Motivation-Part Two

There are many things that motivate us in our lives.   It is what drives our behaviors.  It is what helps us make the decision to do something that is scary or hard.  It is what helps us modify our natural behaviors, so we can fit in better or work in a group more productively.  Our motivators (or values) are formed through repeated experiences and multiple exposures in our world.  This determines our beliefs about what is valuable or good.

Research we follow indicates there are seven motivators:  aesthetic, economic, individualistic, political (leadership), altruistic, regulatory, and theoretical.  Furthering defining these scales of motivators:  aesthetic—form, harmony, balance; economic—bottom line results, competition; individualistic—control own fate, be unique; political—influence, leadership: altruistic—compassion, unselfishness; regulatory—standards, routine, order; and theoretical—knowledge, reasoning, learning.



As you become self-aware and know your motivations, be authentic to these.  Structure your environment to include these.  If you absolutely can’t do that at work, then find a way to feed your motivators during other times.  You will find that you are more engaged in activities.  You may find that you have more energy.  You may become more positive about your daily life.

When you know how your team (co-workers, family, etc.) is motivated, you can create more synergy.  The language you use is important.  How you set up a situation is vital to its success.  For example, if you lead a team and have to ask members to work late on a Friday night…how you structure the situation will have an effect on the speed and quality of the work.  People motivated by economic may be engaged to stay late on Friday if they receive a financial bonus.  People motivated by altruistic may be engrossed in the activity if they are allowed to leave work early next week to volunteer for a few hours.  Those motivated by theoretical may be inspired if told their Friday night project will teach new processes to the client on Monday morning.

Notice how using language of a motivator different from a match for the person could actually de-motivate him/her. Think about some recent interactions you’ve had with people.  Could this be contributing to your final product---either positively or negatively?  Get to know those around you.  Determine what motivates them.  Ensure it is present in abundance.

To learn more about how to practice this understanding, contact Results Group, LLC at www.ResultsGroupLLC.com or 515-330-2866.

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