Source: Dan Pink

Many research studies have been conducted in attempt to analyze what motivates workers.  Traditionally, pay and benefits were considered to be the most important factors for motivating employees.  Nowadays, work enjoyment, challenges and recognition are some of the many factors frequently quoted by employees when asked what keeps them motivated.  I came across a very interesting article on ideas.ted.com summarizing seven insightful studies that outline the non-financial factors of motivation.

One point that stood out was: “The promise of helping others makes us more likely to follow rules”.  What stood out to me wasn’t the concept of helping others but rather how effective the study was – by putting up signs at a hospital’s hand-washing stations, doctors and nurses used 45% more soap or hand sanitizer in the stations with signs.  It was surprising to me because I personally don’t respond to signs that much.  I guess every person responds to a motivation factor differently.

However, I can definitely relate to the point: “The harder a project is, the prouder we feel of it”.  Every time I finish a challenging task, I feel incredibly proud because I feel like I have gone through the worst and as a result, I am motivated to work even harder on future projects.

I think that the fourth point: “Knowing that our work helps others may increase our unconscious motivation”, is tied to McClelland’s motivational needs theory under the “n-achievement” in which a person is motivated by the need for a sense of accomplishment through seeking challenging goals and there is a constant need for feedback regarding process and achievement.

After reading through the various factors of motivation, I would definitely like to find out more about what motivates my friends or the people around me to work hard.

Word Count: 293

Sources:

Gross, Jessica.  “What Motivates Us At Work? More Than Money.”  Ideas.Ted.Com.  21 May, 2015.  <http://ideas.ted.com/what-motivates-us-at-work-7-fascinating-studies-that-give-insights/>