Is it only for the money?

What Really Motivates You at Work?

February 03, 2014

Is money why you go to work? If your boss doubled your salary, would you work twice as hard?
I didn't think so.
A couple of years ago I was at a neighbor’s house for cocktails. He was a retired surgeon, and as he poured my wine he said “Don, this afternoon I got the most amazing phone call.”
“Really?” I said, “How so?”
“Well, I answered the phone and a man said ‘Is this Dr. Newton Smith?’ So I said ‘Yes, and to whom am I speaking, please?’ So he said, ‘Well, this is John Richardson, and I doubt you remember me, but about 20 years ago you operated on me and saved my life. Today, Dr. Smith, I turned 80, so I just thought I’d give you a call to say thanks.’”
What a terrific call to receive, out of the blue. I've never had any desire to go into medicine myself, but how totally wonderful it must be, to have a job where you save lives and reduce the suffering of others.
My neighbor the surgeon also made a lot of money. I understand he had great skill and was highly sought after. But I seriously doubt that money was the reason he went to work each day.
If you’re plugged in enough to be reading this posting on your own, it’s almost a certainty that what motivates you most in your own job is not the extrinsic rewards of pay and benefits (although earning enough money is always important), but the more intrinsic motivations.
In psychology, intrinsic motivations are defined as the reasons behind our actions when we simply enjoy doing some task, with or without the extrinsic rewards of money and other material benefits. When we get pleasure from the sheer act of accomplishing some task, we are intrinsically motivated.
If you’re “happy” in your job, chances are it’s not because you’re getting all the money you will ever want, but because you enjoy the job itself.
And as technology continues to automate more and more tasks it’s going to be increasingly important for businesses to understand the power of the intrinsic motivations that lie behind information-based jobs involving creativity, initiative, expertise, judgment, and passion. Companies will need to ensure that people work well together with less top-down direction. Work-at-home employees, independent contractors and freelancers will have to make the right connections and adhere to the same organizational mission.
Intrinsic motivations could include any or all of the following, for instance:

• Having a sense of purpose in your job;
• Being autonomous, and able to make your own decisions;
• Feeling a challenge;
• Mastering some subject area or discipline;
• Camaraderie, and making social connections with others; or
• Recognition and acclaim.

If part of your job involves supervising others, it would be good for you to think a bit about how best to use these kinds of motivations, not just to improve their performance, but to increase the enjoyment you get from your own job, as well (for one thing, you will be mastering your own new challenge).


http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140203140253-17102372-what-really-motivates-you-at-work?trk=mp-details-rc