Is Your Motivation Waning?

There is much research into how to motivate people at work. However, I always advocate the starting point has to be with yourself.  What would your answer be to the question, what motivates you? Do you know?

What Motivates You?

Frequently I am asked, “How do I find a job that’s more rewarding?” Well, my question straight back is, “What is it about your current job that attracted you in the first place?”

So what does one do?  The first step is to raise your self-awareness and find out what are your core motivators, your key career drivers. 

• Is it material rewards or power and influence?

• Is meaning or purpose in your job your number one driver?

• What about expertise, seeking a high level of accomplishment in what you do?

• Are you driven by the ability to be creative and innovative in your job?

• What do you think about relationships at work?

• Does autonomy drive you?  Without it how do you feel, do you prefer to make decisions on your own?

• How about security, having a certain and predictable future?

• Moreover, what are your thoughts about status? Are you driven to be recognised, admired and respected?

Sadly what gets in the way of people enjoying their jobs is relationships at work. For many people the ability to seek positive relationships is crucial. Either their boss or their team is perhaps not as proactive or constructive as they would like or what it could be.

Statistics show people leave their boss not the job, nor the company.  However leaving your boss, does not solve the issues you were avoiding, all you are doing is taking the same issues with you to your next job. Once the honeymoon period is over in the new job, you find yourself unhappy and unmotivated all over again.  Work becomes like the movie Groundhog Day, and you find yourself back to square one.

Understanding what motivates and drives you is the first step to being happier in your day to day job. You will start to notice what is missing in your current job. If this is the case, speak to your boss or colleagues about doing tasks that give you an opportunity to thrive.

Being motivated by our work has a direct and positive impact on our performance, so it is a win-win for you and your employer.

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