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Three Key Motivators at Work

8/17/2021

4 Comments

 
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When employers first tried to motivate employees, their approach was almost entirely based on incentive pay: paying for piecemeal output so employees would work faster and produce more. But in our modern economy and workplace, motivation is far more complex. In a post in TED’s “How To Be A Better Human” series David Burkus, PhD., associate professor of management at Oral Roberts University and author of Under New Management, outlines three drivers of motivation according to self-determination theory (a theory of behavior that addresses people's inherent growth tendencies and innate psychological needs).
  1. Autonomy: In the context of work, autonomy means people feel they have a say in what they work on and how they work on it. They feel empowered rather than micromanaged. Creating a sense of autonomy in an individual or team can come from mutually assigned objectives and deadlines, or by giving people more freedom over where they work and what they work on.
  2. Competence: This refers to the desire to experience mastery. People are motivated through learning at work. To facilitate learning, managers can offer constructive feedback, give praise when warranted, and take the time to celebrate wins, large and small.
  3. Relatedness: Relatedness refers to our desire to connect with others. Humans are much more motivated to take actions when they’re seen as pro-social — that is, when they’re seen as being able to help other people. Creating a sense of relatedness in an individual or on a team means making sure people build connections to each other. “But it also means making sure people know the significance of what they’re being asked to do and how it relates to the whole team and the organization’s larger objectives. Even better, you might frame the team’s work in a way that makes it quite clear exactly who is helped by the actions of the organization, the team, and even the individual.”
What motivates you at work, and how do you help motivate others? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

4 Comments
Scott Mesh link
8/17/2021 09:21:24 am

Seems like the 3 C's (Control, Competence, Connection). Yes, makes sense. The desire to do a good job (competence) in my expeirence is crucial and one of the strongest drivers of behavior/performance. Also, this article didn't get into the nitty gritty but the issue of micromanaging is not so straightforward. Do we as supervisors or leaders have to shut up and let them make mistakes? Maybe smaller mistakes yes. Are we concerned people's ego's get bruised? When is it ok to coach and when not? I know coaching without consent = criticizm. Thus, permission is critical and enthusiam so we work as a team to constantly do better. Thanks for this article

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Peter Glaser link
8/19/2021 11:11:25 am

You raise a number of interesting issues Scott. While 'ego bruising' is always a concern, asking for permission can often ease the way. Example: 'Jack, would you be open to some observations about your last submission?' Timing can also be a key. If you can wait to provide the feedback so that it happens shortly before the person is about to perform the same action, it is easier to implement the feedback and tends to be perceived more as helpful advice rather than negative criticism.

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Julia Griffiths
8/17/2021 09:55:43 am

Love this! I've felt every one of these during my career.

About Relatedness, I've also felt motivated by the financial interdependence of my colleagues and me. People I'd worked with for years and years had young kids, or college to pay for, or parents to support. By keeping the company (a small biz) strong, even in a financial downturn, we were keeping each other's families secure.

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Peter Glaser
8/19/2021 11:22:58 am

You make a good point Julia. While we tend to downplay the importance of financial compensation as a motivator it does provide for us and our families and as you point out so well, can heighten the interconnection of the team. Thanks for this contribution.

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