Motivation is defined as the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.
Take a moment to think about a current situation or deadline at work.
- What motivates you to get it done?
- Does that form of motivation support ease and flow in your
life? Or does it cause pressure, stress, or disconnection?
According to the Harvard Business Review, at any given moment, an individual’s motivational state is rooted in one of two goals:
- what that person wants to obtain or achieve or
- what they want to avoid.
With a positive outlook and supportive culture, an employee is inclined to develop new skills, connect, and work with others on their team or take on a stretch assignment to advance. With a negative outlook or culture, someone receiving little praise and critical feedback is motivated to stay disconnected, less productive, and often look for different opportunities elsewhere.
What are you creating for yourself or your team? Look at these two different motivational scenarios:
Scenario #1: Motivating self/others through fear, guilt, shame, or extrinsic rewards.
When this happens, we experience stress, pressure, anger, anxiety, and disconnection (to name a few). Tasks and projects will get done, but at what cost?
Scenario #2: Are you using higher forms of motivation as an intrinsic reward, play, fun, and even love.
This form of motivation increases communication, engagement, learning, support, encouragement, and an overall sense of belonging.
Which scenario most resonates with you?
If you find yourself frequently in scenario #1, can you pause and reflect on what form of motivation you are using? Instead, what do you most want to create?
Are you willing to shift that? If so, you can start by asking yourself this simple question,
“How much fun can I/we have in this moment?”
Yes, FUN! As a coach, I have had leaders give someone near them an appreciation, stand up and tell a joke, or even turn on music for a 1- minute dance party. Frequent, daily play can help reduce anxiety, stress, and irritability. It also helps boost joy and self-esteem. It can shift an entire situation and supports overall well-being and mental health. Give it a try!
