"How to Recognize and Harness Different Types of Motivation to Lead Your Team Effectively"

How do you manage your team if you don’t know what their motivation is? Are you aware of what motivates you?

It doesn’t just stop at intrinsic or extrinsic! Delving deep allows us to gain a detailed understanding of our behaviors, motivations, and aspirations.

It’s important to understand there is no “right” or “wrong” type of motivation, and we should not judge others if their motivation differs from yours. We can also have more than 1 motivator and overall, each person needs to be aware and responsible for their own motivation.

Intrinsic & Extrinsic

Intrinsic

Intrinsic means the motivation stems from within oneself. It involves desire, determination and aligns with personal morals, values and beliefs

Extrinsic

Extrinsic motivation refers to behavior driven by external factors. This type of motivation is fueled by the pursuit of rewards, fame, or recognition, and sometimes to evade punishment, embarrassment, or to boost one's ego. Doing something ‘for the sake of doing’, is not on the extrinsic agenda.

Intrinsic Motivation explained

Attitude

A person’s attitude playing a vital role in determining what motivates them. When internal factors influence an individual's thoughts and behaviors, it is referred to as "Attitude Motivation".

Competence

Skillful and Motivated. Competence motivation involves taking action to achieve competence. Think of university modules, first aid courses, or obtaining a driver's license.

Achievement

The feeling of personal accomplishment can serve as a motivating factor, known as "Achievement Motivation." Individuals with achievement motivation are typically compelled to reach their goals in order to progress towards success. Think of sports players, gamers or students

Physiological

Humans have fundamental psychological and physiological needs that are essential and instinctual. The motivations stemming from these physiological needs are referred to as "Physiological Motivation." While some may perceive psychological motivations as more significant than physiological ones, this is not entirely accurate. For instance, the drive to pursue a romantic interest is closely linked to an individual's physiological need for intimacy, making it one of the most compelling motivations.

Creative

The desire for fulfilling creative expression enhances a creative individual's natural inclination to produce innovative and extraordinary work. It’s the drive to express creativity as an additional form of communication. Think of artists (art, music, writers) for example.

Introjected

Introjection refers to the unconscious process of adopting someone else's feelings as one's own. Individuals absorb negative feedback about their performance, which then acts as detrimental intrinsic motivation. This leads to the accumulation of negative emotions like guilt, anger, and bitterness, driving them to complete tasks. However, this can have adverse effects on a person's psychological well-being in the long term.

Extrinsic Motivation explained

Fear

Fear can drive individuals to complete tasks. When fear is the driving force behind a job, it is known as Fear Motivation. While fear is a negative motivator, it has shown to be highly effective in achieving results. Think of some historical leaders, or even some ‘bosses’ you may have had.

Incentive

Incentive Motivation is when the potential rewards following a task serve as the primary driving force for completing it. This type of motivation is typically effective in situations involving financial incentives. For instance, employees who are offered a higher salary are greatly motivated to achieve their assigned goals, teachers incentivise students and so forth.

Social

Social motivation depends on the act of socialising with people and relating to them. This affiliation can serve as a powerful motivator, hence it is categorized as Social or Affiliation Motivation. Acknowledging employees' hard work can boost morale, which often proves to be a more effective motivator than monetary rewards or incentives.

Power

Having the ability to influence a situation can inspire individuals to accomplish remarkable feats, known as Power Motivation. Throughout history, there are numerous examples of how people have been driven by the sense of empowerment when entrusted with control over the lives of others.

Identified

Negative external motivations that drive someone to complete a task may not immediately lead to the desired outcomes. This type of motivation, known as Identified Motivation, is recognized well in advance before it influences individuals. For instance, displaying graphic images of lung-related health consequences on cigarette packaging might not prompt immediate cessation of smoking; however, it raises awareness of the issue. It often takes more significant or tragic events, like the loss of a fellow smoker to lung cancer, to make individuals truly grasp the severity of the situation and motivate them to quit smoking.

How to improve Motivation

Have fun! Plain and simple! Loosen up, live in the moment. You will gain more joy and happiness if you go with the flow every now and then. The people around you will enjoy your company more too.

Stay challenged. Even if it is outside of your comfort zone. Challenging ourselves leads us to discover new things, broaden our perspectives, venture beyond our comfort zones, connect with new individuals, and enhance our abilities.

Get it on paper, your screen or create a vision board

Jot down your plan, goals, or desired outcomes. This strategy can assist you in diving straight into the task and is particularly beneficial for visual learners.

Start with small stepsEach small step you take is progress! Before you know it, you'll be amazed at how far you've come.

Get a coach

We at ARCS Business Assist know how to design a plan with you to work towards your desired goals. it's what we do best and have a team ready to motivate!!

Final thoughts...

The time is going to pass anyway. Motivation is what gets your started. Habit is what keeps you going. you are never too old, too young, too busy or too important. your next move of motivation is not measured by your current circumstance! If you are leader, talk to your staff; find out their motivation and work with them to the next successful chapter!

#motivation #leadership #action #success #arcsbusinessassist