5 Components to Staying Motivated at Work
Which of these is keeping you on the right track?
What motivates you to do a good job?
Employee motivation is vital, as it can make or break an organization's success. If the employees, like you, are excited to work — productivity and performance go up, which brings the company's revenue up with it.
Retention is another huge benefit of staying motivated at work. The more you enjoy and thrive in your job, the longer you'll likely to stay there and grow with the company.
If motivation is the ability to "inspire and sustain effort towards a goal," then it's worth investigating what factors influence it. Below is a straightforward look at the 5 most influential factors impacting your motivation at work: financial, freedom, purpose, recognition, and growth.
Whether you're a worker looking to excel in your job or an employer hoping to bring in the best talent, here's what to look for.
1. Money: Does your job pay enough?
Compensation is always a good way to motivate a person to work harder. But too little or too much could compromise productivity.
It's crucial to strike a balance. The Yerkes-Dodson Law claimed that insufficient pay would result in unhappy workers, and too much will make workers too excited about pay to work.
To remain motivated, you need a competitive salary. Employees who aren't paid well feel less valued and appreciated, which can cause them to be pessimistic about their employer and job.
2. Freedom: Does the job fit your lifestyle?
Autonomy in your role is a proven way to increase motivation and engagement. With autonomy, you feel the freedom to make your own choices, control your schedule and workload, and can take responsibility for a job well done.
It can be tempting for company leaders to micromanage their employees when they aren't completely confident in their abilities. Micromanaging can lead to a demotivated workforce that doesn't trust others and is less effective.
You must have clear goals you want your employees to achieve rather than reinforcing how they should achieve them. Then, you can regularly review your team's progress concerning these goals and offer any support needed.
Flexibility and freedom are great ways to accommodate the more ambitious individuals within your team. You can force your employees to work a certain way, but it will be detrimental in the long run. Allowing a little flexibility can provide a better end result for both your customers and coworkers.
3. Purpose: Does the work have meaning?
Employees today want something different from past generations. They don't just want a paycheck but a chance to have an impact, to pursue meaning in their 9-to-5.
A good place to start is to ensure that each employee's work assignments match their interests, career aspirations, and personal development goals. Each employee is unique. With a little creativity, you can infuse your employees' work with meaning if you understand how each person is shaped and gifted.
Also, ensure that each team has common goals that align with the company's goals. This will make team members feel more connected to the larger organization.
When possible, use customer stories and meaningful statistics to share your positive experiences. When workers hear about the good things their work is helping make happen, they're more likely to work hard for more to come true.
4. Recognition: Does your workplace recognize your contribution?
Recognition of employees is the most powerful motivator. Employees work better when they feel valued, heard, and seen. Studies have shown that employees tend to work harder when they have been publicly appreciated by their bosses.
There are many ways to recognize someone. For introverts, a short note, email, or small gift could be exactly what they need. For others, verbal praise in front of others might do the trick. A great gift for anyone would be an extra day off, a paid lunch, or similar convenience gifts.
It's most effective to recognize someone's actions immediately — so don't let too much time go by when you notice a great effort. Even just a genuine "thank you" in the moment can plant seeds of gratitude.
5. Growth: Is your job an interesting challenge?
Challenges are more accessible when management takes an active interest in employees' future. Your business should create opportunities for people to move ahead and encourage many growth opportunities, both personally and professionally.
A few ways to do this are to offer:
- Advanced education resources.
- Travel stipends to conferences.
- Benefits which include gym memberships or other active lifestyle things.
- Mentoring opportunities both within and outside of the company staff.
- Promotion plans so employees can see where they're headed and how to get there.
Items like these build confidence and trust, which goes both ways. And when people have clear goals, they're motivation spikes, which makes achieving those goals all the more likely. Again, a benefit for everyone involved!
One of the best ways to go about this is to work one-on-one with your top performers. Create personalized development plans with them, listen to where they see themselves or would like to be, and go from there. Be sure to keep your expectations clear and reasonable. Then, other workers will likely be motivated by what they see others accomplishing.
Motivation is complex but achievable
Even though many people may consider money the number one motivator at work, research has shown it's not necessarily the case. As we've seen, motivation is a web of influences that come together make something powerful.
Salary alone won't solve every issue, so if you're feeling stuck at work or as an employer, think about how the five elements mentioned above could come into play. And be honest about what you want right now. Because at the end of the day, we're all just people trying to live the best life we can!