Motivation is all the factors that encourage individuals to be committed to and interested in doing something over time. The feeling of intense interest and desire to act can be momentary. It lets you know you are going in the right direction, but the different aspects that drove you to feel that way are the ones that will maintain your actions.
These factors can be different from one person to another. Find them by answering these questions:
- What do I value?
- Why do I value it?
- What makes me feel vital?
- What makes me feel committed?
- What makes what I am doing purposeful?
In coaching I have come across many people who didn’t feel motivated at work. The first symptom was a sense of loss of meaning. So when we face demotivation in the workplace, we need to start by asking what is the value behind the task.
Motivation is highly related to the meaning we assign to what we are doing. Many times that meaning is not related to the immediate results of our work or to the specific task. We assign meaning based on a larger outcome or bigger purpose we see in the work.
For example, you can feel passionate about building your own business but also dislike the marketing activities. You might be highly motivated to do unpleasant marketing tasks because you know how much your business growth will depend on them. Connecting the task of promoting your business to your goal of growing it, and reminding yourself of that connection, can keep you going with better energy and attitude.
As human beings we are vulnerable to many factors that can affect our mood and disposition to face work every day. Let’s imagine a person who did not sleep because the neighbor’s dog was barking, got stuck in traffic, and spilled coffee all over her clothes. How motivated do you think she feels today? Probably not much. Yet if she feels fully aligned with the company, committed to a larger outcome, and basically enjoys what she does, she may dig deep and find some motivation for the day. With all of that in place, she is more likely to do her best to get in the right mood and attitude to accomplish her tasks.
When employees don’t feel as committed or connected to part of something important, when they can’t relate to the mission of the company or simply can’t see the importance of their role at a bigger scale, they often lose motivation. 70 percent of American workers say they’re stuck in a job in which they are completely disengaged and 30 percent of that group actively hate their jobs. Disengagement and hate? Those words don’t typically go with motivation, at least not toward the activities a person needs for work.
Hate for a job is at least a strong feeling and could motivate an individual to finally take action. They might escalate and drive improvement in a situation or dynamic that has become unworkable. Hate might also force them to be honest about their own mismatch and misalignment with the organization and move on to work and a workplace that better fits their values and aspirations.
Some of the most common demotivators at work are fairly mundane and even trivial. They seem addressable but the degree to which they are experienced is symptomatic of a larger disconnect in purpose, meaning, and values.
Most common causes of workplace demotivation
- Micromanagement
- Lack of progress or growth opportunities
- Job insecurity
- No confidence in company leadership
- Poor communication
- Unpleasant coworkers
- Boredom
Although all of these factors are huge motivation killers, they are likely to affect us less when the person feels a deeper connection to what he or she does.
Notice also what isn’t on the list of demotivators: “difficult projects,” “ambiguity and uncertainty,” “long hours,” and “high expectations.” Although these factors can create stress for the individual, it is the type of stress that facilitates growth and learning. As long as the work or outcome is somewhat interesting or important to the individual, challenges, complexity, and stretch assignments tend to be far more motivating than easy or predefined work.
Tapping into individual motivation through curiosity, desire to make more impact, and inclination to connect with others on something larger than themselves creates a vitality that benefits both the organization and the individual.
