surveyed, admit to having the ability to work much harder than they do. With such a high number of employees admitting to working just enough to secure their position, it then becomes safer to assume that there’s room for improvement. But if it is apparent that improvement is possible, why would an organization not experience it? The answer likely centers around motivation.

Motivation is the willingness or desire to do or engage in something. It can also be defined as the purpose for one’s actions or behavior. It may influence behavior and decisions to a certain point in time (or point as in a moment in a process) or it may influence the effort to continue a behavior or engagement in a process. David McClelland’s Three Needs Theory suggests three primary factors associated with what triggers motivation.

Factor 1: Achievement 

Confirmation and acknowledgment that one’s work is satisfactory or exceeds expectations. 

Factor 2: Power

Having the ability (or perceived ability) to impact whether an accomplishment can or will be achieved.

Factor 3: Affiliation

The belief that one’s work contributes to a part of something larger than themselves or that they play a role in a larger (also contributing) group.

So why might an organization be interested in investing in motivational techniques or programs? The benefits of implementing motivation throughout an organization or workplace are limitless. The most common benefits organizations experience include:

  • Fewer employee absences
  • Better quality in performances or the end product produced
  • A higher sense of appreciation and loyalty to the organization
  • A strengthened appreciation for the service they provided (client or customer care)

Motivation often influences how we approach a certain task and our ability to endure tasks when met with distractions and other seemingly important business obligations. Though motivation is obviously needed, it does not make up for not having the initial skills or knowledge required to complete work. Without those starting requirements, motivation has little to no value, other than to motivate to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary.

Motivation can influence people to begin, continue, or invest their efforts into actions they perceive will help them to be more efficient or effective in their practices. What motivates can be internal or external and the following are examples of motivators likely to help improve and continue performance:

  1. The opportunity for the task to be less tedious or more enjoyable
  2. The opportunity for a promotion or raise
  3. The likelihood of receiving what’s perceived as worthy acknowledgment
  4. The opportunity for personal or professional development

For motivation to be worthwhile, it should avoid compromising the beliefs and values of those being motivated. When “questionable“ behavior or tactics are involved, items meant to motivate (or simply influence the impact) are more likely to be rejected. Other factors that are likely to stiffen motivation are vague and poorly defined goals, inconsistent or unnecessary policies or rules, lack of unison, and negative feedback that emphasizes error and flaws.

Some methods to motivate and enhance performance include:

  • Ensure expectations and goals are clear. Use metrics to help illustrate what’s expected, how is expected, and the way achievements are determined.
  • Ensure feedback is ongoing in when possible given immediately. When providing feedback, tie it to something specific. 
  • Praise openly and criticize or discuss corrective measures discreetly. Shame is not a motivational factor, so be cautious of discussing areas of improvement in public.
  • Encourage potential for improvement and provide evidence improvement as possible.
  • Similar to the previous notion, ensure that any rewards are achievable. People are hardly motivated by things they believe cannot be true or at least true for them.

 

References

Burkus, D. (2017). Under new management: How leading organizations are upending business as usual. Boston: Mariner Books.

Pershing, J. A. (2006). Handbook of human performance technology: Principles, practices, and potential. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.

Tasmanian Government. Department of State Growth. (2017). Better workplaces employer resource kit. Retrieved from https://www.business.tas.gov.au/employing-and-managing-people/better-workplace-and-resource-kit

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