The Psychology Behind Employee Motivation

Hello again! 👋

In the last two issues, we dove into the basics of what keeps employees engaged at work. This time, let's take a slightly different approach and take a sideways glance 👀 at the psychology behind what keeps employees motivated.

Spoiler alert: it's more than just the paycheck! 💰

Understanding Employee Motivation

Let's face it, motivation isn't just about cashing in paychecks or bagging perks. 🤑 There's more to the story, and focusing solely on these external goodies might actually stifle creativity.

Don’t roll your eyes - it’s usually not the whole story!

Let me explain - we've got a whole playground of theories about workplace motivation. Ready for a quick tour? I promise to keep this interesting. 😌

1. First up, Herzberg's two-factor theory. Imagine two buckets: 🪣🪣 one filled with stuff like recognition and career advancement (motivators), and the other with the essentials like salary (hygiene factors). The former makes work feel like a celebration, while the latter keeps the workplace blues at bay.

2. Then there’s Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Think of it as a ladder 🪜 where you start with the basic needs, climbing up to the ultimate rung: self-actualization – which just refers to becoming the best version of yourself (no biggie).

3. The Hawthorne effect is pretty interesting too. It basically states that a little praise or constructive feedback can really make us do our best. 💯

4. Weiner's theory is about how we view our successes and setbacks. 😥 For example, if you think a project went wrong because of something you did, you might feel less keen to try again next time.

5. Then there's McGregor's theory X and theory Y. Theory X is like the strict teacher who thinks rules and a bit of pressure are needed to get work done. Theory Y is more like the chilled-out teacher who believes we all have a spark inside that just needs a little encouragement. 😎

6. Lastly, Theory Z. Dr. Ouchi combines Western and Eastern management philosophies. It's about looking at the long run, making sure jobs are secure, giving chances to grow, and caring about everyone's well-being – looking after the whole person, and not just the work part. 🧘

While the application of these motivation theories depend on several factors such as leadership styles and company culture, understanding these different theories of motivation is like a cheat sheet that can help you identify and tweak areas in your engagement strategy. 🕵️‍♂️

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Internal Drive vs. External Rewards

So we just went over a couple of motivation theories in organizational behavior. While that may be, ever wondered what motivates an employee on a more personal level? 🤔

According to the Self Determination Theory, employees can be motivated by two big factors:

🌟 Intrinsic Motivation - This is all about the internal drive, when you want to do something just because you love it. When employees are intrinsically motivated, they find genuine fulfillment in the work itself. This kind of motivation can spark some serious innovation and make employees really committed to their work.

💼 Extrinsic Motivation - On the flip side, sometimes external factors take center stage in boosting motivation. Picture this: bonuses, promotions, and a shout-out by the boss at the next meeting.

So, what's the best approach? It's not really about picking one over the other. That is why we emphasized the “one size does not fit all” approach in the last issue. The trick is to keep experimenting and improvising your approach when it comes to keeping your employees motivated. 🙌

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic: What do you think motivates your team the most? (Let’s see what most of you think - cast your vote in the poll below when you get there!) 📊

Today’s Key Takeaways:

Today’s Poll 📊

Don’t Miss This Webinar

Join me in this resource-packed session where we will unlock 6 different resources that can help you gain leadership support for employee engagement.

What we will unlock:

🔓Engagement data + Case Studies Library

🔓Impact Mapping for Employee Engagement [Outline]

🔓Cost of Disengagement Calculator

🔓Guide to Assessing Employee Engagement Platforms + Template

🔓Employee Engagement Implementation Roadmap [Outline]

🔓Earning Leadership Buy-in for Employee Engagement: The Playbook

We've been on a roll with 4 successful editions already in the past two months, and now we're concluding the series with one last session. Only 2 days away - mark your calendars! 📅 

Today’s Reads:

1. It’s officially (almost) holiday season? ✨ However, it's important to remember that this time isn't always joyful for everyone - read up on how employers can support grieving employees during the festive season.

2. Do you believe that remote work is linked to higher productivity? According to Forbes, companies with flexible remote work policies outperform on revenue growth. 📈

3. Does anybody else keep coming across ‘pet insurance’? 🐱 Here’s yet another article on this voluntary employee benefit. According to Mercer, in 2022, 36% of large employers (those with more than 500 workers), provided pet insurance options to staff.

That's a wrap for now - see you next week!