Motivation

What is motivation and how do you achieve it?

Photo by Chang Duong on Unsplash

Understanding what motivates people is very important in understanding individual and organizational behaviour. People are said to be motivated when they want to learn.

Definition

A motivator is an internal or external stimulus which activates goal-directed behaviour.

Factors that affect motivation

There are a number of factors that affect motivation:

• Expectations
• Encouragement
• Reward
• Punishment
• Feedback
• Success
• Stress level
• Challenge
• Intrinsic motivation
• Curiosity
• Individuality
• Stimulation
• Security
• Comfort

All these factors direct and energize your behaviour. If you are hungry, you will direct your behaviour towards food; if you are thirsty, you will try to find a drink. You will also put more energy into finding food and drink than someone who is neither hungry nor thirsty.

When there is a difference between the ideal situation and the actual situation, a need is said to exist. When the need becomes so great that you feel a psychological pressure to act, a drive is said to exist.

Humans share basic motives with other animals. These basic motives can be classified in several ways. One approach is to classify them into:

• survival needs, such as hunger and thirst;
• basic social needs, such as sex and maternal behaviour;
• curiosity motives, which are not directly related to the welfare of the animal.

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Herzberg proposed that these needs could also be classified as those which:

1. stimulate motivation directly — satisfiers (motivators);

2. have to be right for motivation to occur but do not, in themselves, drive motivation — dissatisfiers (comfort or hygiene factors).

Herzberg compiled a list of satisfiers and dissatifiers by asking a sample of about 200 engineers and accountants to describe situations when they felt exceptionally good or exceptionally bad about their job. Figure 1 shows Herzberg's factors and the percentage of people reporting them as a satisfier or a dissatisfier.

Figure 1   Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation

Whether a particular factor is a drive or a comfort factor depends on the individual and how many basic needs have been fulfilled.

Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs

Abraham Maslow proposed that there is a hierarchy of needs, ascending from the basic biological needs to the more complex psychological motivations which become more important only after the basic needs have been satisfied (see Figure 2).

Figure 2   Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs

The needs at one level must be at least partially satisfied before those at the next level become important determiners of action. When food and safety are difficult to obtain, the satisfaction of those needs will dominate a person's actions and higher motives are of little importance. Only when the basic needs are satisfied can the individual follow aesthetic and intellectual pursuits. The highest motivator — self-actualization — can only be fulfilled after all other needs are fulfilled.

The power of words

The right, or wrong, word can make a huge difference to a person’s motivation. The following phrases are examples of words we all use — often without realizing their impact.

Killer phrases

A good idea, but...
We’ve never done it that way.
Too academic.
Let’s be practical.
I know it won’t work.
It’s against our policy.
They’ll never buy it upstairs.
Too old-fashioned.
Too modern.
It’s not good enough.
Has anyone ever tried it?
We’ll talk about it later.
It won’t work here.
Let’s get back to reality.

Igniter phrases

I agree!
Let’s try it.
You’re on the right track.
That’s an interesting idea.
I’m pleased with your work.
Let’s make it work.
Let’s start a new trend.
You can do it!
Keep going!
Keep up the good work.
I never thought of that.
Tell me more.
We can do a lot with that idea.
Thanks!

18 motivational strategies

1. You have to be motivated to motivate.
2. Motivation requires a goal.
3. Find their goal.
4. Show them how to achieve that goal.
5. Understand that motivation is not constant.
6. Select the right person (skills, interests, abilities) for the job.
7. Motivation requires recognition — praise good work.
8. Progress must be observable.
9. Challenge motivates, but the challenge must neither be too great or too easy.
10. Become a mentor.
11. Take the heat.
12. Give the glory.
13. Participation motivates people — delegate responsibility — not just tasks.
14. Group identification motivates
15. Provide growth opportunities.
16. Make it your job to build and maintain self-esteem — yours and employees.
17. Take a personal interest in your employees.
18. Expect good performance.

Quotes

Treat a man as he is and he will remain so. Treat a man as he can and ought to be and he will become as he can and ought to be.
— Goethe (1749–1832)

Catch people doing things right.
— Ken Blanchard (1939- )