A520.4.3.RB - Motivation Beyond Money

There is something inside every one of us that motivates and drives us through life, jobs, and family experiences. In the video clip, (Mulholland, 2011) Andy Mulholland discusses what he believes motivates people to work. His three points for why people are motivated to work are interesting work, to increase skill set and recognition. In addition to the three points from the video, there are other motivating factors such as sharing the rewards and pain, throw a party, and share ideas.

             Mr. Mulholland (2011) first points out people like interesting work, this is because interesting work keeps the mind going and remains active. This plays an important role in my life because I find it difficult to focus on work that is mundane and lacks spark. My mind thrives on interesting and different because it is a challenge and forces me to grow and motivates me to work harder. Second, Mr. Mulholland ( 2011) points out motivation is driven by increasing skills; this follows along with having interesting work because it encourages growth. This plays another important role for me personally because I find myself bored mentally if I am not challenged to think. Finally, it is important to recognize people for their skills and abilities ( Mulholland, 2011). I do not like to stand out in a crowd and I prefer to blend in with everyone, but it is important to recognize people for what they have done. I am working on overcoming my fear of mistakes, on the flip side, when my boss recognizes a skill I have been working on, I feel a sense of pride because I worked hard to complete the task. Also, the first two factors tie into the accomplishment because I found something that sparked my interest as well as increasing skills and abilities. When an authority figure gives praise of a job well done it provides a sense of accomplishment and drives the desire to work harder.

            One of the ways to keep employees motivated is by not hoarding all the recognition for the top leaders and forgetting about those who helped along the way (Wilson, 2012). This goes along with throwing a party, which doesn’t have to be only done on holidays. By getting together with employees and having a gathering such as happy hour and picnics, brings people together in unity (Wilson, 2012). Finally, share ideas together and not boss employees around. Ask the employees how they feel about an idea and try to incorporate their ideas if at all possible. When a person feels they are contributing to the cause they will want to work harder to be a part of the finished product (Wilson, 2012).

            Overall, it is to the advantage of a company to work with employees to keep them motivated by feeding their minds, increasing their skills, and rewarding their hard work. The research points to positive results when employees are taken care of and treated with respect.

           

Mulholland, A. (2011). The Three Things We Work For (Money Isn't One of Them) [Video file].

     Retrieved from http://library.books24x7.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/

     VideoViewer.aspx?bkid=43753

Wilson, P. (2012, November 28). 9 Things That Motivate Employees Beyond Money. Retrieved June 25, 2015, from Pete Wilson TV website: http://www.withoutwax.tv/2012/11/28/

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