People are not robots. They act a certain way not because it was something that other people want for themselves but because of a reason and not just for anything. Some people will say that they are doing something because they want to. Well, why do they want to? It’s because of something. This something is a person’s motivation.
Like a car, a person will need some sort of gas that will rev it up to move. The gas is that one thing that will drive a car. The same goes with people. Motivation is the single driving factor that makes people get up and go. It is that one thing that will make them do things that they should be doing.
There are different kinds of motivation for different people. People want different things for their lives and thus, they do things for different reasons. Some people are motivated by their need for security. This can be in the form of material possessions or security with their state in life. For some people having money in their bank account will make them secure while there are people who need to have a steady job in order to do that. Some people however are motivated by the need for recognition or achievement while there are some who are already content with having a network of people supporting them.
These different kinds of motivation will determine the things that people will do with their lives and how they will respond to people. For instance, people who are more motivated by recognition do not care about the money. They just want to be known or to be famous. These are artists of the worlds who do not really care if they earn or not. Their need is not to earn money but to show the world their art and be recognized for it.
Another example are women who are already okay being housewives and staying at home to take care of their families. It is not because they cannot have a career of their own, they just do not have the drive to go into the corporate world. These women are not motivated to be recognized for their work but to be loved by those that they love. These people are motivated by their need for affiliation.
Motivation is important in the sense that you will know how you can deal with people if you know how they are motivated. For instance if you have employees who are security driven, you will know that they need to be at peace with their jobs. They should probably given housing and car benefits. Other employees however need to be praised and recognized more than others. These are the ones who are more motivated by recognition. Anoother type of persons need to be given responsibilities.
The more the merrier. If they are not given these, they will feel left out. Others on the other hand don’t want responsibilities at all. They just want to be invited to concerts because they need affiliation.
Knowing what motivates a person will help managers handle their subordinated better. It will also easier for them to give them tasks and assign them to certain jobs. Hiring people will also yield better results if you find their motivation. After all, all you need to actually do is to hire people who are achievement-oriented.
These people’s motivation are internal. They are motivated to achieve and accomplish. You cannot get a better employee than that.
