What motivates you?
Yeah, I know, it’s a hard question. It feels too big and abstract. But let me reframe it like this: let’s say you have two job offers that are very similar. What would make you choose one over the other if you knew you could pay your bills and have your basic needs covered with both of them?
Did you know that there are intrinsic and extrinsic motivators? Let’s dive into what these mean and why it’s important to understand them.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivators
Intrinsic motivators come from within you. They are driven by internal rewards and personal satisfaction. Examples include:
- Enjoying the process of learning something new.
- Feeling a sense of accomplishment.
- Being passionate about the work itself.
Extrinsic motivators, on the other hand, are external rewards. They include:
- Money and bonuses.
- Praise and recognition.
- Avoidance of negative consequences.
Understanding these differences is crucial.
Why? Because knowing what truly motivates you can help you make better career choices, improve job satisfaction, and enhance overall well-being.
Why It’s Important to Know What Motivates Us
When you understand your own motivators, you can:
- Make decisions that align with your core values and desires.
- Increase your satisfaction and engagement in both personal and professional life.
- Navigate career changes with clarity and confidence.
Why Leaders Should Know Their Team’s Motivators
As a leader, knowing what motivates your team members is key to fostering a productive and happy workplace. A good leader:
- Understands each team member’s unique motivators.
- Tailors tasks and rewards to fit individual preferences.
- Creates a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.
Team Exercise: Discover What Motivates Us
Here’s a fun and insightful exercise to help your team understand each other’s motivators:
Exercise: The Carrot Behind the Morning🥕☀️
- Preparation: Provide each team member with a set of index cards and markers.
- Instructions:
- Ask each person to write down one thing that gets them excited to come to work each morning on a card. It could be anything from working on a particular project, enjoying a cup of coffee with colleagues, to the satisfaction of completing a task.
- Collect all the cards and mix them up.
- Activity:
- One by one, read each card aloud and have the team guess who wrote it.
- Discuss as a group why these motivators are important to each person.
- Reflection:
- After the guessing game, allow time for everyone to share more about why they chose their specific motivators.
- Encourage team members to reflect on similarities and differences.
- Highlight the importance of recognizing and appreciating diverse motivations within the team.
This exercise will not only be enjoyable but also bring the team closer. It will help everyone understand each other better and realize how similar yet unique we all are in what drives us.
Personal Insight: What Motivates Me
For me, motivation comes from being part of different projects, events, speeches and workshops, connecting with individuals and teams on a deeper level through coaching, and feeling creatively free without restraints. As you probably have noticed, motivation is a mix of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. I also need to feel very passionate about what I’m doing. I like to get recognition now and then and hear that people find my advice helpful and good, so please send me some feedback if you found this blog post valuable for you. It would mean a lot to me.
🌸🦋 I wish you a wonderful Saturday and weekend with love from a sunny, cloud-free Spain today.
With love,
Christina
If you are interested in having a 90 min personal coaching session with me to get some Clarity to a happier and Successful life aligned with your true values and purpose, book your appointment here. You will receive a Pre Session questionnaire so that I can get to know you before we meet. I’m looking forward to meet you.
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