Motivation is really important in the workplace. It gives employees energy, helps them progress, and encourages teams to do well. To use motivation fully at work, it’s important to know the different ways people get motivated and how they work in a professional setting.
In the workplace, there are many ways to get motivated. What inspires one person might not work for someone else. Knowing different types of motivation can help employees stay motivated and assist managers in finding new ways to make their teams do well.
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation takes place when you find reasons for your own motivation. These are tasks or techniques that you find and apply to your personal and professional life. Sometimes, when you lack motivation, you indulge yourself in activities like painting or playing sports, where you choose a method that is connected to you personally.
Among intrinsic motivation factors are common subtypes of motivation, including:
Competence Motivation
Competence motivation takes place when you want to upskill yourself and enhance your capabilities. People who are driven by competence motivation aim for goals that involve learning, training, and gaining knowledge. For example, when you enroll yourself to learn a new software to improve your skills.
Companies often create opportunities for such employees by adding various on-the-job training programs. If you are someone who is driven by competence, you must look for such opportunities inside and outside your job profiles, as this adds more to your resume and opens new opportunities for you.
Attitude Motivation
Attitude motivation is something where you want to change how others think and feel about you. People with attitude motivation aim to improve their communication skills and improve social relationships. For example, if you are someone who is scared of public speaking, you will want to work on your communication skills and build more confidence to speak on public platforms.
Creative Motivation
Creative motivation is when you are a creative person, and you want to show your creativity to the world. This type of motivation can involve wanting to write a book or poem, act in a movie, play a musical instrument, or even begin a business.
Many companies support creativity by adding it to their workplace and culture. For example, they introduce various competitions at work, where their employees can showcase their talent. Some companies might have a wall where employees can draw or a contest for carving pumpkins at Halloween.
Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation means you do something because you’re either promised a reward or scared of punishment. For example, parents often offer their kids rewards when they perform well in school and get good grades or avoid getting into trouble at home. Sometimes, both rewards and punishments can motivate them.
Extrinsic rewards in an office setup often include money, recognition, or other kinds of compensation. Extrinsic consequences might involve losing money, facing consequences, or missing out on opportunities. Many workers are motivated by their pay and the chance to advance in their careers.
Among extrinsic motivation factors are common subtypes of motivation, including:
Achievement Motivation
Achievement motivation is about feeling good when you reach a goal. People with this kind of motivation aren’t happy just finishing a task – they want others to notice what they’ve done. It’s extrinsic motivation because it relies on outside things to make you feel accomplished.
In a job, achievement motivation makes you focused on goals. If you’re achievement-motivated, you must know that you’ll be recognized later to stay interested in a project or task.
Incentive Motivation
Incentive motivation is when you are offered a reward for doing outstanding work at your job. Many companies offer special overtime and over-achievement incentives for employees who give extra time and effort in their jobs. If you are someone who is motivated this way, you must try your best to work when you know a fair reward awaits you.
At the workplace, incentive motivation takes place when employers give their employees special chances to earn rewards in the form of money. They set various targets that the employee needs to achieve. This gives the employees an extra opportunity to earn more than just their salaries. Some companies also offer fair compensation for very extra hour an employee works after his shift.
Affiliation Motivation
Affiliation motivation means wanting to be part of a particular group or organization. If you’re motivated this way, you enjoy working with your coworkers and being a part of a team. Being part of a group makes you feel good, and you like contributing to the team’s success.
You might see affiliation motivation at work when people focus on building relationships among coworkers or with customers. Encouraging a sense of teamwork and togetherness in the company can help everyone feel motivated to succeed as a group.