The Secret Things that Spark Motivation

People don't chase things.
They chase feelings.

Let’s start with the extrinsic motivators:

• Salary or regular pay: money is a motivator because it gives recognition for the quality of work, for the effort, for the talents. It drives people to feel like they are needed and valued, but also supported, desired, respected, cared for, and even loved.

• Vacation or time off: it is a source of motivation because it makes people feel supported and safe. They feel understood.

• Bonus: an extra pay, in the form of a bonus, feels like a special treatment. People feel recognized for how special their work is. When they are motivated by bonuses, they are looking to feel seen, valued, proud and confident.

• Benefits, activities: when people have opportunities to have fun and relax while still being in contact with their work environment, they feel considered and understood.

Now let’s look at the trickier ones, that often seem mysterious, the intrinsic motivators: 

They are essential, yet they can often be trickier to see and manage than the extrinsic ones.

For today, let’s explore 3 main intrinsic motivators for people: Meaning, Relationships and Inspiration (MRI).
As we did before, we will look deeper into what people are looking to feel from those motivators.

1. Meaning: people are motivated by meaning because it makes them feel like they contribute to a “greater good”, an impact that fits with their values

2. Relationships: people are motivated by relationships because it gives them a sense of home; they feel connected on a daily basis, sharing joyful moments with their colleagues, creating things together; it makes them feel supported and loved

3. Inspiration: people are motivated when they are inspired by a charismatic leader because they need to feel uplifted by someone who communicates their vision with clarity & passion; participating to a greater vision creates a feeling of hope, trust and joy

The thing is:

You cannot just use those motivators to get people where you want to get them.

As a leader, your intention is what drives everything.

If your intention is unclear and you are too attached to your personal agenda, the motivators won’t work (at least not in the long run), even if you understood them intellectually.

Check your attitude:

• Are you being open to what others have to bring, or are you just fitting them into your well-crafted plan?

• Are you being sincere while defending your vision, or are you just making it up so as to impress others?

• Are you genuinely interested in others’ values, and on creating a company culture that is driven by common values?

• Are you really connecting with your team as human beings, or are you just pretending and fostering an artificial friendliness?
  
  I know you care.
  About your goals, and about your teams.
  Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this.
  
  Now here are a few questions you can ask yourself, as a leader, to connect more deeply to those intrinsic motivators.
  
  Meaning: How do you infuse meaning and values in your work and attitude at work?

  Inspiration: How do you connect to your vision on a daily basis, and how do you inform your team regularly about it?

  Relationships: How do you make sure the company culture fosters this type of companionship, solidarity and empathy? How do you connect to the people you are working with? 
  
  You can journal about it, but you can also let those sit and linger inside of you, opening the door for insights to come naturally as your day unfolds.

If this article helped you, we would love to read about your experience and feedback: send us an email seamless.leaders@protonmail.com