Making Motivation
Pick up any article focused on organizational management or workplace culture and you’ll likely see a reference to employee motivation. Organizations — and the leaders that run them — recognized a long time ago that a motivated employee is a more productive employee, and as a result have been trying to figure out the secret to harnessing employee motivation ever since.
Today, there are dozens of motivation theories, each one differing in varying degrees from the other but most recognizing and agreeing that organizations, and thus the leaders within them, are responsible for creating environments that encourage, or even create, employee motivation. In spite of the fact that motivation differs from individual to individual, organization to organization, or even industry to industry, the bulk of the burden lies on the organization to identify and understand how to foster increased and/or maintained individual motivation.
The frustrating thing is that while these theories play out in real time, it can be difficult for individuals to find their own motivation. Work is work, and even those employees that understand that performance is directly linked to motivation and find themselves motivated to excel at work can still find it tough to maintain the motivation needed to continue at that pace.
So, how do employees keep themselves motivated to keep performing?
First off, what is motivation?
We all have a general sense for what motivation is, but when it comes to the motivation theory, much of the research (and specifically Self-Determination Theory) breaks down and focuses on the interaction between two sources of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation refers to the motivation to do something based upon the way it makes us feel, consciously or unconsciously. Another way to label it is “internal” motivation. Examples are doing something because you enjoy it or because you find it interesting or exciting.
Extrinsic motivation, then, refers to being motivated by some perceived or actual benefit received as a result. This more external type of motivation is less about what is being done and more about what is (or is not) being received in return.
While different theories of motivation engage with intrinsic or extrinsic motivation in different ways, most theories would agree that both have a place in the discussion of motivating employees. The question becomes, which type of motivation is more effective at increasing performance? Though theories differ slightly on the answer, studies suggest that intrinsic motivation is better than extrinsic when it comes to predicting performance in the workplace. Beyond performance, intrinsic motivation has also been shown to increase resilience and psychological health.
But how is intrinsic motivation increased at work? According to self-determination theory, most people want to work toward a goal of self-determination, or a state of inherent satisfaction, which is achieved by fulfilling three basic needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness to others. By shoring up actions/experiences that allow these needs to be fulfilled, individuals report feeling more intrinsically motivated and enjoy their work more. Thus, actions taken to ensure these needs are met can increase intrinsic motivation and, in turn, performance.
Making Motivation: 3 ways to harness your intrinsic motivation
While ideally your employer has figured out how to help keep you motivated, or at least motivated some of the time, if you have read this far you are more likely to be someone who has at some point found motivation difficult to maintain. Luckily, there are actions you can take to increase your own intrinsic motivation. By focusing on fulfilling the needs identified by self-determination theory, you have the power to harness motivation for yourself.
1. Create wins.
One of the needs identified by self-determination theory is competence, or the need for an individual to be able to create expertise or mastery through skill development and successes. More simply, competence is the result of having confidence in what we do and our ability to do it. By attaining “wins” or victories, we are able to demonstrate to ourselves, and others, that we know what we are doing and are able to execute.
For better or for worse, “wins” at work are often wrapped up in long term projects or goals — the “big” tasks that take lots of work and have long runways — meaning our victories can feel few and far between.
However, as far as motivation is concerned, a victory is a victory, and not all battles have to be “big”. Instead of waiting for the next big win, look for the low-hanging fruit. Identify smaller projects or tasks that can be done in shorter time frames or using fewer resources. You can even create the practice of adding one or two smaller or more easily accomplished tasks to your daily to-do list. This insures you get a constant feed of victories to help keep you moving and feeling competent in what you do.
2. Take control.
Autonomy, or the need for an individual to feel as if they have some control over their environment and ability to make their own choices, is another need identified by self-determination theory. Autonomy can feel harder to manage in the working environment, as it can be directly affected by an organization’s culture and/or supervisor’s management style. Yet, autonomy is still something an individual can positively affect on their own.
One way to increase the feeling of autonomy is to search out projects or tasks that you can own and then ask to be given the runway to do so. Communicate your desire to be more independent with those in your workflow, and take initiative to pick up a project that you see needs to be completed rather than waiting for it to be assigned.
Working with a micromanager that doesn’t allow for much autonomy? Unfortunately, you cannot change someone else’s management style, but you can still increase your feeling of autonomy within that relationship. Find ways to clarify expectations, check in on timelines and communicate in ways that allow the micromanager to feel less of a need to manage. Try to understand why your micromanager micromanages, then take actions meant to alleviate those sources of concern. The result will be a feeling of added control over the situation and a sense of autonomy alongside it.
3. Connect more.
Relatedness, or connection to others, is another need important to self-determination. While this includes social connections, it also refers to the feeling of being a part of something larger than ourselves. Connections in the workplace can be difficult for some, especially with so many now doing more remote work, but there are still opportunities to increase relatedness at work.
Look for ways to contribute at work outside of your normal work stream. Many organizations have internal committees for which employees can volunteer. Other employers do ‘days or service’ or community focused events. Maybe join an affinity group or an employee resource group (“ERG”). All of these actions may give you the sense of connection you need and provide genuine motivation to be a part of your organization’s culture.
What if you are a fully or mostly remote employee? Admittedly, relatedness can take more effort for those who are fully or mostly remote. This is especially true if you are remote but work for an organization that has in-office and/or hybrid employees as well — because the remote employees may not be the focus of some or all of the activities within the workplace. It may be harder to participate in ERGs or community service events, while simultaneously being easier to isolate completely from the organizational culture.
If that’s the case, make concerted efforts to connect with others. Set aside time for virtual coffee dates with colleagues or look into creating your own “Remote ERG” — anything that allows you to connect in a meaningful way. It may take more planning and forethought, but connections can still be made even if you are never in the same room as those to whom you are connecting. You just have to plan for how you will do it.
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At the end of the day, no one has figured out the perfect way to keep employees (or ourselves) motivated, and everyone is motivated by different things. Some days, the motivation makers above will do the trick. Other days, you may rely on more extrinsic rewards to gets you moving. Either way, remember that not every day is meant to be perfect and some days you won’t feel like doing it at all — but that doesn’t mean that tomorrow won’t be better. Lean into the things you know you like doing — because the less it feels like work, the more you’ll be motivated to keep at it.
