Dan
Ariely outlined what motivates us to work is a sense of purpose. Reflect on
what motivates you at work and what gives you a sense of purpose. Why do you do
what you do? What do you hope to achieve through your work? In considering how
you are motivated, how can you discover not only your own personal
fulfillment but that of your followers?
In this week’s discussion board, we spoke in great detail about incentives and motivation. I mentioned that my organization is not
a tangible-incentives-focused culture. The reason I added the word tangible is because
I believe that intangible incentives drive us to do the work that we do. It
should be understood that everyone is not motivated by these intangible
incentives but many are. When I think of the intangible incentives offered at
my company, I think of things like public recognition, increased
responsibility, and appreciation. Sometimes when I speak about Embry-Riddle I
fear that I make it sound like a flawless organization where no discontent
employee exists; however, that is not the case; discontent people are in every organization. ERAU is not a perfect organization and our supervisors are not
always on target. Still, with the occasional frustrations, uncomfortable
conversations, annoyances, and challenges, working at ERAU has been one of the
best work experiences I have ever had. I feel valued and supported; I feel like my
voice matters; I feel like my best interest is considered; I feel motivated to
work hard because I feel a sense of purpose everyday.
Like many in the world, I love the weekend; I
love having time to rest, hangout, catch up on life, and sleep! When the
weekend is over, I don’t miss it because I dread going to work on Monday, I
only miss it because of the reasons I described. I actually look forward to
going to work because I truly feel a sense of purpose. I love helping students
figure out their academic goals; I love watching their eyes light up when we
discuss their degree program and their future. I look forward to counseling my
students so that they are well-informed and well-prepared. I love the kindness that I can bring to them, especially when they
are having a hard time. For example, approximately two years ago I was able to let
a student talk about the loss of his son and how his son’s death was negatively
impacting his academic-drive; my student wanted to give up. I love that I was
able to listen and encourage him to take his time coming back to school; I also let him
know that he had my support no matter his decision. It
fills me with such joy to say that this same student is almost degree-complete; though it was a challenge, he did not give up and I got to be there for him! This is just one student's story; I have so many more stories that I could
share! So, if you want to know what motivates me, it’s every student that I get
to serve.
I am motivated by serving others; I am
motivated by the support and respect I receive from my students, colleagues,
and supervisors, and I am motivated because I get to use my gifts doing a job
that I love. Over the last few years I have come to learn what motivates me, therefore, it is easy for me to communicate my motivation. However, when I begin managing
others, I think that it will be important for me to know what motivates them. Therefore,
in order to know what motivates my followers, I need to observe them and
have a conversation with them about their motivations. If I know what motivates my followers, I can
offer guidance in their weaknesses and support their strengths. I also think
that I would need to acknowledge their efforts. Dan Ariely (2013) said that ignoring
others’ performance is like shredding their efforts in front of their face.
Thus, if I am going to discover what motivates my followers, I need to pay
attention to their efforts. I would communicate what motivates me in hopes that my followers would be motivated and that they would truly take the time to consider what drives them to do their work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aH2Ppjpcho&feature=youtu.be
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