The topic of well-being in the workplace is a broad one and professional motivation is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects. Accordingly, many managers and executives are repeatedly faced with exactly this question: How do I motivate employees? As simple as the question seems, the answer is complicated. There are many theories on the subject, but how can managers motivate their employees in practice so that they also perform well? Even if you don't have a team to lead, the problem remains basically the same: How do I motivate myself, as my own boss? In this article, I present three secrets of managers who are successful in motivating employees.
The Self-Determination Theory and its Significance for Employee Motivation
For decades, the topic of motivation has been one of the most important research areas in psychology, sociology, economics, business administration and other disciplines. Numerous theories have emerged, and the self-determination theory of the American psychology professors Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan has made a name for itself. According to this theory, an individual's motivation depends heavily on their level of self-determination. Self-determined motivation also has other positive effects on the person, for example on their well-being, commitment, performance and more. People who are self-determinedly motivated feel free in their decisions, while people with "controlled" motivation perceive their own behavior as the result of external pressure.
So you can imagine how much the way people achieve goals and greece telegram data greece telegram data work towards results affects employee motivation: Do they feel free in their projects (both private and professional) or do they feel restricted by others?
The self-determination theory is based on three main types of motivation, which can be considered step by step:
Professional amotivation
Amotivation is the total lack of motivation. So why is it considered a type of motivation? Amotivation refers to all the automatic behaviors and habits that people use to complete a task. It is basically the zero line when it comes to how useful someone finds a task or how interested they are in completing it. This is the classic example of an employee who robotically carries out the tasks assigned to them, believing that their efforts are useless and that they will never achieve the set goals because they are far too high anyway or they do not have the necessary skills. Amotivation can quickly arise when an employee is deprived of all control and can no longer foresee the consequences of their own actions.
At this point we are de facto talking about carrot and stick: both are extrinsic motivation factors. This type of motivation comes into play when we perform a task because we want to obtain or avoid something from our environment.
This can be a reward or something that gives us satisfaction or recognition, such as a promotion, social status or a good grade at school. But avoiding punishment, sanctions or reprimands is also an extrinsic motivation.