Defence Magazine

Everyone finds it hard to get up and go to work, regardless of the job they do. Or do they? You might imagine that a singer or an art curator or even someone who taste-tests chocolate for a living may find it quite easy to be motivated for work. It is also possible for an accountant, a road worker or even a public servant to also find it easy to come to work and be passionate about the job they're doing.

Being motivated is not just about being genuinely interested in the work you are doing; you can also be motivated by rewards that are entirely unrelated to the job itself, or perhaps only partially related. It is important to recognise that there are different types of motivators - and to learn to work with them.

Tips for managers and supervisors

As a manager or supervisor of staff, how can you get your people to do what you need them to do? In an office environment, it isn't simply about giving orders and hoping for the best. Although subordinate staff should be doing what they are asked by senior staff, it is much easier for all concerned if they aren't constantly reminded that they are subordinate. It also depends on the type of people you are managing, as their personalities and ways of doing things will inevitably play a part in the way they work and how they are motivated.

Use a bit of humour or informality with staff - this helps people feel less intimidated and more comfortable, regardless of hierarchy.
Get to know the people you're managing - if you know what interests or motivates them in their personal life, this may provide an insight into what motivates them at work.
Give people tasks that interest them - intrinsic motivation can help people get a job done with ease.
Understand that people are not perfect - everyone has 'off' days where they feel sluggish and unenthusiastic; make allowances for this and don't be so hard on people.
Be open about motivation - if you notice your staff lacking drive and enthusiasm, ask them if there's anything you can do to help get them going. Open communication can open many doors.

So... what is motivation?

Motivation is about being compelled to do something, to a lesser or greater extent, for a variety of reasons. Why would anyone perform a task, whether at work or at home, if there was no reason to do it? The issue is not so much establishing a reason to do something, but ensuring that the reason is of significance to the person performing the task.

Unlike animals, people will rarely just 'do what they're told' without reason. Even when taking an order in a military environment, for example, people receiving the order will do what they're told because they have previously made an undertaking to obey orders. There is still a reason for doing what is asked.

Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile, who has studied the topic of intrinsic motivation and creativity for over twenty years, said:

"People are at their most creative when they feel motivated primarily by the interest, satisfaction, and challenge of the work itself and not by external pressures or incentives.

"In order for creativity to flourish, people must be allowed to have a degree of freedom to choose their approaches to their work, to fail occasionally without ridicule or punishment, to stretch their horizons in terms of working with others who will share their knowledge, and to feel comfortable knowing that the organisation supports their work with the requisite resources."

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators

Primarily, there are two types of motivators: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivators are those that relate to the job itself, so, for example, a musician would be motivated intrinsically because of a love for music. Extrinsic motivators are external to the job or task. For example, someone stacking shelves at the supermarket would usually be doing it for the extra money, rather than a lifetime's interest in the artistry of positioning canned goods on shelves.

For some people, earning good money is certainly a great motivator. The passion for having control of one's financial situation and therefore the freedom to enjoy one's leisure time can be great, sometimes far greater than any passion for the particular job.

David Beswick, a professor emeritus at the University of Melbourne and Principal Fellow at the University's Centre for Applied Educational Research, puts forward the theory that extrinsic rewards (money or status) may reduce intrinsic motivation. This leads to the idea that paying people to do a job that they might have otherwise completed out of interest in the work, might in fact mean that they are less likely to do the job again without some type of extrinsic reward.

This is not to say that people cannot enjoy a job and be paid well for doing it. But it is about achieving that balance between doing a job well, and receiving adequate reward in the form of pay and job satisfaction.

The Defence perspective

The attitudes, perceptions and satisfaction of Defence employees are measured on a number of levels via the Defence Attitude Survey (DAS). As featured in the November/December issue of Defence magazine, the DAS is used primarily as a tool in the management of workforce planning and retention strategies. However, the results of the DAS can also provide an insight into the job satisfaction of Defence personnel.

An average of 68% of military personnel, and 67% of civilian personnel identified that life in the service is enjoyable. In addition to this, it was interesting to note that an average of 75% of military personnel said that the military is a way of life and can never be 'just a job'.

80% of civilian Defence members believe that their work makes an important contribution whilst an average of 74% of military personnel agreed.

The overall attitude of those surveyed towards satisfaction with work was positive. There are still challenges to be faced, however in relation to work life balance and prospects for promotion.

Facing up to the mirror

What if the problem lies with you? How can you motivate yourself? Whilst there is a lot to be said about extrinsic motivators, the fact remains that intrinsic motivators need to be present in order to sustain your interest in a job and continue to do good work. It can be 'soul destroying' to sit in a job and plod along each day doing work that simply doesn't interest you, regardless of how much money you're paid. If your job gets you down and you dread going to work each day, you may need to think about a new job, as not only could you be doing yourself a disservice, but you could be letting your co-workers down too. On the other hand, it may just be a case of finding that little something in your work that sparks your interest. Sometimes speaking to a manager or supervisor about what you are interested in can help steer your career in the right direction.

Job satisfaction

Being satisfied with your work is affected by a variety of factors. Levels of stress, pay, appreciation and acknowledgement from superiors are just some of the factors that can influence job satisfaction. It relates to motivation, because if you are not satisfied at work you are less likely to be motivated to work.

In the United Kingdom, a recent study amongst mental health workers showed some startling statistics on the reasons for the lack of job satisfaction. Published in the January 2006 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, researchers set out to examine the prevalence of stress, burnout and job satisfaction among mental health workers, and the factors responsible.

High levels of stress and emotional exhaustion were found to be prevalent amongst workers. Significant signs of psychological problems were seen in 47% of the sample. Demanding jobs and not feeling valued for the work they did were the most significant factors contributing to poor job satisfaction.

This study illustrated a very interesting and important point about job satisfaction. The low rates of job satisfaction were not affected by pay. So no matter how much people are paid to do a job, if they are not happy, it will affect their work adversely.

However you choose to deal with motivation at work, whether it be in relation to getting yourself to work or encouraging others to do a job, the balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivators should be recognised. Remember, there really are people out there who enjoy what they do thoroughly, but no-one, and no job, is perfect and so strategies for motivation must be employed.

It shouldn't matter what job you do, as long as it satisfies you enough to do it to the best of your ability.

Defence

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