Dan Ariely outlined what motivates us to work is a sense of
purpose. Reflect on what motivates you at work and what gives you a sense of
purpose. Why do you do what you do? What do you hope to achieve through your
work? In considering how you are motivated, how can you discover not only your
own personal fulfillment but that of your followers?
Motivation is an interesting concept. Many who I have worked with and some that I am
currently working with would say that your paycheck should be all the
motivation you need. However, I disagree
with this. While I do agree that money
is important and a majority if not all people work because they need money this
is not a motivating factor for some. Being
compensated for the work you perform is important however, motivation while at
work is something else. The text defines
motivation as a combination of desires ad commitments demonstrated by effort
(Whetten & Cameron, 2016). For me
motivation has always come from being a hard worker no matter what the task
was. I learned this at a very early
age. My first job as a typical young kid
was in the wonderful world of fast food.
As a 15 year old however, I learned very quick the value of hard work
and this became a very important motivational factor for me. My first supervisor set forth very clear
expectations and when I accomplished these I was rewarded. The owners of the establishment actually sat
me down once and told me how surprised they were at my work ethic and that they
wish they had 10 more people like me. They
then rewarded me with a raise. Which for
a 15 year old kid is going to be a very influential motivator. This drive for hard work turned into a desire
to produce high quality work. Not simply for a raise in pay but I wanted to be
the one that supervision came to when they needed something done and wanted it
done right. I became motivated by being
the “go to guy”. This lead to me take on
more responsibility which only drove my motivation more. I was being selected for positions within
this organization which had previously been occupied by adults. I was supervising others within the
organization as well. This was new to me
and kept me on my feet. It was
uncomfortable at first because there were a few individuals how were quite a
bit older than I was at the time however, I was the shift supervisor. I think
that the manager noticed that I had drive and determination and was motivated
by being challenged. They understood that
I was motivated by producing high quality results and enjoyed being challenged
to do so. While this motivation may seem
silly due to the nature of work I was doing and my age I think this set me up
for success when I joined the military.
Now that I am older not only am I motivated by producing
quality work and being known as the “go to guy” while I at work have other
things which drive me now. To start with now I have a family. I love to see people who have a spouse and
children to provide for talking about needing things to motivate them. Sometimes I can get a little upset when I hear
these types of comments. Anyone who has
a family who is counting on them and can complain about lack of motivation in
my mind has kind of missed the boat. My wife
and kids motivate me every day. Every day I leave the house is another day for
me to go out and produce for my job to ensure that I can provide for them. The text discusses how people can use goal
setting as a way to help with motivation. It states that those who use goal
setting will have an increase in individual effort (2016, 271). This is another
way I like to stay motivated. I have set
goals which revolve around providing for my family which help keep me on track
and motivated even when times are tough.
I would venture to say that even someone with what most would consider a
very fun and exciting job have a hard time staying positive and motivated all
the time. By focusing on these goals and knowing what I am working for I can
keep my motivation high even when things are not going well.
As I have grown and increased in rank and responsibility t
has been challenging to help others stay motivated at times. I try to maintain a positive outlook on
things even when it is stressful and tough. By having a good understanding of
motivation and that what motivates me may not motivate others I have been able
to help others within the organizations I have been in. The text discusses using salient rewards as a
way to help motivate those in your organization (2016, 281). These are rewards which are designed to
motivate individual’s specific to their needs and desires. These rewards are
the kinds of rewards that people actually value and want to receive for
performing. As a supervisor it is your
job to get to know your individuals and discover what types of things motivate
them. These types of salient rewards
will work out for you if offered correctly and when they are earned. By getting to know your personnel and
understanding what motivates them you also open doors for them to become better
workers. If they can trust you and know that you will take care of them they
are liable to become your “go to guy/girl” and produce for you quality results
time and time again. By doing this you
will also develop relationships with them and understand what their goals and
desires are. This is important because
as a leader you can help them get where they want to go within the organization
and help them reach their full potential and become successful in all they do.
Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing
management skills,
9th ed.
Boston, MA: Pearson.
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